Microsoft to Invest More Than a Quarter-Million Dollars in Its Small Business Specialist Community Partners to Help Them Grow Their Businesses

REDMOND, Wash. — March 21, 2007 — Six Microsoft® Small Business Specialist Community (SBSC) partners have already won $10,000 in managed marketing funds by helping their small-business customers and sharing their success stories. In addition, each of the selected SBSC partners will receive a fully developed case study they can use to promote their ability to provide small-business customers with proven IT solutions. Between now and May 30, 2007, nine additional U.S. SBSC partners will have an opportunity to be selected to receive a $10,000 marketing makeover.

The six winners of the first round of the SBSC Growing Small Business Together contest were judged on their submitted success stories:

  • Total Technology Resources LLC, Philadelphia — SBSC Registered Partner

  • Nemsys LLC, Toledo, Ohio. — SBSC Registered Partner

  • Miles Consulting Corp., El Dorado Hills, Calif. — SBSC Certified Partner

  • Internet Business Initiatives LLC, Lenexa, Kan. — SBSC Certified Partner

  • SecureElement Infrastructure Solutions, Malvern, Pa. — SBSC Gold Certified Partner

  • Evolve Technologies, Fairfax, Va. — SBSC Gold Certified Partner

The contest began Oct. 18, 2006, and ends May 30, 2007, at 5 p.m. PDT, and consists of three prize periods. The first two rounds are now closed, but U.S. SBSC partners can still participate in the final round by going to the Small Business Specialist Exclusive Resources page on the Microsoft Partner Program Portal, selecting SBSC Growing Small Business Together contest under Increase Opportunities and completing three simple steps. SBSC partners who submit the top sales success stories will receive $10,000 in managed marketing funds. Winners will be split evenly between Registered, Certified and Gold Certified SBSC Partners.

“One of the benefits of being a Microsoft Small Business Specialist Community partner is being matched with potential customers from Microsoft’s Partner Finder,” said Dave Sobel, president of Evolve Technologies, an SBSC Gold Certified Partner. “We’re excited to see Microsoft more energetically promoting the community by leveraging our documented successes.”

Microsoft will prominently display winning case stories on its Web sites to help bring attention to the expertise of these winners and shed light on the advantages of being a Microsoft SBSC partner. A total of 24 partners will receive $10,000 in managed marketing funds. Nine additional winners will be selected in the final round going on now until May 30. (Note: The submission deadlines for round one and two have already passed.) The contest is designed to help SBSC partners grow their businesses by providing contest winners with local marketing support, showcasing their case studies and sharing their success stories with other partners.

“Microsoft is investing more than a quarter of a million dollars in this promotion in an effort to help its U.S. Small Business Specialist partners grow their businesses,” said Paige Boesen, senior marketing manager for the U.S. Partner Group at Microsoft. “We recognize the enormous potential for Microsoft to reach a large base of the 26 million small businesses in the United States through our Small Business Specialist partners. We also recognize the potential for U.S. small businesses to benefit from our Small Business Specialist partners’ technical expertise in providing proven IT solutions. Small business has a direct and powerful impact on the U.S. economy; helping our partners succeed in growing their businesses empowers them to help their small-business customers grow their businesses, which in turn helps drive our economy.”

Community Is a Key Driver to the Success of the SBSC Program

The SBSC program crosses all three tiers of the Microsoft Partner Program: Registered Partners, Certified Partners and Gold Certified Partners. SBSC partners consistently mentor and support one another by sharing their knowledge and expertise.

“Visibility in the Microsoft Partner Finder helps local customers find my business and adds credibility and recognition as a Small Business Specialist and trusted advisor for Microsoft solutions. It drives new leads and lends weight to proposals, all key reasons to join the community,” Sobel said. “The Partner Finder, unique networking avenues and products available to specialists give them access to businesses that market, sell, plan, deploy and rely on Microsoft products.”

Additional benefits are exclusive SBSC rebates and promotions; opportunities to co-present at Microsoft events; a dedicated phone representative; access to exclusive training, networking and problem-solving opportunities via the SBSC Exclusive Resources Web site; the SBSC newsletter; private newsgroups; and SBSC quarterly webcasts.

SBSC Contest Winners Demonstrate Their Business and Technical Strengths

The first-round winners of the SBSC Growing Small Business Together promotion demonstrated their collective knowledge and technical expertise in delivering proven Microsoft Small Business solutions:

Kansas-based Internet Business Initiatives LLC (SBSC Certified Partner) helps firms with 1,000 or fewer employees effectively integrate traditional sales and marketing techniques with today’s technology to help them achieve greater efficiency and profit.

Philadelphia-based Total Technology Resources (SBSC Registered Partner) provides similar services to small and midmarket businesses in addition to offering networking, infrastructure and security solutions.

Nemsys (SBSC Registered Partner), based in Ohio, helps focuses on enterprise-level technology and support for small and midmarket businesses and provides networking infrastructure, productivity, mobility and hardware solutions.

California-based Miles Consulting (SBSC Certified Partner) provides network infrastructure solutions, outsourced Microsoft .NET application development, and Microsoft CRM implementations for both small and medium-sized enterprise businesses.

SecureElement Infrastructure Solutions of Pennsylvania (SBSC Gold Certified Partner) provides comprehensive voice, data and video infrastructure solutions through low-cost and high-value fully-sourced managed environments to small and midsize businesses.

Virginia-based Evolve Technologies (SBSC Gold Certified Partner) offers small and midmarket businesses complete technology assessments and provides information technology and computer networking services to small businesses.

Still Time to Join the Community Before the Final Contest Deadline

Small business is big business. Companies with proven expertise in marketing, selling, planning and building solutions for small businesses are encouraged to become Microsoft Small Business Specialists. They can gain access to exclusive benefits and opportunities that can help them enhance their skills, improve customer relationships and win sales.

Information about becoming a Microsoft Small Business Specialist is available at https://partner.microsoft.com/US/program/smallbusinessspecialist/sbsbenefits.

The official SBSC Growing Small Business Together contest rules can be found at https://partner.microsoft.com/US/program/smallbusinessspecialist/40033626.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

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