News
Quest Tools for Exchange Migrators
- By Scott Bekker
- 05/20/2007
Quest Software Inc. and Microsoft are teaming up to offer a new incentive program for partners that conduct migrations to Microsoft Exchange Server 2007.
Called "Ready-Set-Go," the program includes an incentive bonus for each mailbox migrated in addition to product margins, free 30-day use of Quest MessageStats for pre-migration assessments, co-branded marketing tools and technical training.
"This program is for helping people migrate from Exchange 5.5, 2000, 2003, Lotus Notes and Novell Groupwise," says Terri Sinclair, manager of partner marketing for Quest, an Aliso Viejo, Calif.-based developer of performance and productivity tools for applications, databases and Windows infrastructure. "We wanted to come up with a program that would help our partners identify and qualify opportunities, and we wanted to provide some tools that would help move those sales along."
Microsoft released Exchange 2007 to manufacturing in December 2006. In addition to the usual evaluation period after a new release, Exchange 2007 presents an added wrinkle because it's the first major Microsoft infrastructure product to be offered only in 64-bit mode for production environments.
About 25 Quest managed partners were already participating in the "Ready-Set-Go" program as of mid-April, and the company hopes to add more participants to the program, which runs through Dec. 31.
"New partners need to be proficient with Exchange 2007 migrations. There's a requirement to use and learn the Quest solutions, but we're open to new partners," says Sinclair. Partners that have had success with Quest products are typically at least at the Microsoft Certified level and have competencies in Exchange and communications, she says.
With 2005 revenues of $476 million, Quest receives about 40 percent of its revenues through its channel program, either by resale or influenced sales. The company has been a Gold Certified Partner since 2001.
About the Author
Scott Bekker is editor in chief of Redmond Channel Partner magazine.