Finally I can let the cat out of the bag. Seattle-based SkyKick has deftly inserted itself into Microsoft Action Pack (MAPS) and Silver/Gold Partner program motion as a benefit. I’m jealous. Many readers will recall our old SMB PC magazine, that we published for the Microsoft Small Business Specialist Community (SBSC) in the 2007-2012 time frame. I tried for the first few years to have the magazine inserted into the quarterly Action Pack mailer, a feat that would have dramatically boosted our circulation. SkyKick has done the impossible and inserted itself into this motion in what I believe is the first occurrence of third party inclusion.
So what’s the scoop? First – the program replaces the Turbo offer that recently expired. Second, Microsoft IURs provide MAPs partners, and Silver or Gold competency partners access to Internal Use Rights licenses for Microsoft Office 365 and other Microsoft cloud solutions, including Microsoft Intune, Microsoft Azure and Microsoft Enterprise Mobility Suite. With this new IUR benefit, eligible Microsoft partners with up to 500 seats can now migrate their own business to Office 365 for free using SkyKick technology.
“Partners that take advantage of IURs and use Office 365 for their own businesses are three times more successful at selling it,” said Gavriella Schuster, general manager of Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Group. “SkyKick’s Migration Suite helps partners get up and running on Office 365 more quickly and easily so they can continue to focus on what matter most—serving our mutual customers.”
It was noted in speaking to Schuster that eligible partners can take advantage of the SkyKick IUR benefit today until the end of June 2015. That is the end of Microsoft’s fiscal year.
“We are excited that we can help hundreds of thousands of Microsoft partners around the world move their own business to Office 365,” said SkyKick co-CEO Evan Richman. “Office 365 represents a big opportunity for Microsoft partners to build a successful cloud business.”
A typical 25-seat Office 365 SMB project requires an average of 40 hours of partner effort from sales through project completion, and can vary in time and quality depending on many system factors. SkyKick is a tool that assists in project management as well as the technical migrations activity and mathematically saves time. For more details about SkyKick, start at www.skykick.com/smbnation.
You can also meet the SkyKick team on our O365nation Tour! Learn more at http://o365tour.smbnation.com.
