One of the benefits of being part of the Microsoft Partner community is being able to access a wide range of resources, from training to sales and marketing assets, from the Microsoft Partner Portal. That site also allows you to manage your profile and membership for the Partner Network, including who's linked to your company and what benefits are available to your organisation through the program.
We know there's a lot of information on the portal and knowing where to start to get the best from the Partner Network can be difficult, especially if you're new to the program. There is support available to all our Partners through the Regional Service Centres who provide support on any organisation specific support you need.
If you have previously used that service we do want to make sure you are aware of an upcoming change. Beginning July 1, 2013, email support will be phased out for all partners, and phone support will be limited to partners with competencies or Microsoft Action Pack subscriptions. Email support for all partners and phone support for partners without a competency or an Action Pack subscription will be replaced by an RSC agent–supported forum in the Partner Support Community.
As a local team we want to ensure that you have a way to connect with us directly on a regular basis, that we can provide advice on how to get the best from the Partner Program and have a forum for open Q&A and discussion of any issues in-person. Given that, during our next two monthly Community Calls we'll have a focus on upcoming changes to the Partner Program and a walkthrough of top tips on getting the most from the Partner Network. We'll also be providing access to an Microsoft Partner Network step-by-step reference document to those joining the call that we hope is useful!
May's call is on Friday 31st and you can register here.
June's call is scheduled for Friday 28th June and you can register here.
Neil.