Microsoft's partners must take advantage of the opportunities in hardware, software and services provided by newly released and upcoming versions of its flagship products.
Executives, including MD Pfungwa Serima, delivered this "leverage the ecosystem" message during the 2007 Microsoft Partner Summit at Sun City last week.
"Our partners should be making five to 10 times as much revenue as we do," he said in his opening keynote address.
Serima and other Microsoft representatives quoted IDC's May 2007 survey, "The Economic Impact of Microsoft's Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 in the US". It says that for every dollar Microsoft makes, hardware partners make $7.82, software partners $4.61, and services partners $5.72.
New editions
Product marketing manager for Infra Servers Albie Bester noted that IDC expects 150 million copies of Windows Vista and 3.5 million copies of Windows Server 2008 to be installed by 2008.
"The new versions will generate R1.8 billion worth of opportunity this year and R2.1 billion next year in the local market, as the adoption drives demand for new hardware, software and services," he said.
"That includes infrastructure optimisation, training and support, application re-platforming and extending core systems."
David Sieff, product manager for Windows Vista, quoted another channel survey, built on five years of research data. It said for every dollar Microsoft made, the channel could expect to bring in $22.
"By 2008, 25% of IT-related workers will be using Vista," he said. "That represents a $100 billion potential market for partners."
Share
