Microsoft Software Assurance Emails Puzzle Partners

Software Assurance (SA), a volume licensing program that lets companies upgrade to new software that's released during the term of the contract with Microsoft, and to spread payments over a three-year period, gives VARs a way to help larger customers save money.

Microsoft sweetens the SA pot by offering customers free consulting engagements called Packaged Services, which cover areas such as SharePoint and desktop deployment, and are provided by a stable of channel partners of Microsoft's choosing.

For VARs that sell SA, the outside partner involvement hasn't been a problem. But earlier this month, some partners were alarmed by the fact that Microsoft announced two new SA Packaged Services in emails sent directly to their customers.

VARs were also upset by the wording of the emails, which some feel suggests that Microsoft's 'pre-qualified' partners possess superior skills to their own. As a result, some VARs are questioning the value of continuing to sell SA.

Earlier this month, Microsoft announced two new SA Packaged Services: Exchange Deployment Planning Services (EDPS) and Business Value Planning Services (BVPS), the latter of which is designed to help customers "identify, unlock, and capture the business value" of Microsoft Office.

"Structured engagements are conducted by pre-qualified EDPS partners, who will share best practices, analyze your organizational requirements, and help create comprehensive deployment and implementation plans," reads the Microsoft email, which can be viewed here.

To minimize channel conflict, Microsoft has set a minimum of 200 seats under Software Assurance for customers to be eligible for Packaged Services, according to solution providers. But Andy Goodman, a Microsoft MVP and principal of DownHome Computers, Kernersville, N.C., believes that Microsoft should have realized that VARs would be upset over the direct customer contact.

"I'm annoyed by the fact that they're sending letters to my customers telling them they can have access to 'experts,' because it makes it seem like the partners they're already dealing with aren't experts," said Goodman. "It would have been less distasteful if Microsoft had let me send the email to my clients."

In a Wednesday blog post, Eric Ligman, Global Partner Experience Lead in Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Group, said partners can register on the Microsoft Office System Solution Directory (OSSD) to offer Packaged Services to eligible SA customers.

"Partners can review the Packaged Services agreement, associate individual consultants that have passed the certification exam with the partner's profile, and designate which engagement lengths they are interest in offering," Ligman wrote.

However, Ligman didn't address the issue of Microsoft sending emails directly to SA customers, and Microsoft couldn't be reached for comment on this issue.

Microsoft views SA Packaged Services as partner friendly because they're delivered via partners rather than from Microsoft themselves, says Dave Sobel, CEO of Evolve Technologies, a Fairfax, Va.-based solution provider.

The problem, according to Sobel, with this is that Microsoft too often announces these types of programs without making partners fully aware of their plans beforehand.

"Microsoft has good intentions with this program, but without clarification or alignment with partners, it just causes concern and fear," said Sobel. "The spirit is good, but the negative connotations are never considered."