Holidays coming up? 5 things to do before you go on leave
Like an unstoppable force of nature, the festive season is rapidly approaching – bringing a barrage of good times, great food and better company. Even if your non-denominational New Years break isn't quite like this, the last thing your want greeting you on your return is the news your email’s down (did you remember to renew the Office 365 Internal Use Rights subscription?).
If you’re a Microsoft partner (or work for a partner organisation) and act as your Microsoft Partner Network (MPN) program administrator*, here are 5 things you need to do before that holiday cheer whisks you away to your happy place.
*The program administrator (also known as the Primary Program Contact, or PPC) is in charge of managing an organisation’s MPN profile. They have the account privileges required to make profile changes and also receive communications pertinent to your membership. Don’t know who your PPC is? Sign in to the Partner Membership Centre, find your administrator and make sure they see this post!
1. Assign a replacement Primary Program Contact
If you’re going to be away for a while, be sure to assign a colleague as a temporary Primary Program Contact in your place. This way, if someone needs to change your profile whilst you’re gone, they’ll have the access rights to do so.
You can assign any staff member associated with your profile as PPC by signing in to the Partner Membership Centre, navigating to “Requirements & Assets” then “Assign Contact Roles”.
2. Ensure all staff are associated to your profile
Just because you’re going away doesn't mean others aren't working! Make sure all staff members are associated with your profile so they can access Microsoft Partner Network benefits such as no-cost training and sales & marketing assets. If they need to access other benefits such as Internal Use Rights software, be sure to grant them “Software Download” and “View Keys” privileges through the Partner Membership Centre.
3. Check the timing of your MPN renewal
Every Microsoft Partner Network member has an Anniversary Date (AD) that marks the annual expiry of their membership. Don’t forget to renew in time (you can renew up to 90 days early)! Membership expiry will cause you to lose access to your benefits, including Digital Partner Of Record and incentive payments. Don’t get caught by surprise – know your AD and ensure you’re ready for your renewal. Silver and Gold partners might want to check out this blog post to help prepare for Competency renewal. Need additional assistance? The Regional Service Centre is on hand at 13 20 58 (Options 2,5,1).
4. Check your O365 IUR expiry date
Did you know that renewing your Action Pack or Competency doesn't automatically extend your Office 365 Internal Use Rights (IUR) subscription? After renewing membership, partners receive fresh IUR codes, don’t forget to activate yours to prevent downtime (and be sure to sign in to your existing tenant rather than create a new one and to extend your subscription rather than adding new seats).
5. Implement a support strategy
Microsoft Partners are eligible for a wealth of support options. Don’t let your holiday prevent your colleagues from leveraging them! Download and share Partner 101 from www.aka.ms/partner101 and save yourself the hassle of a New Years Day support call of your own.
With this out of the way, bring on the festive season!
Join the discussion in the Microsoft Australia Partner Yammer Community.
Need Support? Contact the Regional Service Centre on 13 20 58, Options 2,5,1 (Australian partners only) or visit the Partner Support Community.