Expand Your Opportunities, Grow Your Business with Search
Step 1. Become a Microsoft Partner In order for you to begin to capitalize on the tremendous business opportunities presented by Enterprise Search from Microsoft, you must first become a Microsoft Partner. The Microsoft Partner Program offers a variety of tools and resources designed to develop your expertise in the business of enterprise search and our market-leading Enterprise Search from Microsoft products.
The Quickstart for Microsoft Search is the easiest low-cost way to ensure that your organization is market-ready to become a Microsoft enterprise search partner and is designed as your first step in the enterprise search competency attainment process.
Step 2. Specialize The Microsoft Partner Program offers several competencies that are designed to help you grow your business by driving new revenues in specific solution areas. The Information Worker Solutions competency offers a focused Search Specialization designed to help you develop and deliver robust search platforms, gain expertise, and hone your skills to address the enterprise search needs of your customers. Search Specialization enables you to promote your solutions for increasing customer productivity across the desktop and the network (Business Productivity), and for implementing effective customer monetization and business opportunities on the Web (Internet Business).
Step 3. The FAST Business Opportunity The Enterprise Search from Microsoft product suite contains search solutions across entry-level, infrastructure, and also the best-in-class FAST search solutions to meet your customers' business needs. Office SharePoint Server partners have an opportunity to take advantage of the expected enterprise search demand in the marketplace by leveraging your current capabilities in Office SharePoint Server and expanding your practice to include the best-in-class advanced search capabilities of the FAST product offerings. If your business plan includes implementing solutions with FAST search technology, you must become certified to develop, implement, and sell FAST in your solutions.
The Benefits of a Microsoft Partnership
As a Microsoft enterprise search partner, you will have access to the tools and resources you need to expand your opportunities and grow your business, including flexible training opportunities, competitive sales intelligence, connections with customers, and a rich array of online content that is designed specifically for you.
You also will gain valuable exposure in press releases, in our partner directory listings, and through potential recognition as a Microsoft Enterprise Search Channel Champion. This program spotlights partners that are enhancing the search experience with innovative customer solutions, and creates a targeted marketing effort to a wide audience of our customers, partners, and employees.
Other partner benefits include:
Executive briefing sessions for top-tier partners
Partner newsletter "showcase" that spotlights opportunities
Participation in "invitation only" events
Joint promotional marketing activities such as tradeshows, advertising, seminars, webcasts, etc.
Mutual demand-creation campaigns
Free evaluation software
Access to beta software
Discounts on training
Dedicated partner support and new product briefings
Many opportunities lie ahead for partners providing enterprise search solutions. Whether you need guidance in building your enterprise search business or the technical tools for successful integration, Microsoft has a wide range of resources planned to make your job easier and enable you to turn search innovation into business opportunity for you and your customers.
Become a Microsoft enterprise search partner. Get started today! 
