http://h30507.www3.hp.com/t5/Reality-Check-Server-Insights/Microsoft-Worldwide-Partner-Conference-A-Journey-through-the/ba-p/95325 <p>I am writing this from a crowded plane at 35,000 foot, heading to LA from Minnesota.  I am heading to Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC). </p><p> </p><p>What is WPC?  It is Microsoft’s annual conference held specifically for all of its partners from around the world – but you knew that from the title, right?  This is where we get to see Steve Ballmer jumping around on stage; hear all the cool keynotes (this year Richard Branson), to meet with our joint HP/MS partners and have the opportunity to attend a wealth of different sessions and take a big drink of the Microsoft Kool-Aid.  This event is also the one time a year our group gets together from both companies and from around the world.  While it’s an incredible amount of work, it’s also kind of like summer camp.  </p><p> </p><p>Full disclosure, I am in marketing within HP’s Enterprise Servers, Storage and Networking, and my job is to focus on the SMB segment of customers and support our joint HP and Microsoft partners who service the SMB space.  I have been working on the HP/MS Alliance for the better part of 5 years now and it is an amazing roller-coaster!  We compliment and compete, I often feel as though I work for two companies (our Americas Director often has to “put on his UN listening device” to translate HP and MS lingo) and we have a ton of fun.</p><p>So, I am heading to WPC to find out a few things. </p><p> </p><p>1.  What is Microsoft going to be focusing on next year? </p><p>2.  How will that work together with HP and our focus on <a title="HP Converged Infrastructure" href="http://www8.hp.com/us/en/solutions/solutions-detail.html?compURI=tcm:245-785656&amp;pageTitle=converged-infrastructure" target="_self">Converged Infrastructure</a>? </p><p>3.  What can we do to help our partners better serve their customers?</p><p>4. What is just new and cool and makes me go “wow”? </p><p>5.  Have a good meal and a glass of wine with friends and colleagues.</p><p> </p><p>A couple of things I’m going to be looking for: </p><p> </p><p>Cloud Computing (shouldn’t be hard to miss, you can’t throw a stick without hitting someone talking about Cloud Computing) and Microsoft will be showing off Office 365.  What I want to know is, how does Microsoft plan to go to market with their Cloud story and how does the compliment (or not) the HP Cloud story?</p><p> </p><p> Microsoft’s Virtualization story – they bought a company not too long ago, Opalis and it really makes their virtualization management easy to manage and provision and automates a ton of work usually done by IT.  But how does that work with HP’s Insight Control Manager?  I don’t know, but I mean to find out.   I heard a talk at HP’s Americas Partner Conference in April and I’m intrigued.</p><p> </p><p>Also, just because I’m curious, what is Microsoft going to unveil in terms of Unified Communication with the purchase of Skype?</p><p> </p><p>There is a new SQL product coming out soon and that should be interesting to learn more about particularly since we won the Data Platform Partner of the Year (Toot! Toot! – That’s me tooting my own horn about our awesome Alliance team).  With the push towards appliances and HP and Microsoft focusing more on the SMB space in terms of self service BI, I think this topic is heating up quickly and I need to jump on top of it!</p><p> </p><p>This is not going to be a real deep dive technical aspect of WPC, and I will do my best not to get all weird and “market-y” on the readers, but more, this will be one woman’s opinion of what’s great and what’s not at WPC.  Oh, and if I hear some good gossip, I’ll be sure to pass it along!</p><p> </p><p>In the meantime, go check out Microsoft’s <a href="http://www.digitalwpc.com/" target="_blank">WPC site</a> it’s pretty slick and I have to say the greatest thing about it is WPC Connect.  It allows me to go online, search for attendees and schedule meetings with them and then EVERYTHING ties to your Outlook.  It may not be the hottest technology out there, but it makes my life easier and that’s brilliant!</p><p> </p><p>Contributor Stacey Floyd</p><p>HP Americas, HP/Microsoft Alliance Marketing Manager, <a href="http://www.hpmspartnermarketing.com/" target="_blank">Frontline Partner Program</a> Manager. </p><p> </p> Tue, 12 Jul 2011 15:59:09 GMT quinn.fisher 2011-07-12T15:59:09Z http://h30507.www3.hp.com/t5/Reality-Check-Server-Insights/Microsoft-Worldwide-Partner-Conference-A-Journey-through-the/ba-p/95325 <p>Contributor Stacey Floyd</p><p>HP Americas, HP/Microsoft Alliance Marketing Manager, <a href="http://www.hpmspartnermarketing.com/">Frontline Partner Program</a> Manager. </p><p> </p><p>Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference – A Journey through the Clouds (literally)</p><p>I am writing this from a crowded plane at 35,000 foot, heading to LA from Minnesota.  I am heading to Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC). </p> Tue, 12 Jul 2011 15:59:09 GMT http://h30507.www3.hp.com/t5/Reality-Check-Server-Insights/Microsoft-Worldwide-Partner-Conference-A-Journey-through-the/ba-p/95325 quinn.fisher 2011-07-12T15:59:09Z http://h30507.www3.hp.com/t5/Reality-Check-Server-Insights/Microsoft-Worldwide-Partner-Conference-A-Journey-through-the/bc-p/96255#M487 <p> I have no knowlwdge about WPC before reading this article. We are also Microsoft business partner ( <a target="_blank" href="http://www.provaltech.com/">http://www.provaltech.com/</a> ) but never attand a WPC. so i need to know some more information about this.   </p> Wed, 27 Jul 2011 12:06:50 GMT http://h30507.www3.hp.com/t5/Reality-Check-Server-Insights/Microsoft-Worldwide-Partner-Conference-A-Journey-through-the/bc-p/96255#M487 Server Management 2011-07-27T12:06:50Z