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Microsoft: Partner or leader?

Date
11 September 2014
Written by
Helayna Lowe
Microsoft has a reputation for being a leader rather than a partner, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing as it exudes commitment to their agenda. But for many, the tech giant is seen to push its own plans rather recognize those of its partners. Microsoft aims to be the leader. This is apparent as it doggedly pushes its slick “On Azure” and “In Office 365” solutions. Its blend of platforms and business solutions are increasingly user friendly, helping them to court an ever-swelling number of partners and players. We find it encouraging seeing Microsoft puff out its chest and win back its mojo. But is its commitment to leadership discourteous to partners with ideas of their own?

Salesforce and Microsoft

The “guinea pig” for Microsoft’s current stance on heavyweight partners is Salesforce. There could be numerous reasons for its takeover, but one question asked when the news broke was; will they crush Salesforce in the same way they did Lotus Notes?    Perhaps not, according to a recent quote from Jody Kohner, Director at Salesforce. She said, “We're gonna wrap our arms around Microsoft. We're gonna pretend like we're a boa constrictor. And we're gonna suck the life out of them.'" Nice. The interplay between these two old CRM rivals is yet to be seen. Whatever happens, it will be a telling insight into whether or not Microsoft is bent on leadership or partnership. If they really hit it off, it’ll surely be the “Brangelina”of  CRM relationships – one to outmatch all others.

For Dynamics partners

  Recent shifts in accreditation and exams are sure to change the nature of Dynamics partnerships. However, the removal of formal exams suggests that Microsoft is loosening its grip and allowing partners to operate more freely across Dynamics products.  There are still unanswered questions for partners. Will they maintain their accredited Gold and Silver status? Will new, self-taught educational content hold the same credibility as official exams? Again, the intricacies of this will emerge in time.  

Always count on Microsoft for…

Microsoft will become a mobile-first and cloud-first business, making compatibility and integration top of their agenda. This will only increase their number of partners, every one of which will be expected to embrace Azure, Dynamics CRM and Office 365. Another sure thing is that Microsoft is a global brand with a global presence. It gives 100% security that their solutions will be around in the next 10 years and that they will continuously evolve – something that makes all of us feel happy, not just partners. Let us know what you think by commenting below.   

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