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| Newsletter | 20020211 |
| Sprache | deutsch |
| Version | 1.0 |
| Veröffentlicht von | NEWSLETTER\administrator |
| Veröffentlichungsdatum | 05.10.2006 17:25:44 |
PCI:
| Could you explain how Microsoft addresses the Content Management market?
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GTS:
| Intrinsically we aren't a Document Management company per se. We occupie another space entirely. We see a huge need for information and content management within both an organisation’s Intranet space and its internet presence.
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PCI:
| What are the drivers for that?
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GTS:
| On the Intranet side, we see the drivers being around portals and we believe that this is an important market for us to be in, given our strengths on the desktop. If you were using particular applications to create all of that content, wouldn’t it be sensible to be able to control that content as well as finding content within those applications from your desktop? We are therefore making a strong play in the portal environment with our SharePoint
Portal Server |
PCI:
| What is SharePoint?
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GTS:
| SharePoint Portal Server is the flexible portal solution that lets our clients find, share, and publish information easily. With SharePoint Portal Server, clients are able to utilise existing information effectively, and to capture information in new ways that make sense for their business. In addition, clients can rapidly deploy an out-of-the-box portal site and easily use Web-Parts technology to customise a Web-based view of their organisation.
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PCI:
| What about your strategy around controlling content on the Internet?
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DW:
| This is where I come in! Our web Content Management Server, addresses the issues that people have establishing and maintaining effective Internet sites. Namely: How can they continue to keep the content fresh and relevant? How do they retire out of date content? How do they give that capability to business people who understand the content, rather than having to funnel through a technical IT person or an external technical agency in
order to get content up on the web? We achieve this through our Content Management Server, which integrates with both our Commerce Server and Business Intelligence platform, and is all about delivering dynamic, relevant and personalised content. |
PCI:
| Tell me about Content Management Server
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DW:
| Content Management Server is the enterprise Web content management system that enables companies to quickly and efficiently build, deploy, and maintain highly dynamic Internet, Intranet and Extranet Web sites. It’s a
mature product on revision four acquired from NCompass Labs. |
PCI:
| What markets is Microsoft supplying CM solutions to?
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GTS:
| Microsoft and its partners are working and seeing demand right across all business sectors. In addition to the Financial sector we have Public Sector accounts like Telford and Wrekin. We are working in manufacturing at Walkers and in the Leisure and Travel market with British Midland.
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PCI:
| Presumably the Public Sector wins relate to the e-government initiative, but what were you doing with British Midland?
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GTS:
| British Midland’s initial requirement was very specific, they were taking delivery of a number of new aircraft and there is a massive amount of documentation required when setting up a fleet of new aircraft. Their requirement was literally to project manage this massive amount of documentation in line with Joint Aviation Authority requirements.
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PCI:
| How many server products do you have?
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DW:
| We now have thirteen server products, and that’s without counting the variants of standard and enterprise server additions. It’s very difficult to get a grasp on the whole portfolio and how the products work together for end-users and for customers. So the Microsoft
Solutions Offering Programme is a vehicle we have for pulling together key products for specific solution areas. Whilst we’re not suggesting that these are the complete solution in their own right, we are saying that these are the key products you would build on to deliver a particular solution for a customer. |
PCI:
| What are your solution offerings?
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GTS:
| We’ve actually split the solutions into broad areas, namely Connecting Customers (B2C), Integrating Business Partners (B2B), and Empowering Employees (B2E). Underpinning this is the platform piece – E-Business Infrastructure. The solution offerings are, not surprisingly, based on Microsoft Servers. They may include some bespoke code, which we have productised. But the key element is the Architectural Guidance Note that accompanies each solution.
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PCI:
| Tell me more!
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GTS:
| The whole point of our Solution Offerings for partners and end users is that the Solution Offering will be repeatable.
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PCI:
| Please explain ‘repeatable.’
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GTS:
| You can imagine the issues facing a reseller partner who is selling solutions week in, week out and has thirteen products to choose from, not including our desktop applications. How do you mix and match those server products on a regular basis and always end up with the same result? Our solution is simple; by
following our Architectural Guidance, and building on a tried and tested solution, partners can be sure they will get the same result time after time. This reduces the length of deployment, and ensures the customer gains value quickly from the solution. |
PCI:
| Are the Architectural Guidance Notes only available to Authorised Microsoft Solution Partners?
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GTS:
| No, anyone with an Internet connection can download the Architectural Guidance Notes from our website
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PCI:
| How are you pricing your solutions?
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GTS:
| We don’t charge a premium for solutions, and as I said, the Architectural Guidance Notes are a free download. Exact pricing for the solution will depend on the product combination and the licensing programme under which you buy. Microsoft remains committed to supplying cost effective products and solutions for businesses of all sizes.
|
PCI:
| What is your approach to the Channel?
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GTS:
| One very important aspect of our Channel perspective relates to the recent announcement of the Microsoft Solution Offerings
Programme. It’s a bit of a ‘Wake up and smell the coffee’ programme, in that Microsoft is a very strong product manufacturer and marketer of those products. However, we’ve finally woken up to the fact that customers don’t buy products, what they buy is solutions to business problems. We rely massively on our partner community to sell and support those solutions to customers. |
PCI:
| What else are you doing for the Channel?
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DW:
| We’ve been doing an awful lot of work with the Channel Partners to make sure they have the appropriate, knowledge and skills around this. For many they concentrate on the core business of providing infrastructure on
Windows and databases, messaging and so forth. They know that we have thirteen server products in the family, so there are an awful lot of opportunities to grow the range of solutions that Channel Partners can offer. We’ve also introduced a programme called ‘Hands on Labs,’ which is a series of half-day technical labs. We are currently offering a ‘book one, get one free’ scheme, so come on down and place your order! |
PCI:
| Are you looking to increase the number of partners?
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GTS:
| We are always on the lookout for good quality partners who have a good grasp of where they want to do business and understand what it means to do business in that space. At a risk of sounding like a web directory, details of how to become a partner are on http://www.microsoft.com/uk/partner
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PCI:
| What specific support do you provide for your Partners?
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DW:
| We have a complete team here in Channel Marketing and Channel Support. So there are on-going sets of activities in terms of partner skilling, campaign awareness, and what resources they can access to help them sell our products. On the Server Solutions side whenever we are rolling out anything to a customer, an element of that activity is making sure that we have a skilled and prepared channel ready to deploy. There’s no point in going out and creating a lot of excitement about our solutions if we don’t have a
prepared channel there to actually implement it for the customer. Basically our whole business model is around delivering business solutions jointly with partners. |
PCI:
| Thank you!
|