Find out what’s new for Microsoft partners. We’ll connect you to resources that help you build and sustain a profitable cloud business, connect with customers and prospects, and differentiate your business. Read previous issues of the newsletter and get real-time updates about partner-related news and information on our US Partner Community Twitter channel.
You can subscribe to receive posts from this blog in your email inbox or as an RSS feed.
Looking for partner training courses and community calls? The Hot Sheet training schedule offers a six-week outlook, and is updated regularly as we learn about new offerings. Monthly recaps of the US Partner Community calls and blog posts are also available.
To stay in touch with me and connect with other partners and Microsoft sales, marketing, and product experts, join our US Partner Community on Yammer and see other options to stay informed.
Top stories
Microsoft Build 2017 – Come code with us
- Read the blog post by Scott Guthrie, Executive Vice President, Cloud and Enterprise Group
- February 14: Registration opens for Microsoft Build (May 10-12 in Seattle, WA)
- March 7: Visual Studio 2017 launch event
New partner playbooks for building a successful cloud practice
- Read the blog post by Eduardo Kassner, Worldwide Partner Group CTO
- Learn more about the playbooks and how to download them
- Review the results of the Microsoft Cloud Practice Development Study (PDF download)
Prepare for the 2017 MPN Partner of the Year Awards
- Start preparing your self-nomination – the submission tool opens late February
- Download the Awards Guidelines
- Download the Official Rules and Regulations
- Get advice from judges and tips for creating a great entry
US Partner Community call schedule
- February 14 – Microsoft Dynamics 365 Portals
- February 15 – MPN 101: Training and accreditation resources
- February 16 – 5 trends and ideas for ISVs in 2017
- February 16 – Microsoft FastTrack for Windows 10; Microsoft Intune for Education
- February 21 – Azure Data Factory
- February 22 – MPN 101: Partner incentives and investments
- February 23 – Microsoft Intune on Microsoft Azure
- February 28 – Open Source and Containers
- Full community call schedule
- Recaps of previous months’ calls
SMB Live events coming to 22 US cities in February, March, and April
- Full Schedule – Business: Maximize Your Cloud Opportunity with Hybrid IT
- Full Schedule – Technical: Microsoft Azure – Spec, Price, and Bid Your Microsoft Cloud Solutions
- February 21: Dallas, TX – Maximize Your Cloud Opportunity with Hybrid IT
- February 22: Dallas, TX – Microsoft Azure – Spec, Price, and Bid Your Microsoft Cloud Solutions
- February 22: Fort Lauderdale, FL – Maximize Your Cloud Opportunity with Hybrid IT
- February 23: Fort Lauderdale, FL – Microsoft Azure – Spec, Price, and Bid Your Microsoft Cloud Solutions
MPN 101: Competency updates and resources
- Read the blog post by Chinmayi Bhavanishankar
- Follow Microsoft partner program changes on the What’s new page
- Working toward a new cloud competency? How to get support and resources
- Renewing your existing competency? Guidance and tips for a smoother renewal process
Partner sales training for licensing, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Dynamics 365, and more
- Sign up for Coffee in the Cloud online licensing training
- Cloud + Enterprise University: Internet of Things learning path
- Cloud + Enterprise University: Cloud Infrastructure learning path (Linux workloads on Azure, Windows Server 2016, Azure IaaS)
- Cloud + Enterprise University: Enterprise Mobility + Security learning path
- Cloud + Enterprise University: Cloud Application Development learning path
- Cloud + Enterprise University main schedule
- Pitch Perfect for Sales learning paths: Microsoft Dynamics 365, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Secure, Secure Productive Enterprise (SPE)
Unlock additional value by using your Signature Cloud Support benefit
- Learn more about Signature Cloud Support
- MPN 101 Support Options blog series
- Watch the on-demand video about MPN support options
- Compare Microsoft Partner Support Offerings
Microsoft at RSA Conference 2017
- February 13-17 in San Francisco: Featured Microsoft speakers, sessions, and booth
- Microsoft Security Intelligence Report Volume 21 (December 2016)
- Microsoft Trust Center
- Cloud Services Due Diligence Checklist
- New ISO cloud computing standard helps customers compare cloud offerings
Plan ahead for sales and technical training, and get certified
- February 2017 Hot Sheet partner training schedule (listings through March; updated as we learn about new offerings)
- Follow learning paths of on-demand training recommendations for Microsoft products and technologies
- Technical training by product and topic
- Give yourself an advantage with a Microsoft Exam Replay
- Associate your Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) credentials with your company’s MPN membership
- Get your Microsoft Certification Badge