Allison Watson Quotations

We started the push by presenting to partners the importance of people being at the center of how Microsoft delivers value in research and development and for customers.

We're saying if you want to get people-ready, get it from our partners, here are our partners. So far, we've had over 12,000 searches in our beta-testing of the tool over the past two weeks.

Only companies that have demonstrated high levels of customer service, proved their experience and attained advanced certification receive the designation of Microsoft Certified Partner.

The people-ready vision is not only for Microsoft to create opportunity, but it's also about creating opportunity for our partners.

We are providing the tools to train partners to deliver the people-ready message and supporting them with compelling evidence about why customers who invest in this outperform customers who don't. We want them to know how to live and breathe this message and successfully sell their offerings to customers.

We place tremendous value on our partners, who help us deliver solutions and applications to customers. Solutions Competencies provide an integrated partnering framework that recognizes an enterprise's expertise and rewards it for the effect it has in the technology marketplace. It also allows companies to demonstrate for customers their knowledge of building solutions based on Microsoft technologies, such as setting up networks using Windows Server 2003 and Windows Small Business Server 2003.

Customers look for partner companies that can bridge the gap between their business demands and technology capabilities. They need to trust in someone that can act as an expert adviser for their long-term strategic technology plans. Microsoft Gold Certified Partners, which have certified expertise and direct training and support from Microsoft, can build a positive customer experience with our technologies.

Customers are looking for partner companies that can bridge the gap between their business demands and technology capabilities.

The training component will support partners by helping them clearly tell the story of people-ready.