Microsoft Dynamics Profile: Building a strong partner presence in the Czech Republic

Part of Jaromir Sponar's job at Konica Minolta IT Solutions Czech is to help the company enhance its relationship with Microsoft. That effort is bi-directional, he says. In addition to working to drive more business with Microsoft solutions, he says, he works "to help [Konica] management understand how the ecosystem of Microsoft has changed, and what we need to do to be a better partner, a recognized partner to Microsoft."

Transforming a legacy business

As a Microsoft business consultant at Konica, Jaromir describes his role as translating the technology to business language for clients and prospects.

"So I'm having discussions with CxO level management about how [Microsoft Dynamics 365] can help them achieve their business goals," he says.

Jaromir says when most people hear the name Konica Minolta, which has been around for 140 years, they immediately think printers and optics. However, company owners and stakeholders understand that the printing services business is slowing down rapidly. Consequently, they're trying to figure out how to transform Konica's business.

In part, Konica wants to take a broader approach to IT, he says. The company started with infrastructure services and continued with content services. Then about seven years ago the company opened a new division called BPS, short for business process systems. The division is mostly focused on Microsoft.

"[At that time] the business with Microsoft was about selling licenses," Jaromir tells MSDW. "When Satya Nadella came to Microsoft as the CEO, he changed the language and they are asking partners to transform themselves to deliver added value to the customers. Not just the software, and not ...