STEVE BALLMER AT MWP CONFERENCE OPENING: "CHANGE IS HERE – IT'S A NEW ERA"

            Today, Steve Ballmer opened his keynote by saying, “It’s not just talk. It’s real. It’s happening. It’s here.” Over 16,000 attendees have emerged from over 156 different countries across the globe to join us for the largest Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference ever and to hear about how we are on the brink of shaking up the entire industry! This is exciting stuff and today we heard that it was an epic year.

Steve Ballmer talked about entering the New Era and how partners are at the very core of this story. It’s all about the partnership that we have with each one of you which brings forth incredible innovation and solutions. This is the year for all of us. Kurt DelBene shared his thoughts and insight about being partners in productivity and announced Office 365 Open – a new way for partners to sell the service. Then, Tami Reller lit up the stage with Windows 8 and showcased how it adapts to the user experience and how far we’ve come since we first talked about Windows 8 – it meets expectations around mobility, battery life, and getting information everywhere.

Today's Big Announcements:
You may view more information about these announcements on Microsoft Press Pass.

Office 365 Open: A new way for partners to sell the service, Office 365 Open is a pre-paid offer that enables partners to realize more revenue, deliver packaged services with a single invoice and manage the customer relationship.
Office 365 Advisor Program: Starting today, changes to the program let the most active partners earn more selling Office 365.
Windows 8 RTM/GA: Windows 8 is on track for release to manufacturers (RTM) during the first week of August, and the product will reach general availability (GA) at the end of October. Enterprise customers can get Windows 8 as early as August, and the product will be available in 109 languages in 231 markets.
Office 2010 / Windows 7 momentum: There are now 1 billion people using Office worldwide, and licenses for Windows 7 have reached 630 million worldwide.
Microsoft acquires Perceptive Pixel: “The acquisition of PPI allows us to draw on our complementary strengths, and we’re excited to accelerate this market evolution,” said Kurt DelBene, president, Office Division for Microsoft. “PPI’s large touch displays, when combined with hardware from our OEMs, will become powerful Windows 8-based PCs and open new possibilities for productivity and collaboration.”

Video Syndication WATCH LIVE TOMORROW Via Facebook and DigitalWPC:
Tuesday, July 10, 2012

8:30 A.M. – MPN Live
9:00 A.M. – Vision Keynote
11:00 A.M. – MPN Live
5:00 P.M. – MPN Live

WPC Connect
There are going to be 25,000 meetings taking place while at WPC. WPC Connect continues to be a great way to connect. Please take note of WPC Connect meeting locations at the Metro Toronto Convention Center (MTCC): Tables 1- 155 are on level 300 North and Tables 200 – 256 are on level 800 South. I hope you’ll have discussions that will spark new ideas and be able to share your experiences with one another. Networking is the heart of what WPC is all about and WPC Connect will be a great forum for you to continue your interactions even after the event!

WPC Mobile App
The WPC app is a great way for you to keep track of your agenda, search for and message attendees, and have information right at your fingertips. Here’s how to access the app:

Step 1: Go to the Marketplace here and download.
Step 2: Locate your Registration Identification Number located in your confirmation email. Note: your Registration Identification Number is also the last 6 digits of your confirmation number which can be found when you log-in to register.digitalwpc.com. Should you encounter trouble, just click on the “forgot password?” link.
Step 3: Browse and use these informative tiles:

• Agenda: Sort by track and search by date and session.
• What’s On Now: At the event, this will inform you what is happening in the next time slot.
• My Schedule: You’ll be able to track your schedule and add to it.
• Speakers: Look up speaker information.
• Plus More… Attendee search, maps and venues, sponsors and exhibitors, info center, messaging, evaluations, the WPC contest, and more.

Navigating and Planning Ahead for Sessions
Please note that with record attendance, sessions are full this year. Please plan ahead for the walking distance and congestion. As a reminder, if you’ve booked your session via WPC Connect, this does not guarantee a seat. The John Bassett theatre may be an option if you’re looking to attend a session, as there are a large number of seats available. This theatre is located on Level 100 of the MTCC. Please check your conference guide for details.

The WPC Contest
It's as easy as 1,2,3 to WIN!

1. GET the free mobile app at http://gettag.mobi
2. SNAP the contest registration tag on the back of the conference guide provided at check-in, to “opt-in” to participate in the contest. Then, SNAP as many WPC tags as you can to earn points!
3. WIN – be one of the top five (5) highest point earners, each hour to win a prize.

Contest information can be found here.

Looking for the Best Wireless Experience?
We are pleased about expanded wireless connectivity this year. As we continue to evolve the WI-FI technologies to provide the most stable and robust experience, we hope you take advantage of the increased network. Please note: for the best wireless experience, please use your laptop or Slate tablet with 5GHz. This will ensure the best possible connectivity available.

WPC is off to a great start this week! Over 25,000 WPC Connect meetings are happening, business-building has begun, and partners are learning and sharing with each other. Tomorrow, I look forward to the keynotes by several of our visionary leaders at Microsoft and honoring award winners on stage. It’s going to be an inspirational day.

Thanks for helping to make this week – a HUGE success!

Karl Noakes
Partner/Channel Marketing
Worldwide Partner Group