Time to build your own bridge

Folks, I have done as much as I possibly can for you to communicate your concerns to Microsoft. We’ll see what happens. However, I have a job to do and I don’t have much more time to spend on this so I’m going to give you some leads and let you communicate your pains directly to Microsoft.

You should first start by getting in touch with Steve Ballmer (CEO), Kevin Turner (Chief of Operations) and Allison Watson (Partner Program)

If you are an SBSC or Small Business Server focused contact the two ladies below:

Andrea Russell
Small Business Specialist Community
Andrea.Russell@microsoft.com

Aanal Bhatt
SBS/EBS Parner Marketing
aanalb@microsoft.com

If you have feedback specifically about how the SBS/EBS product group can help you ask Kevin:

Kevin Beares
SBS Community Manager
kbeares@exchange.microsoft.com

If you’d rather talk to a partner and you’re scared to talk to Microsoft directly:

Partner Area Leads
https://partner.microsoft.com/US/40011087
Mark Crall, USA
Vijay Riyait, UK
Travis Hilton, AU

And to see if any of your feedback is making any change in direction keep an eye on this blog, Steve is the go-to guy for S+S:

Steve Clayton
Microsoft S+S Evangelist
http://blogs.msdn.com/stevecla01/
Twitter: @stevecla

Here is where we stand right now:

Microsoft has decided that this is the direction they are going, partners be damned (or however you interpret 6% commission for handing over your clients to them) there is more money in fighting with Google than working with partners on a premium solution.

For the partners side, you guys are angry, dismayed, betrayed and aren’t going to take it anymore. One of the people I respect a whole lot in this space said it the best: “I am not going to mention or allow any solution that takes my customers away from me.” So partners will build a wall from Microsoft.

As for me, I have done all I can even though it isn’t my job. I have not received a Cease & Desist letter from Microsoft and since a pr0n scene with a Microsoft logo is about as low as I can go I don’t have much more to add.

I’ve done my best to eloquently voice the pain that you have expressed to me, I have been told that it is what it is and it’s as good as it gets (masked with some mocking and patronizing) so if you have the time to pursue it further for the greater good of our community please follow the contacts above.

I have summed up why I think this stalemate is bad for us all, but at the end of the day I have a job to do and it’s not fixing Microsoft and it’s partners. I’ve done all I can for you folks, try the shrimp and tell them Vlad sent ya.