Find out what’s new for Microsoft partners this week. We’ll connect you to resources that help you become market-ready, connect with customers and prospects, and differentiate your business. You can read previous weeks’ issues at http://aka.ms/uspnewsletter.
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Exciting updates for partners about Enterprise Mobility Suite
Enterprise Mobility Suite (EMS) addresses customer BYOD challenges and complexity, and includes Azure Active Directory Premium, Microsoft Intune, and Azure Rights Management. It is now available in Open Licensing, making it more accessible to SMB customers. And, if you are a Microsoft Partner Network member with an Action Pack subscription or Silver or Gold competency, EMS is and Azure AD Basic are now part of your internal use rights benefits. Read more.
Cloud Profitability webcasts: how to sell in a cloud-first world
Every Wednesday at 8:30AM Pacific Time, join our cloud experts and guests for a new Cloud Profitability webcast live, plus take part in real-time Q&A. Throughout the month of March, the focus will be on the cloud sales process. Read more.
Cloud services adoption best practices and resources
Selling the cloud is not enough anymore. Partners must help customers use the service they purchased on a regular basis, realize the value of the service, and recognize the service as critical to accomplishing their work each day. Learn more about cloud adoption and how to move customers to this active usage.
- March 12 webcast: Office 365 onboarding and adoption
- What partners should know about the Office 365 Adoption Offer
- Watch our new #EasyAsABC video series about Office 365 adoption
- Find more cloud profitability resources in our online list
Digital Partner of Record training and office hours
Digital Partner of Record capability is now here for the subscriptions you are actively managing for customers for Office 365, Microsoft Intune, CRM Online, and Enterprise Mobility Suite. Throughout March, we are offering partner training and office hours to help you understand and manage the change. Read more.
Azure Partner Community: March focus on top partner questions
This month’s Azure Partner Community blog posts and call will include the topics of Microsoft Azure RemoteApp, Site Recovery, API Management, and a demo tool you can use to show Azure solutions to your customers.
Take the Sales Excellence Challenge – enter to win a Surface Pro 3
Increase your knowledge about selling and licensing Microsoft products and technologies by taking the Sales Excellence Challenge. Attend a live or on-demand webcast and pass an eligible Sales Specialist assessment by April 30 for a chance to win one of three Surface Pro 3. Details and official rules.
Simple Tech Tips: free marketing content program for partners
The Simple Tech Tips program from Microsoft Community Connections provides partners with free, prewritten technology content that you can use in your marketing communications. Read more.
Join the US Partner Team at WPC 2015
Your success in today’s mobile-first, cloud-first world will be a key topic at the 2015 Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference in Orlando, Florida this July. At WPC 2015, you’ll hear from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, and in the US General Session, the Microsoft US leadership team will provide you with a deeper look and guidance about how we move forward together. The best price right now for an all-access pass is US$1,995, valid through April 22. Register today.
- Tuesday, July 14 – Save the date for the US General Session and US Celebration at Epcot at the Walt Disney World Resort
- Wednesday, July 15 – WPC Partner Celebration at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Microsoft Azure Sales Assessment coming soon—prepare with this learning path
This spring, you can earn Sales Specialist accreditation for Microsoft Azure by passing the Azure Partner Practice Enablement sales assessment. Take the modules in the Azure Start Sales Assessment learning path to prepare: learn how to identify new opportunities, how to handle objections, about pricing and licensing, and more. Follow the learning path.
Marketing SureStep – elevate your cloud business to success
Having a marketing strategy for your business is no longer optional. Marketing SureStep will help you create the right approach for your company, from connecting with customers to telling a compelling story to measuring your progress.
- Get your marketing mojo on and enter to win up to $5,000. Game ends May 31. Official rules.
Syndicate the #ModernBiz on-demand webcast series
This series shows SMBs how they can modernize with the latest technology and includes webcasts such as “Improve Productivity with Technology-Enabled Collaboration” and “Target and Win Customers with BI.” Each webcast features a product demo. Invite your customers to register by creating your own registration pages on the Microsoft Ready-to-Go Marketing website, in the Microsoft Led Events section.
Partner calendar through March 20
 | Refer to the March Hot Sheet for a comprehensive, frequently updated list covering the next several weeks. Featured training
|
Week of March 9–13
Monday, March 9
- Digital Partner of Record training
- Microsoft Experience Center Facilitator Boot Camp in Chicago, IL
- Microsoft Experience Center Facilitator Boot Camp in Los Angeles, CA
- March 9–13: Microsoft Empower Enterprise Mobility (EEM) Virtual Boot Camp (200–300 level)
- Partner Technical Services: Design the Hybrid Cloud workshop
- Microsoft Virtual Academy Meets Reddit: Ask Us Anything!
- Ask the Experts - Identity: Deploying AADSync and upgrading from DirSync/FIM to AADSync
Tuesday, March 10
- SMB Live Workshop: Attract Customers, Grow Sales in New York, NY
- SMB Live Workshop: Attract Customers, Grow Sales in Nashville, TN
- Part 2 of Windows Licensing series: Software Assurance and Windows VDA – Level 200
- Partner Technical Services: Office 365 Real World Scenarios: Budgeting & Accounting System
- Enterprise Mobility Scenario – Visual Studio Development: Mobile apps for Windows, IOS and Android
Wednesday, March 11
- SMB Live Technical: Modernize with Hybrid Cloud in New York, NY
- SMB Live Technical: Modernize with Hybrid Cloud in Nashville, TN
- SMB Live Workshop: Attract Customers, Grow Sales in Indianapolis, IN
- SMB Live Workshop: Attract Customers, Grow Sales in Sunnyvale, CA
- Cloud Profitability Webcast: Sales Motion – Qualify
- Dynamics CRM Online – Remove Wind from Competitor Sails & Integration with SharePoint
Thursday, March 12
- SMB Live Technical: Modernize with Hybrid Cloud in Indianapolis, IN
- SMB Live Technical: Modernize with Hybrid Cloud in Sunnyvale, CA
- Microsoft Cloud Platform Road Show for Hosting Service Providers in Fort Lauderdale, FL
- Sales and Licensing Excellence Webcast: Office 365 Onboarding and Adoption – Level 100
- Earn More On Every Office 365 Deal Through New Incentives
- Microsoft Virtual Academy: Construct 2 Advanced Game Development
- Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2015 Virtual Foundations Course
- SharePoint Online Developer Series for Office 365: Real World Challenges
- Partner Technical Services: Migrate Your MBX to Office 365
Friday, March 13
- Digital Partner of Record office hours
- SMB Partner Insider Call Series – East Region
- SMB Partner Insider Call Series – Central Region
- SMB Partner Insider Call Series – West Region
Week of March 16–20
Monday, March 16
- Digital Partner of Record training
- Microsoft Experience Center Facilitator Boot Camp in New York, NY
- Microsoft Experience Center Facilitator Boot Camp in Philadelphia, PA
- Azure Site Recovery Live Demo Series
- Introduction to the Azure Starter Kit
- Ask the Experts Communication: Enterprise Voice
Tuesday, March 17
- SMB Live Workshop: Attract Customers, Grow Sales in Charlotte, NC
- SMB Live Workshop: Attract Customers, Grow Sales in Cleveland, OH
- Sales and Licensing Excellence Webcast: Pursuing the Windows Per User Licensing Opportunity (Level 100)
- Managing the Application Lifecycle with MSDN
- SMB Cloud Office Hours: Azure Site Recovery
- Enterprise Mobility Scenario – BYOD in Today’s Enterprises
- Microsoft Project Webcast: Creating O Data Reports
Wednesday, March 18
- SMB Live Technical: Modernize with Hybrid Cloud in Charlotte, NC
- SMB Live Technical: Modernize with Hybrid Cloud in Cleveland, OH
- SMB Live Workshop: Attract Customers, Grow Sales in Denver, CO
- SMB Live Workshop: Attract Customers, Grow Sales in Boston, MA
- SMB Live Workshop: Attract Customers, Grow Sales in St. Louis, MO
- Cloud Profitability Webcast: Sales Motion – Proof
- Sales and Licensing Excellence Webcast: Do This, Not That – Nailing the Initial Office 365 in Healthcare Conversation (Level 200)
- Get on the fast track to the cloud with Microsoft Azure
- Microsoft Virtual Academy: Java on Microsoft Azure
- Dynamics CRM Online Integration with Exchange Online (Server-Side-Sync) & Integration with Yammer, Lync, Skype
Thursday, March 19
- SMB Live Technical: Modernize with Hybrid Cloud in Boston, MA
- SMB Live Technical: Modernize with Hybrid Cloud in St. Louis, MO
- Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2015 Virtual Foundations Course
- Microsoft Azure Solution Scenarios – Windows Azure Pack for Service Providers and Enterprises with Multi-Tenancy with ADFS
- Partner Technical Services: Migrate your MBX to Office 365 – Diagnostic Tools
- US Azure Partner Community Call
Friday, March 20