Review the available tracks below. To see more details and sign up for sessions, visit the Session Catalog, sign in and start customizing your WPC 2011 agenda.
Solution Tracks
Application Platform
This track shows how you can take full advantage of SQL Server, BizTalk, Visual Studio, or SQL Azure to provide a powerful environment to leverage the entire Microsoft stack. Learn about the latest innovations in BI and reach new horizons with SQL Server Parallel Data Warehouse Edition. You will get powerful arguments and tactics to compete against Oracle and drive significant standardization on the Microsoft platform.
Business Productivity 2010
The Business Productivity track will focus on increasing your ability to sell and implement cross-platform solutions, either on- or off-premise. Become more informed and get ready to have productive business-value conversations with your customers in areas such as unified communications, collaboration, enterprise content management, business intelligence, enterprise search, visualization, project management, and cloud services.
Cloud Business Transformation Track
In this track you will hear about new cloud services business models, marketing campaigns, and sales strategies. Cloud Services are a disruptive force in the IT industry, challenging existing business models and opening up new opportunities for many partners. Learn how to build your own successful cloud practice and how to take advantages of the many new business opportunities that come with cloud services. The track includes expert sessions, partner best practices and panel discussion how to grow your revenues, expand your customer base, increase the velocity of your business and drive down cost through cloud services.
Server and Cloud
Sessions within the Server and Cloud Track focus on increasing your ability to identify, sell, and implement infrastructure solutions. Engage in meaningful business-value conversations with customers in IT capability areas such as server, desktop, and device management; integrated virtualization; identity management; on-premise or in the cloud; and securing your servers, clients, and end points.
Microsoft Dynamics
Learn about the new Microsoft Dynamics resources and systems that can help you increase sales and profitability by expanding your technical, marketing, and sales capabilities. Attend interactive sessions that let you actively engage with Microsoft Dynamics executives to gain a clear vision of emerging opportunities. Learn about Microsoft Dynamics MPN and get ready to meet the new requirements for the ERP and CRM competencies.
Windows Phone
Windows Phones are an integral part of Microsoft’s vision and strategy. With the introduction of Windows Phone 7, Microsoft is taking a fundamentally different approach to phone software and changing the mobile game. Join Microsoft's mobility experts and partners to learn about exciting business opportunities, including Windows Marketplace for Mobile and the tools you will need to develop and support Windows Phone 7 solutions for your customers.
Windows: Accelerating Revenue Opportunities for Partner
The momentum of Windows 7 is happening now. Learn about specially designed resources and incentive programs which help partners monetize the PC refresh opportunity. Discover how accelerating customer deployment of the Windows Optimized Desktop with Windows 7, MDOP, IE & Office can increase partner profitability in the enterprise/corporate segment and how our SMB Partners can drive share through the 156MM PCs in the market worldwide which are primed for upgrades to Windows 7 Professional.
Business Model Tracks
Cloud Hosting Providers
The Cloud Hosting Track will focus on Microsoft’s strategy, offerings, and programs for hosting partners who build, host, deliver, and sell cloud services. Partners will learn about technology innovation, building and delivering private and public cloud offerings, and available partner resources and programs. Sessions will focus on enabling partners to target businesses of all sizes with Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) cloud offers.
Distributor
Microsoft is making a big bet on distributors to expand and accelerate our channel and product solution offerings to SMB customers through the breadth channel. Come hear about our augmented strategy which includes a new Value Added Distribution Model, an enhanced Channel Incentive Program, and tips about how to thrive in cloud computing in distribution.
Independent Software Vendor (ISV)
ISVs are the key to the value that customers receive from the Microsoft platform. By attending this track, ISVs will learn how the breadth and depth of the Microsoft platform helps grow and support their business, as well as enables them to deliver great solutions, applications, and customer experiences. Sessions will cover everything from Microsoft’s cloud services to the newest and greatest technologies for server, PC, and phone. An important focus of the track will be business planning and steps you can take to ensure that your company will continue to be successful and profitable as the market continues to evolve.
Large Account Resellers
Join us to learn about the new Large Account Resellers program. We will present everything you want to know about selling licensing agreements to our midmarket and enterprise customers.
Learning Solutions
The Learning Solutions Track will focus on the training opportunities for upcoming product releases, sales and marketing campaigns, current Cloud education and partner readiness opportunities as well as the continued evolution of this partner channel. Learn about products and programs that drive business training today and how to take advantage of future opportunities. Attendees will get critical information to plan their business for the coming year while creating new relationships with Microsoft, Microsoft Learning, and their fellow channel partners.
Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)
System builders, original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partners, and OEM distributors should not miss the OEM track. You’ll learn how harnessing the Windows and Office product families, Windows Live, and Windows Phone 7 gives you the most comprehensive software platform for building the devices and solutions your customers want most. See how Microsoft Partners benefit from a rich set of sales and marketing tools and training that support and expand your business. Find out how to engage with Microsoft’s OEM Marketing team so you can develop simple integrated campaigns that will generate impactful results for you.
Reseller
The Reseller track is designed for transactional partners selling via a variety of vehicles including telesales, web sales, and catalog while integrating services. Partners attending these sessions will learn how to position themselves for the transformation to the cloud, while delivering on their core offerings and solutions in order to maximize profits, increase customer reach, and achieve customer lifecycle management.
Software Asset Management (SAM)
Now is the time to grow your SAM practice! New SAM partner incentives launch in October, so don’t miss the chance to be charter member of the Advanced SAM Competency. Learn about the investments Microsoft is making in SAM, and the resources and tools designed to solve real world SAM challenges.
Software Development
Developers, Developers, Developers! Steve Ballmer has made nothing more clear than Microsoft’s commitment to and reliance on developers. These sessions will cover what developers want to know about the Microsoft platform. Come see what’s new with APIs, tools, frameworks, and platforms that you can use to take your software to the next level. The track will cover the breadth of the platform from cloud to server, pc, and phone, but with a focus on the developer’s perspective and how developers can be more effective. Whether you write code, test solutions, script against frameworks or manage development teams, this track is for you.
System Integrator & Solution Partner
The System Integrator & Solution Partner track focuses on evolving the sales conversation. These sessions will look at your current business and guide you to win business through comprehensive sales conversations, articulating cost reduction in building the datacenter, and investing those dollars in solutions to increase productivity and efficiencies. Learn about the importance of integrating ‘technology sales truths’: management, security, competition, and cloud to expand your opportunity.
Telco and Managed Services
The Telco and Managed Services track will focus on Microsoft’s vision and strategy for delivering cloud services with telecommunications companies and managed service providers. Service providers will learn how to bring their IT as a service offering. Sessions will cover partnering opportunities for Office 365, deploying a messaging and collaboration cloud offering, and go-to-market strategies to reach small and medium businesses, enterprise customers and public sector.
Web Developer
Demand by business of all sizes for Web expertise continues to be strong. Microsoft gives you the platforms and technologies you need to deliver value quickly and efficiently to ensure high profits and satisfied customers. This session will get you up to speed on the latest offerings by Microsoft for the web and show you how using these offerings will help you grow your business.
Customer Segment and Industries Tracks
Communications & Media(formerly Communications Sector)
The Communications and Media Track (formerly Communications Sector) will showcase how Microsoft and its partners are enabling the communications industry to grow their business and provide world class customer experiences. These sessions, targeted at partners in or interested in the telecommunications and media and entertainment industries, will look at these industries now and in the future, feature partner and customer success stories, and make you aware of available resources to help you.
Enterprise Partner
The Enterprise Partner Track will share with our Enterprise Partners Microsoft’s ongoing innovations to help you thrive as an enterprise, realize the greatest value for your IT investment and equip your enterprise for long-term success. Learn about our go-to-market approach within Business Productivity Infrastructure Optimization, Core Infrastructure Optimization and Application platform optimization which will help you build the foundation to create an action plan for driving sales opportunities with Microsoft and compete in the Enterprise space.
Industry Partner
This track enables Industry ISV and SI partners to understand how Microsoft and partners help customers attract & retain customers, cut costs, increase productivity, manage risk, and innovate for growth in Distribution & Services, Financial Services and Manufacturing & Resources sectors. Learn about our go-to-market approach with strategic solution areas and winning combination of innovative technologies and partner solutions. Learn how you can take full advantage of Cloud Services, Microsoft Dynamics CRM or Microsoft Application Platform products to provide powerful solutions to overcome customers’ challenges. And ultimately attending this track will also help you build the foundation to create an action plan for driving sales opportunities with Microsoft.
Public Sector
The Public Sector Track will focus on partner opportunities in the health, education, government, public safety, and defense industries. You will learn about to the innovative solutions that have been successfully developed and marketed by Microsoft partners. These solutions address the unique challenges of the public sector—tackling the complex, mission-critical issues that define these industries. In addition, you will learn about the resources other partners leverage to drive profitable engagements with public sector customers.
Small and Medium Business
"I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you...we are in charge of our Attitudes." - Charles Swindoll. There are many things Small and Medium businesses need when it comes to running a business – one of them being technology that just works. The SMB track will focus on how partners can increase their revenues by providing small and medium businesses with technology solutions that work and will help them to be more successful. Find out what is new from Microsoft in the Cloud, back office and on the desktop. Together our solutions provide SMB customers with what they need to provide best-of-class service to their customers.
Professional Development Tracks
Business Leadership
The Business Leadership Track brings you the latest thinking from industry analysts, trends and innovation experts. Learn what ideas are emerging in the areas of developing capacity and capability within your team, new ideas in creating strategic partnerships, best practices for recruiting and hiring effective people, moving your customers to cloud computing, working effectively with Microsoft and much more.
Marketing
The Marketing Track offers you the opportunity to learn the latest in branding, social media and networking, customer loyalty, relationship management plus much more. You’ll gain practical knowledge and tactics that you can implement and drive immediate results. Whether you are the marketing department or have a large marketing staff, you’ll want to attend these informative and insightful breakout sessions.
Sales
The Sales Track brings you noted experts and breakout sessions focused on improving your organization’s sales performance. Learn the latest in strategies and tools to maximize new customer growth, selling future technologies to your existing customer base and help you understand how to position your solution in a competitive situation. As a sales manager or sales professional, you won’t want to miss these valuable learning opportunities.
Designing the Future
This new track to WPC will look at where the future of technology lies – focusing on two key trends: Natural User Interface (NUI) and Social Computing. We’ll look at the how technology is evolving to the point that it becomes invisible and intuitive and what this means for customers and partners. Experts in the fields of NUI and social will give a look at where Microsoft sees these trends headed, where we’re investing and where the opportunities lie for partners as technology start to behave more like us.
Regional Tracks
US Partner Track
Identify opportunities and plan for growth in the coming year. Attend the US Partner track to understand Microsoft’s 2011/2012 US product launches, business plans, sales and marketing strategies, and investments. You’ll have opportunities throughout the conference to get plugged in to the most relevant Microsoft US resources for your business. You can interact with executives to discuss your business challenges and opportunities, and network with other partners to learn about successful partner solutions that leverage the benefits of partnership with Microsoft.