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Two Problems with new MAPS
Posted: 9:56 am
September 27th, 2006 		Post a comment
Microsoft

Yesterday was the quarterly Microsoft Small Business Specialist webcast, packed with an updates on the program, new promotions and ideas. They really have made this thing phenomenally successful, far beyond anyones expectations. Susan talked about it here, if you missed it I know the recording will be posted here.

If there is one thing.. one thing.. I despise about Microsoft’s webcasts its the inability to hold back on adding meaningless numbers to show “the opportunity” – Wow, I can miss out on that many billions worth of sales! So I use my opportunity to do something worth-while with my time, like check who is on the attendee list and catch up with them over MSN Messenger. I know they are just as bored as I am, “So how big of a piece of the $5.5 billion dollar market are you going to get?” is a great ice breaker and we move on. Yesterday we had a few people in a chat room going back and forth over what was being discussed, sharing opinions, ideas, etc. It was a truely international crowd and the conversation eventually went to the recent changes in the MAPS. We don’t (and can’t) subscibe to MAPS so I’m happy to see Microsoft restricting this easy gateway to piracy. However, registered partners who rely on MAPS to have legitimate licensing and ability to test and deploy Microsoft software feel quite differently. So here are the two problems with restricting MAPS:

Most registered partners are System Builders

Most registered partners are system builders and not in the traditional Microsoft way. They build their own systems for their use and don’t rely on Dell or other OEMs for anything but laptops. So when they build a PC with a TB of storage for their media center they don’t get an OEM license because they expect it from MAPS. With the XP Pro in MAPS becoming upgrade-only most will have to purchase Windows XP in addition to MAPS.

 

Most are going virtual

Most partners are taking their testing and design systems virtual. In a virtual machine there is no such thing as an OEM preinstall. This limits the partners ability to install XP in a testing environment and restricts them to either prebuilt Microsoft TDTK or eval versions which need to be refreshed every six months.

 

Is Microsoft shooting itself in the foot?

Apparently. Registered member community is individually small but quite large in the evangelical sense – they support Microsoft, buy Microsoft products and services, beta test and really participate in the SMB sector. Is it wise to piss them off?

I am having a hard time with this question. On one hand, I’ve seen MAPS go to so many places that shouldn’t have it – no XP goes a long way to crushing that, in my humble opinion they should pull back Office and SBS/Standard Server as well but they will never do that because there are alternatives to Office and SBS out there. To XP? Not so much – what are they gonna do, get a Mac?

On the other hand, limiting MAPS in this way is a bad PR move, will likely get at least one TS2 presenter killed by a tomato and will lead to less loyalty for Microsoft on the desktop. You never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever take a loyal partner and send them to find alternatives. Microsoft is not Ferrari, there are substitutes.

 

What Would Vlad Do?

Restrict MAPS to Small Business Specialist Program.

Let’s face it, if you want to be taken seriously you need to act it. Barrier to entry? Ok, sign up for the partner program and we’ll ship you a few DVD’s loaded with trialware. Pass a certification exam and Microsoft hooks you up with the full deck of their software to run your business off of.

Do you really think a small business will go through the process of training, exams and certification just to get MAPS? Of course not. This benefits Microsoft a lot too because it documents, tracks and validates the partner as someone that is a little more than an email address and a PO Box.

Will this happen? As long as someone at Microsoft is goaled on the number of partners in the channel this idea will only be a fantasy you read on Vladville.

Both comments and pings are currently closed.

11 Comments

Bob Strauss | September 27th, 2006 at 10:27 am

What would Vlad do?

You’re a brave boy saying that and living in the Tampa Bay. There is a lightning strike with your name written all over it.



Michael | September 27th, 2006 at 10:52 am

Restrict the MAPS to Small Business Specialists huh? Not really a bad idea. If memory services me correctly, didn’t Microsoft do something like this with the TechNet subscription during the MCSE NT 4.0 days. If you acheived your MCSE you were entitled to the TechNet subscription for free. I believe that was the case. So why not offer the MAPS to SBSers and System Builders ONLY. I did not realize the severity of MAPS problem until SMB Nation. Allowing anyone to become a registered partner without verification devalues the program. I cannot imagine how many of my Small Business neighbors are registered partners and MAPS subscribers. I have not ran into this problem yet in Jacksonville, but I am sure I will soon.



Ed | September 27th, 2006 at 11:23 am

Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. Since MAPS included full editions until now they just made a calculated risk of cutting off future MAPS subscribers from obtaining the full XP copy for $299. If you were subscribed prior to June you’re grandfathered.

It’s really a win win win for Microsoft. They win because they’ll make consultants pay for Vista. They win because the piracy goes down. They win because this incentivizes more people to become certified if they have the staff.

The little guy gets screwed but Microsoft has always screwed the little guy so nothing has really changed.



CScriber | September 27th, 2006 at 12:32 pm

Right, so instead of properly qualifying its partner program members Microsoft is screwing us out of software we already pay for and making us pay twice for the license.

Yeah, thats friendly. Thanks Steve!



Two Problems with new MAPS - Hot Deals 4 All | September 27th, 2006 at 1:53 pm

< ?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> < !DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"> [...] Original post by Vlad Mazek – Vladville Blog and software by Elliott Back Written by on September 27th, 2006 with no comments. Read more articles on Hot Deals. [...]



SeanD | September 27th, 2006 at 3:08 pm

Go figure, Microsoft wins again.



TimV | September 27th, 2006 at 4:46 pm

I never got the notice that this event was even happening and I’m an SBSC. How did you find out about it? Was this a select group or was it open to us all?



HiltonT | September 27th, 2006 at 7:23 pm

I agree that the “qualification” to become a Registered Partner is almost as easy to pass as it is to find an Apple user who believes that Macs are the world’s most powerful computer. This is wrong and is something I have been saying to Microsoft for quite some time now.

Personally, I feel that the Registered Partner program needs to be a lot more strictly maintained by Microsoft – they first need to confirm that a business/person who applies is checked up on – by a phone call, domain name check, or (better still) checking on the business name to see that it is a) registered and b) actually in the right market to qualify to become a Registered Partner.

Then, after this has been done, Microsoft should send the applicant an email that outlines the requirements, expectations and obligations of both the applicant and Microsoft. Once the applicant accepts this, they then become a Registered Partner.

Now they are Registered, they can ask for – as you suggest – some DVDs containing any of the eval software Microsoft has available – there should be a basic DVD with XP Pro, Office 2003 Pro and Windows Server Standard ISOs on it so that any Registered Partner can start to learn (more) about the Microsoft software and start on their way to actually sitting some Microsoft Certification exams.

Once the Registered Partner has installed, played with, learned and become adept with the software they now have, they then should have to pass an MCP exam to qualify for MAPS. What would make sense for many (but definitely not all) is to pass the 71-282 exam and the Sales and Mindwashing Exam so that when their MCP number comes through, they can both subscribe to MAPS and become an SBSC at the same time.

Then, when they get their MAPS they need to have Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise Edition in it so that they can properly utilise the software available in MAPS – the reason for this is that W2K3R2 Ent allows you to run up to 4 guest virtual machine OS licenses on top of the host OS license. If you want to sign a petition asking for W2K3R2Ent to be included in MAPS, then have a look at http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/w2k3r2ent-maps/

I wholeheartedly agree that the MAPS and Registered Partner programs need to be better regulated.

- HiltonT



Ken Edwards | September 28th, 2006 at 11:05 am

I can add one other thing that is wrong with MAPS.

They should combine it with the “Beer of the Month” club. An exotic beer with each shipment. :^)

Then I could cry in my beer about no Full XP.

I would be willing to negotiact this down to a Mountain Dew.

-Ken



Jeff Dempsey | September 30th, 2006 at 4:20 am

Hilton,

Excellent points all, but Microsoft already gives away SBS and Office (the 180 day, or whatever, it’s 1 am here, trial), so just having people take the 71-282 test makes it a win-win, so they really don’t need to send any disks at all out.

Plus, you get a free wrinkle attracting shirt when you become an SBSC!

However, my take on people in general: Honest people typically find ways to be honest, and crooks always look for excuses and justifications to stay that way.

I think this is just a matter of making it easier to be honest, and harder to be a crook.

Jeff



Dale Unroe | September 30th, 2006 at 12:21 pm

this here partmer is not happy to here about this development with MAPS

fortunately with my grandfathered licenses I’ll hopefully be able to leverage them with the upcoming Vista (assumed) upgrade licenses and I can keep my business on the fore front of the software I’m selling, servicing, and evagelizing about.

Vlad, you are right in that if I have to look for another product that will give me the up front license and education I’m being denied by my paid MS subscription than you bet I’ll be far more eager to invest my time into that than otherwise is the case now.

Vlad – regarding your book club – could you do a Vladfire edition for book club members and do it with a fireplace backdrop and highbacked chair and snifter of brandy a warm lit reading lamp over your shoulder and an almost genuine smile as you discuss various relevant topical SBS texts looking down acroos your reading glasses and from beyond your fedora? That would be truly a classic and by the way its October so you could guise it as a Halloween special. *a request from a fan*

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