Solution Finder

If you’re a partner (and I know one or two of you who who read this blog) then I’d really, really encourage you to go check out Solutions Finder. I know what you’re thinking – you’ve seen it all before and you never got a lead from Microsoft right? This is a different.  

This new tool helps customers find you based on your solution focus and your track record. Each solution is begin validated by our team so this will become a rich database rather than just an arbitrary directory. 

Why should you be interested? Well once your solution has been profiled you can directly receive leads from this tool and I’ve already seen it happen – a US customer looking for a UK partner to deploy a solution in their subsidiary. Perhaps more interesting is that our marketing activities will increasingly drive customers to this tool to find partners supplying solutions - mobile email for example.

There are lots of partners who aren’t in it though who should be. For example, I did a quick search today (free text!) on mobility in the UK and came back with 2 solutions - there are waaaay more than this from our UK partners and I’d love to see them in there. Likewise, a search on mobile email brought back 8 solutions. Right now over 50% of profiled solutions are from registered members so if you’re not in it, you’re missing an opportunity I reckon.

My advice, (I know you didn’t ask for it) – go play with the tool to see how it works and what it’s all about. Search on your solution area to see who else is there or perhaps not there. I think you’ll see how powerful it could become then.

Check out the CRN discussion on it for more info. You can profile your solutions right now and grab the guide to profiling.

Comments

• Anonymous
  May 16, 2006
  
  Steve has written a great piece on the new Solution Finder.
  What I’d like to add to Steves...