The Sikh Geek

It seems like an eternity since I last wrote a blog post and no one has tried to contact me to see if I was still alive! Damn, haven’t reached those heady heights of blogdom yet

Last week was the second SBSC PALs conference call, where all the PALs across the world and the Microsoft Worldwide Small Business Programme Managers gather to discuss things SBSC.

There was a presentation from some of the Microsoft Windows Mobile Team as they want to know how they can help us to sell more. They are releasing some new online tools which look quite interesting but I still want to understand how Windows Mobile can be used for something more than just an Activesync client. It’s great at what it does i.e. synchronising with Exchange and push email. It’s an essential business tool for me and some of my clients. It’s not sexy, it’s not hip and crowds are not going to gather around you if you whip it out in the Pub! Microsoft are working with Mobile Operators in various countries such as the UK to develop joint offerings for Windows Mobile, so this should be interesting.

The main thing for me and I believe is a sort of STOP PRESS type of thing is the creeping admission by Microsoft that it’s maybe not just about quantity of Partners but Quality. As Deanna Trencher put it, we have to learn to work smarter and maybe be more sales focused i.e. work with those Partners who are the most proactive and get those good stories out to the Community at large. Hallelujah!

Some of the Vista team are visiting the UK and are looking to meet up with Gareth and myself but I’m trying to see if I can persuade them to visit a User Group or two, I’m sure they’d get some great feedback!

There is going to be a PAL of the month feature starting from February and I’ve been chosen as one of the first three to be highlighted. I’ve completed my blurb, so look out for it sometime in Feb.

There is some resource type stuff but I’ll put that in a separate post.