A Peek Inside Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference--How It Affects Dynamics Users

Microsoft is holding its Worldwide Partner Conference this week in muggy Houston. It's a gathering of more than 7,000 partners from 145 countries.

Partners are Microsoft's main business marketing vehicle, for Dynamics as well as other product areas like servers, so the WPC serves as an opportunity to introduce partners to new products, update them on existing products, and motivate them to increase sales. Thus, it will impact what users experience from partners, as well as new product options from ISVs. Based on the major events scheduled, here are some things to look for out of the WPC:

• New add-ons for Dynamics products. One popular area promises to be tools related to Microsoft Dynamics CRM, and its CRM Online application, as one blog points out in highlighting upcoming products. In advance of the show, Microsoft announced an alliance with TenDigits Software Inc. "to deliver full-featured mobile access to both Windows Mobile phones and BlackBerry mobile phones for Microsoft Dynamics CRM."

 

• Training programs. Dynamics partners will have access to sessions about how best to integrate Dynamics with other applications, as well as how to carry out upgrades--for example, sessions on "Ease Customer Pain over Systems Integration" and "Microsoft Software-plus-Services: Offer Customers Choices".

 

• Sales sessions. Dynamics partners will also have the opportunity to participate in sessions on such topics as "Market and Sell Microsoft Dynamics into Vertical Markets" and "How to Deliver Successful Marketing Campaigns for US$1,000".