There is more than enough opportunity for partners during the year ahead, says Microsoft SA, but they will need to grow at 20% or better.
Speaking at the annual Partner Summit, in Sun City last week, MD Pfungwa Serima said the company expects strong growth from its channel.
"If you're not growing at 20% per year, then I think someone else is eating your lunch - and it better not be the competition," he said in his opening keynote address. "You may need to look at the next year and see how you can grow, and if you're not, then we're here to help."
Serima encouraged the attendees to spend time during the summit looking at potential opportunities around Windows Vista and Microsoft Office. He also welcomed the company's new retail partners that helped it launch the Xbox 360 to the South African retail market last quarter. He said this provided another opportunity for resellers.
"We're an entertainment company now and I encourage you to play in this environment if you can."
Significance of MEA
Microsoft International VP for Middle East and Africa Ali Faramawy said the African partner community had grown fast over the past eight to nine years and that Microsoft US had noticed.
"The significance of the Middle East and African market has become clear to senior Microsoft executives and we want its growth to continue," he said. "That includes using IT to modernise how government works, to improve ordinary people's lives and to make returns for investors."
Nearly 1 000 delegates attended the two-day conference. They garnered selling, marketing and integration collateral from Microsoft, as well as sneak previews of upcoming business and development tools and new platforms like Windows Server 2008. The Xbox Elite, a new version of the company's gaming console, was also revealed. However, South African users will not yet be allowed to connect to the Xbox Live online service.
In her closing keynote address, Microsoft SA COO Heather Third acknowledged the range of competitors Microsoft faces in almost every portion of its business. She hoped the partner base had seen the potential for growth in the key areas of operating systems, security, operations, collaboration, entertainment, business and applications, Third noted.
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