Microsoft Memo Names Two Services Execs To Deep Partner Bench

In an effort to address concerns about the departure of consulting services chief Mike Sinneck, Microsoft this week issued a memo to its channel officially announcing the appointment of two new services executives to a deep bench of six company managers with partner responsibilities in 2004.

As previously reported, and as stated in the memo, Rick Devenuti, currently corporate vice president and CIO, will assume leadership of Microsoft Services.

Another new face to the channel, Shahla Aly, is named in the memo as general manager of partners at Microsoft Services. Microsoft said Aly has been with the company for two years, but she is not a known entity to many partners.

Noticeably absent from the list, partners say, is Brian Boruff, who was promoted to vice president of U.S. Services in October.

In the memo, Microsoft assures partners that Devenuti will work with the existing "partner leadership team across the company," a roster that includes Sanjay Parthasarathy, vice president, Platform Strategy & Partner Group; Allison Watson, vice president, Worldwide Partner Group; Jared Wheeler, general manager, Enterprise Services & Technology Partners; and Simon Witts, vice president, Enterprise & Partner Group.

Partners had mixed reactions to the management shakeup at the company's services division. Overall, most say they are less concerned than they were two years ago, when Microsoft Consulting Services was aggressively competing with partners in the field and Sinneck was brought in from IBM Global Services to alleviate the crisis and realign MCS.

"I don't see a shift in direction," said Ken Winell, president of Econium, Totowa, N.J., who, like many, are pleased with Microsoft's renewed emphasis on partnering. However, he and others are taking a wait-and-see attitude because they don't know Devenuti or Aly.

According to the memo, "Rick will continue to manage Microsoft's internal IT function, which will enable greater synergy and a stronger connection between the IT work we do internally and the services work we do externally with partners and customers."

But some partners question the ability of a CIO to head up a services organization. Others say the company's services organization is a better ally to partners today but they are a bit frustrated with the revolving door of leadership at Microsoft Services, formerly known as MCS. Sinneck served in that role for two years. He replaced longtime MCS chief Bob McDowell.

One partner, who asked not to be named, said discussions are under way within Microsoft about re-expanding the field level organizations since they have "decimated over the past two years," but he emphasized that no decision has been made. Microsoft confirmed publicly in June that it had reassigned roughly 160 Microsoft services jobs to other parts of the company.

One East Coast solution provider said he is tired of the roller coaster. "Microsoft consulting has been whipsawed back and forth the last few years. Told to partner, told not to partner, told to partner. There's a lot of uncertainty about whether Microsoft consultants are serious about partnering or not."

Even one employee of the Microsoft consulting group agrees there is confusion internally. "We're a profit center, then we're not. Then we are," he noted.

Others, however, viewed the new Microsoft Services appointments as a sure sign that Microsoft is sticking to its channel-centric strategy,

"Now they are passing it over to an operations-oriented person, which in my view [means] that it will be maintained at that same level," said one solution provider, who did not want to be identified. "I don't think there will be much new in the MCS world in the near future.

A Microsoft spokeswoman said the letter is meant to reinforce Microsoft's commitment to partners and demonstrate that strong leadership is in place as it moves forward for partners in light of Sinneck's departure.

The memo will be sent to Microsoft global partner managers and the partner account managers, the spokeswoman said. They will be encouraged to forward the memo on to partners as they deem appropriate.

BARBARA DARROW contributed to this story.

Tweet

   

More Channel Programs