In the Energizer engagement, Microsoft is partnering with Siemens and Hewlett-Packard to provide help-desk and customer support needs for the managed desktop, Markezich said. Microsoft charges the customer directly and pays partners for their efforts.
"Partners are part of the solution, and we will use the partner ecosystem," Markezich said. "We do need to figure out how to handle solutions between 200 and 2,000 desktops. "
In the future, VARs will be able to resell the services and get a piece of the subscription revenue. Microsoft will subcontract with service partners and service providers for specific functions, he said.
When asked why Microsoft wouldn’t just go direct to the customer via the Internet, Markezich said the company needs channel partners to sell the idea and service globally. "We need feet on the streets," he said. "We have MCS [Microsoft Consulting Services] professional services. But this is a product, not a service."
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