SBSC & MSP Buzz

Microsoft Media Fulfillment Changes

Microsoft is implementing some some major changes in media distribution.  Please read the following and review this User Guide for more details.

This is  the order that should be taken every time a media order is made.  The team in charge of the process stresses it is very important that partners and customers go through these channels because soon distributors will not be carrying media at all and they want to work out all bugs before that time comes.

1. Download online at https://eopen.microsoft.com

2. Call the fulfillment center (Tax exempt customers need to call the fulfillment center every time.  There is no way to exempt out an order online.)

3. Call the distributor and order the media

The list of products not available online is:

CRM Professional Server 3.0
                Windows Small Business Server Std
                Windows Small Business Server Premium
                Microsoft Math
                Windows Server for Small Business

                Future (will be available on CRM site): Dynamics CRM Professional Server

At the end of January, they will cut off the ability to just call the distributor to order the media.  They will need to fill out a form detailing what went wrong at each step before calling the distributor.  The form will then be reviewed and if accepted the partner will be able to order the media.  It will be a longer process and take some time.  Around March or April they will be cutting off the ability to order media at all through the distributor, no exceptions.  SKU’s for media are not available on distributor online sites anymore, only if you call in at the distributors.

When ordering media online through eopen, the only problem they have seen so far is that you can only order 1 product at a time.  So if you have multiple products you have to go through and pay for each one individually and then go back and do it again.  The work around right now is to call the fulfillment center for any orders of 3 or more products with 1 or 2 products it is faster to go through the online site once or twice than call in to the fulfillment center.  Also, you are only able to order a max of 10 of any individual media online.  You are only able to pay with credit card online and Discover is not accepted in the US or Canada orders.  Information for partners and customers can be found on https://www.explore.ms.   Ingram, D&H, Synnex, and Techdata have all sent out communications to their partners about the new process, although it is a possibility that not all partners received the communication.