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1. Home Launch Playbook October 2010 Overview Prepare Plan Audience: Worldwide Subsidiary PSDMs Finalize Report Resources Next

2. Overview This playbook is designed to provide you, the Partner Skills Development Manager (PSDM), with prescriptive end-to-end guidance for partner readiness during any product launch cycle. What defines Partner Skills Development? Grow satisfied customers by developing Microsoft channel partner skills and capabilities to deliver innovative solutions to our mutual customers by training the right partner type and role, at the right time and at right skill depth. Partner Skills Development is measured by the Partner Skills Readiness Indicator (PSRI) on the PLT Scorecard. What we want to accomplish Microsoft depends on you to drive revenue growth and provide value for customers and partners through effective and scalable learning plans. As there are many moving pieces during a product launch cycle and it is easy to lose sight of all the readiness steps involved between point A and point B, we encourage you to use this playbook to stay on track. How to use this deck Click on the buttons on the left to navigate directly to the planning stage where you would like guidance. To scroll through each of the pages in the section click on the Previous and Next links on the bottom right corner of the deck. Home Overview Prepare Plan Finalize Report Resources Previous Next

3. Table of Contents • Prepare • Review worldwide launch readiness plan. • Review capacity planning results. • Review final targets on PSRI metric. • Review PSD content scorecard. • Plan • Create supplemental readiness plan as needed. • Review PSD Standard Launch Curriculum. • Negotiate budget allocations. • Finalize • If available, review your supplemental readiness plan with stakeholders. • If available, execute supplemental readiness plan. • Execute communications and review communication rhythm. • Review scorecard. • Report • Review PSRI targets. • Review PSRI Issue Resolution Log. • Connect with Corp PSDMs through field calls or global discussions. • Reach out to partners and obtain feedback on course satisfaction. Home Overview Prepare Plan Finalize Report Resources Previous Next

4. Product Development Timeline RTM GA Beta RC Home Beta - select users evaluate product prior to release Release Candidate (RC) - product builds with no known issues that would prevent release into production Release to Manufacturer (RTM) - date product is scheduled to be released to manufacturing for production General Availability (GA) - public release date, intended for broad consumption which can be made available via external website, retail outlets, or OEM providers Product Development Timeline Guide At the top of these slides, you will notice that we have aligned each step of your readiness plan to the general product development timeline. This connection will ensure your actions and deliverables are timely with the launch of your product. Overview Prepare Plan Finalize Report Resources Previous Next

5. Prepare Product Development Timeline Beta RC RTM GA Home • At Beta, you should start identifying strategic readiness priorities and reviewing capacity figures to ensure all gaps are addressed in readiness plans prior to launch. To identify gaps, you may also want to review previous worldwide and subsidiary readiness plans and analyze their results. • For support on available training and gaps, you can reach out to corporate through the PSRI content resolution log. Should you need to escalate, your questions can be addressed by your corporate On Boarding contact, Brigitte Hayes, or by your corporate GRL, Kim Larson. • Section Checklist • Review worldwide launch readiness plan. • Review capacity planning results. • Review final targets on PSRI metric. • Review PSD content scorecard. Overview Prepare Plan Finalize Report Resources Previous Next

6. Review Worldwide LaunchReadiness Plan Product Development Timeline Beta RC RTM GA Home The worldwide launch readiness plan, or Partner Skills Development (PSD) launch BOM, is the list of recommended core training courses per product (includes modality, length, language, etc.), reviewed and, budget permitting, approved by the BG. We recommend you incorporate this list into your communications plan to guide partners to the training they need and to reach your PSRI targets, which reflect what the big bet products and business goals are from a worldwide level. Worldwide PSD Launch Training Content Requirements The PSD Launch Training Content Requirements deck outlines the key deliverables that will come from WPG in preparation for any product launch. We suggest you review this deck in detail, as it includes the framework used to determine the core PSD launch BOM (including localization) for any launch and specifies the partner training course requirements and needs for product launches for solution and transaction partners. Overview Prepare Plan Finalize Report Resources Previous Next

7. Review Capacity Planning Results Product Development Timeline Beta RC RTM GA Home • Capacity planning helps you assess how to reach your financial objectives and capture market opportunities by segment. You can see how the BG came up with their targets by accessing reporting from the Partner Capacity Planning Tool Access Site, owned by the One Microsoft Capacity Initiative (OMCI) team. • The Capacity Planning Tool Access Site has two key tools used for showing readiness/headcount needs: • Core tool- a generalized view of capacity needs and gaps by MPN specialization for SI partners in all segments • Scope tool - a more specialized view of capacity needs and gaps focused on Enterprise segment and key workloads/specializations. While more focused, this does not cover the breadth of all specializations. However, it does delve deeper into specific roles (architect, developer, sales, etc). • Questions? • To request access to the site or for help with capacity planning results, e-mail omcihelp@microsoft.com. • To learn about OMCI partner capacity planning initiatives, to initiate projects and requests for help with current projects, or to link to related sites across the company, view the OMCI share. Overview Prepare Plan Finalize Report Resources Previous Next

8. Review PSRI Metric Targets Product Development Timeline Beta RC RTM GA Home • You will want to review the PSRI targets set by the BG and WPG teams so you can plan accordingly. • The PSRI is the skills-development metric that appears on the scorecard of each subsidiary’s Partner Leadership Team (PLT). The metric reports the percent goal attainment for the number of individuals trained in partner organizations for the products prioritized by the BGs. These goals are aligned to the Growth Productivity Framework (GPF) through the capacity-planning process. • View slide 10 of this PSDM training deck to view the approach to PSRI target setting. • Instructions for viewing PSRI: • After clicking here to go to where the PSRI metric is located, click on the following folders to access: Overview Prepare Plan Finalize Report Resources Previous Next

9. Review PSRI Metric Targets (cont.) Product Development Timeline Beta RC RTM GA Home • Troubleshooting • Cannot see these folders or the report? Add yourself to PIRUSERS2 via Autogroup. Overview Prepare Plan Finalize Report • Questions? • Need help with the PSRI metric? e-mail: psrihelp@microsoft.com. • For PSRI policy and reporting questions, click here. • If you have any non-technical questions regarding the PSRI Metric, you can voice your questions or comments through the following vehicles: • PSRI Content Resolution Log • Office Hour Call Resources Previous Next

10. Review Partner Skills Development (PSD) Content Scorecard Product Development Timeline Beta RC RTM GA Home • To ensure Microsoft has capable partners, a PSDM needs to deliver the right content for the right roles at the right time. This monthly scorecard summarizes the status of this goal, and covers the products included in the partner scorecard for the current fiscal. • During the quarterly review, please provide a high level correction plan with corp. if the scorecard is currently red for your area. • To receive the latest scorecards, join the Global PSDM Community (psdlhs) alias. • If you have any questions, please post them to the PSRI Content Resolution Log. Overview Prepare Plan Finalize Report Resources Previous Next

11. Plan Product Development Timeline Beta RC RTM GA Home • Once you have done your research and figured out what your targets and gaps are, it is time to take action! Go through the next few slides for guidance in getting a plan in place. We encourage you to leverage the Partner Skills Development Council in your planning efforts. • Section Checklist • Create supplemental readiness plan as needed. • Review PSD Standard Launch Curriculum. • Negotiate budget allocations. Overview Prepare Plan Finalize Report Resources Previous Next

12. Create Supplemental Readiness Plan As Needed Product Development Timeline Beta RC RTM GA Home • If the worldwide launch readiness content alone doesn’t meet your needs, you can leverage it to create a supplemental readiness plan that better meets the local needs of your subsidiary. Items you will want to keep in mind when creating your content plan: • Include the modality, duration, level, audience, cost to build, and localization cost of courses in your plan. • Make sure incremental budget is defined. • Determine additional KPI/readiness metrics as needed. • Factor in the timeline for developing an exam as GA+180days. • If you wish to build a course from outside your local product team, please contact the WPG contact responsible for this business area. They need to assess whether the course is a sub-specific or worldwide gap. They can then champion the connection with the BG on behalf of the sub, as needed. • Many subsidiaries share similar challenges and have different methods to approach them. If you do decide to create a supplemental readiness plan, we highly encourage you to post them on the PSD SharePoint site. You may also post questions to the PSRI Content Resolution Log if you find any gaps you need help addressing. • See what other subsidiaries have done to prepare for launch. You can use these readiness plans from large, medium, and small subsidiaries as a best practice for your own. Overview Prepare Plan Finalize Report Resources Previous Next

13. PSD Standard Launch Curriculum Product Development Timeline Beta RC RTM GA Home What is it? The PSD Standard Launch Curriculum, often referred to as “the standard BOM,” can be found on slide 39 of the PSD Launch Training Content Requirements deck referenced in the Worldwide Launch Readiness Plan slide of this playbook. This is a guide for selecting the recommended list of courses in any product group. This guide also includes the recommended modalities and target audience for each of the courses and advises which should be localized. Overview Prepare Plan Finalize Report Resources Previous Next

14. PSD Standard Launch Curriculum (cont.) Product Development Timeline Beta RC RTM GA Home • How is it used for launch? • The WPG team will reach out to all the product group BGs with the PSD Standard • Launch Curriculum and will have them align their existing courses to this BOM. This will enable both parties to see what gaps there are so, budget permitting, the BG can develop new courses or add localization to fill those gaps. • How is it used by PSDMs for launch? • PSDMs can use the PSD Standard Launch Curriculum to: • Prioritize training by partner type. • Define budget requirements. • Create marketing plan around it. • We recommend you use the PSD Standard Launch Curriculum as a guide for building a supplemental readiness plan should you decide to create one. You can find more details to help you develop your readiness plan, including objectives that the course should meet and recommended modalities, availability dates, etc., in the PSD Launch Training Content Requirements deck . Overview Prepare Plan Finalize Report Resources Previous Next

15. Negotiate Budget Allocations Product Development Timeline Beta RC RTM GA Home • In the Worldwide Readiness Plan, you’ll find a list of the core courses recommended by the WPG for the BG to approve and fund, if budget permits. Should you decide to create a supplemental readiness plan for your subsidiary, you will want to reach out to your local product marketing team and work with them to, similarly, provide funding for the coursesyou recommend for your region. We recommend you refer to the PSD Launch Training Content Requirements deck to communicate the budget requirements for developing the courses you recommend with your local product marketing team. • Localization • The need for localizing readiness courses is something you are likely to encounter, depending on the region you manage. If you find that the BG has not localized readiness courses being demanded in your subsidiary’s native language(s), we recommend that you notify the WPG team that this need exists via the PSRI Content Resolution Log. If they cannot fund, the localization must be funded by your local product marketing team. Overview Prepare Plan Finalize Report Resources Previous Next

16. Finalize Product Development Timeline Beta RC RTM GA Home • Once the launch product has reached the RC/RTM stage, your launch plans should start getting finalized. Review the checklist below for a quick reference of items that should be completed prior to launch. • If you have identified gaps in the worldwide launch readiness plan, please log them in the PSRI Content Resolution Log to ensure the gap is addressed early. You can also review all resolved and closed issues before logging a new issue. Join the Global PSDM Communitypsdlhs alias to receive updates. • Section Checklist • Execute readiness plan and communications plan. • Review your supplemental readiness plan with stakeholders, and execute as needed. • Review scorecard. Overview Prepare Plan Finalize Report Resources Previous Next

17. Report Product Development Timeline Beta RC RTM GA Home • As soon as the product has launched and partner readiness plans have been formulated, it’s critical to start generating and/or reviewing reports for the success of future launches. Review the checklist below for a few methods you can use. • Section Checklist • Review PSRI actual vs. target scores • Connect with Corp PSDMs through field calls or global discussions. • Reach out to partners and obtain feedback on course satisfaction. Overview Prepare Plan Finalize Report Resources Previous Next

18. Field Communications • Stay Informed • Join these key aliases to stay connected to PSDMs worldwide: • Global PSDM Community (psdlhs); weekly bulletin and invitations to community calls • Global PSDM Peer Discussion (psddis); find out what other PSDMs are doing—take part in ad hoc questions and discuss matters of interest Home Newsletters Overview • Weekly PSDM Bulletin • To receive, join: (psdlhs) • Frequency: Weekly • Owner: Darren Yetzer and Brigitte Hayes • SMS&P Newsletter • To receive, join: (psdlhs) • Frequency: Monthly • Owner: Karl Noakes Prepare Plan • PSRI Issue Resolution Log • To receive, join: (psdlhs) • Frequency: Weekly • Owner: Chuck Botsford and Amy Boyle Finalize Report Resources Previous Next

19. Field Communications Calls • PSDM Onboarding Call • Frequency: Quarterly • Owner: Brigitte Hayes • PSDM Leads ROB Call • Frequency: Monthly • Owner: Kim Larson • Strategy/Planning/Best Practices (mandatory attendances for A19) Home • Office Hour Call • Frequency: Monthly • Owner: Brigitte Hayes and Chuck Botsford • Discussion between PSDMs (field and corp) on projects, important initiatives and issues Overview • PLC Call • To join: (plxusers) • Frequency: Monthly • Owner: Meagan O’Leary • Discussion around product releases – scope, timeline, support escalations, system “How to Q&A,” and anything on the minds of the users Prepare • PSDM Courseware Planning and Release Community Conference Call • Frequency: Monthly • Owner: Brigitte Hayes • Content availability and guidance; other projects • PPTs and recordings Plan Finalize Report Resources Previous Next

20. Websites and Other Resources Websites • Global PSDM Community Team Site – Find links, resources and content to help drive our partners' skills and capability which in turn leads to revenue growth, customer, partner satisfaction and value. • Announcements - Get up to speed with the latest news. • PSD Content Database – Quickly find all available training content from corp. • Team Calendar – Know when calls, trainings, and other events are going on, and stay informed of the latest bulletin and newsletter releases. • FY11 Initiatives Resources for PSDMs – Here you’ll find the PSDM commitments and resource memo for the current fiscal year. • PSRI Content Resolution Log - This is the single source for addressing and closing your PSRI and partner training issues in support of PSRI to green on the scorecard and creating a skilled channel.  • MPN Partner Learning Paths - Find training and guidance organized according to Microsoft software product, Microsoft Partner Network competency, or Microsoft solution. • Partner Learning Center - Designed exclusively for members of the Microsoft Partner Network, the Partner Learning Center allows partners to choose from a wide variety of local classroom and online training, self-study resources, and more — all in one convenient location. • Other Resources • FY11 Partner Skills Development Manager Training (Onboarding Deck) • How to Navigate the PSD Content Database • How to Use the PSRI Content Resolution Log • PSDM Bulletin • Frequency: Weekly • Owner: Darren Yetzer • What’s new in training content; to field and to-partner text Home Overview Prepare Plan Finalize Report Resources Previous