Microsoft Australia launches Partner TV

This morning Microsoft announced a brand new channel initiative, 'Partner TV', at the Opportunity Partner Conference on Hamilton Island. The new website features video blogs of the vendor’s key players, with feedback invited from partners through email or comment posts. Partner TV has been created to provide an interesting platform of collaboration as resellers had been pressuring Microsoft to provide new ways for them to communicate within their partner community.

Discussing skills and development opportunities as well as sales and marketing advice, Pip Marlow, director of small midmarket solutions and partners presented one of the first blogs that went live when the site launched at midnight last night. Jeff Putt, the director of Windows client presents another blog that talks about the Windows business and initiatives for the year ahead.

A fantastic concept because of the geographic expanse of Australia, Partner TV gives resellers in remote locations the opportunity to directly interact with the microsoft executives, Tracy Fellows, managing director of Microsoft will soon be appearing in her own blog.

"It's away for us to reach out to our partners that's fresh, that's personal, that puts a face to Microsoft and allows them to give us feedback and help define the future content," explained Marlow.

Australia is the second country to receive its own interactive Microsoft community, with the site being originally launched in the United Kingdom. Christian Longstaff pioneered Partner TV in the UK and has joined the local team to oversee the projects success. Blogs can be downloaded, viewed on mobile devices, by podcast or from the desktop and have been recorded by subject so the user can pick and choose from different categories.

Feedback is invited from partners via email from the site or posting direct comments and downloads will be monitored for traffic to monitor the success of the various styles of content.

Marlow has big dreams for Partner TV and encourages interaction. "I like the ability to talk to partners, see the emails. It's a great way for me to connect with the channel and hear directly from them," she said. "I'd love this to be a tool for all partners from gold certified to registered. I want to cover the gamete. How often do they get to hear from Tracey, M.D of Microsoft?"

To experience Microsoft Partner TV: blogs.msdn.com/ozpartnertv