Microsoft Taps Channel Veteran For New U.S. SMB Channel, Online Services Post

SMB

Martorano, who was named one of CRN's Top 25 Sales Leaders of 2009, was previously director of U.S. Partner Strategy and Marketing for Microsoft and is considered one of the company's rising channel chief stars.

The new job puts Martorano, who has earned a reputation for developing tight personal relationships with Microsoft SMB partners, into the cloud hot seat.

Martorano, in effect, now has the unenviable task of making sure the $60 billion software giant has all the right pieces in place to move its 100,000 plus U.S. SMB partners from standard productivity offerings like Microsoft Small Business Server and Microsoft Office to the company's rapidly expanding cloud offerings.

Martorano, who started in the IT industry running sales for a VAR 18 years ago, will report to U.S. SMB Czar Cindy Bates.

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Bates, who is heading up the software giant's new multibillion dollar U.S. SMB Division, handpicked Matorano for the new job.

In his new role, Martorano has responsibility for all U.S. SMB channel strategy, marketing and online services.

Martorano will also oversee Microsoft's all important U.S. SMB channel relationship with HP.

The two companies earlier this year invested $250 million in a three-year deal aimed at developing cloud solutions with tightly integrated Microsoft-HP virtualization, data center and network management offerings.

HP CEO Mark Hurd and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer have touted the technology alliance as a cloud game changer. The plan is to better integrate Microsoft products like Microsoft Exchange Server, Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft Hyper-V with HP's server, storage and networking hardware. After such integrated technology stacks appear, the two companies also pledged to work more closely together on go-to-market efforts and ongoing service opportunities.

Besides Martorano's appointment, Bates has assembled what amounts to an All-Star team of Microsoft channel veterans including Marc Monday, who will oversee U.S. distribution sales; Josh Waldo, who will oversee U.S. SMB Customer Marketing; and Benny Madrid and Kim Tubbs-Herron who will be responsible for the U.S. SMB field sales teams.

"This is huge," said one source close to the company. "This shows how committed Microsoft is to SMB and the cloud. It's not just talk. It's action."