Push was necessary to meet increased end-user demand, says Microsoft

More than 2,200 EMEA channel partners have qualified as technical consultants under Microsoft Business Solutions’ (MBS) Dynamics business software range in the past nine months, the vendor has revealed.

Microsoft told CRN that some of the technical consultant partners were already MBS partners that had made the move into consultancy services, but the remainder were new to MBS and its consultancy services.

Cesar Cernuda, senior director of MBS sales and services at Microsoft, told CRN that the increase in the number of technical consultants will ensure it can meet an increased demand for consultancy services.

“Our MBS momentum has increased in the past 12 months, pushing up our consultancy numbers,” he said. “This is part of a partner capture on services, which is growing following greater end-user demand for a whole range of services, and also to ensure that partners can meet this demand.”

Cernuda claimed that Microsoft Business Solutions had undertaken the MBS technical consultant recruitment drive for two main reasons. First, to provide the right level of partner support to the demand for Microsoft Dynamics. Second, to allow MBS partners to expand their businesses through Dynamics software and offer more consultancy services.

Partner training for both existing and potential partners has been provided through a range of methods, such as interactive learning sessions in Microsoft Office Live Meeting, and through a course run with Sheffield Hallam University.

Martin Buglass, sales director at MBS consultancy Crocus Consulting, told CRN that becoming trained as technical consultants would have positive implications for MBS partners.

“It lets us offer consultancy on the Dynamics range. We have six trained consultants, with a further 20 going through training,” he said.

“Our training investment [in MBS] will drive sales. We have very ambitious plans for future growth.”