Partnering with Microsoft: Good, Bad, or Something in Between?

Love ’em or hate ’em, or something in between, there’s no denying that Microsoft is a powerful presence in the IT industry. From operating systems to office productivity suites to servers and virtualization, the company casts a long shadow over almost every area of information technology.

With such a broad reach and looming presence, Microsoft would seem an unlikely ally for small and midsize businesses (SMBs) that require a personal touch and individualized attention. Not so, according to Darren Bibby, program director, software channels research, at market research firm IDC, who believes Microsoft to be surprisingly SMB-friendly.

“Microsoft’s size and scale is actually very well suited to serve the SMB community,” Bibby says, “And they’ve put an enormous amount of money and vast resources behind initiatives for SMBs, which shows they’re serious about supporting these communities.”

Microsoft’s product set reflects this focus too. Solutions like Small Business Server (SBS), Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS), online and cloud-based services, and even the way Microsoft’s partner community is structured all contribute to the company’s success in the SMB market. “Microsoft has a vast number of SMB partners, but they’re very well set up to take care of those partners, with specific communities for partners using SBS, for hosted Exchange, for software as a service,” says Bibby. “They are incredibly comprehensive as far as their products and their partner communities are concerned.”

Further, Microsoft actively listens to the concerns of its partners, Bibby notes, and works hard to make sure even the smallest partners can quickly and easily access product information, sales promotions, training and education, and other channel resources. For instance, Microsoft regularly holds Partner Advisory Council meetings targeted to partners’ specific areas of technology expertise.

Microsoft also touts its Small Business Specialist certification and community, which gives partners that focus on the SMB segment access to lead generation, deal registration, technical support, logos, and a listing in Microsoft’s Solution Finder directory, among other perks.

“Microsoft’s small business specialist competency has been a great success,” Bibby says, noting that the software giant is putting a midmarket specialist competency in place for businesses that have outgrown the company’s small business solutions and programs. “The increased demand from partners for these midmarket solutions shows that smaller partners are growing and demanding these resources, and it also shows that Microsoft is listening to their partners closely.”