Microsoft Partner Network and the Small Business Specialist Community

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We’ve just published a new Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) which addresses how the Small Business Specialist designation will evolve as a result of the Microsoft Partner Network. This FAQ will be updated regularly as further detail is made available.

To review the full FAQ: see here. But in brief:

New competencies

- The Small Business Specialist designation will become two competencies in summer 2010 - the Small Business and the Medium Business Solution Provider competencies.

- The Small Business competency will be ideal for partners who focus on supplying a range of technology solutions to small business customers.

- The Medium Business Solution Provider competency will be for partners who provide solutions to medium-sized customers. It allows the existing Small Business Specialist who sell to medium-sized business to obtain the new Medium Business Solution Provider competency.

Competency requirements

-  The requirements for the new Small Business competency will be similar to those for attaining the Small Business Specialist designation today.

- In summer 2010, if your Small Business Specialist status is active and you have met all the requirements of the Small Business Specialist designation, you will automatically qualify for the new Small Business competency.

-  The full detail of the requirements for the Medium Business Solution Provider competency will be shared before the end of December 2009.

- As the new competencies will retain many of the same requirements and benefits that partners are familiar with today, the transition to the new competencies should translate into limited impact for existing Small Business Specialists. We will fully support partners through the transition period.

Logos

- As long as your Small Business Specialist status is up to date, you can continue to use the existing logo (i.e. the ‘blue badge’).

- Existing logos will be retired six months after the new logo system is available. For Small Business Specialists, this means that the current 'blue badge' logo will be retired six months after the introduction of the new competencies.

For further information, see the FAQ. And if you have a question which has not been answered by the FAQ, email it to: sbscuk@microsoft.com.