Partnering with Microsoft NZ

I am keen to work more closely with Microsoft NZ.

Smart Analytics is already a Partner with Microsoft UK. In fact we have several partnership accreditations. 'Certified Partner', 'Partner of the Future' and most recently, 'Cross Border Partner'.

Microsoft NZ does not support all these partner models. The focus in Auckland is to provide partner support to assist develop growth within the NZ market. I guess this generates more sales of Microsoft product locally and enables Microsoft NZ hit its sales and revenue targets.

For the majority of partners, this focus is probably justified. For partners looking at developing markets offshore, it is probably less so. That is why both Smart Analytics and Pingar will continue to focus on the Microsoft UK relationship.

We need to be able to leverage Microsoft's global network. Our product is not geographically focused and therefore the partner accreditations offered by Microsft UK benefit our marketing strategy. Long term, Microsoft also benefits.

By introducing our technology to global Microsoft networks, Microsoft can generate more global sales. This might not be reflected in Microsoft UK's revenue model, but will certainly benefit Microsoft Corp. It's a global 'win-win'.

Despite this focus, partnering with Microsoft NZ remains high on the agenda. Our product already features on global 'Office Live" portals. (Check out the 'Office Live' link). We just need to figure out a way of developing a 'win-win' scenario using Microsoft NZ's more geographically-focused model.