Nearly 16,000 Microsoft Partners and Executives Attend the Worldwide Partner Conference in Toronto
Nearly 16,000 Microsoft partners and executives took Canada by storm last week for the company’s annual Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC). Each year, partners from around the globe unite for a four-day conference to celebrate the accomplishments of the company’s partner network, consisting of more than 640,000 partners, and provide a preview of the most exciting product releases and news for the coming fiscal year.
With more than one billion people now using Microsoft Office, Windows 7 reaching a new milestone of more than 630 million licenses sold (more than half of enterprise desktops) and Windows 8 coming soon in 109 languages across 231 markets worldwide, there is truly no better time to be a Microsoft Partner. CEO Steve Ballmer and additional executives discussed these successes in the first day’s keynote and outlined their roadmap ahead for 2012.
The first day alone held many exciting news and announcements, including Microsoft acquiring Perceptive Pixel Inc., a recognized leader in research, development and production of large-scale, multi-touch display solutions. With PPI’s advanced multi-touch technology platform combined with hardware from Microsoft, OEMs and will result in powerful Windows PCs, opening the door for new productivity and collaboration.
Another highlight from WPC involved Wednesday night’s dynamic presentation given by Kevin Turner, Microsoft’s chief operating officer. While on stage, Kevin discussed the overwhelming success of Office 365 and largely credited the commitment of the Microsoft partner network for its success.
Amidst the exciting news and announcements, partners also spent the duration of WPC giving back to the community with Microsoft’s Day of Giving Event. Partners volunteered with a variety of organizations including the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada, ONEXONE, and the Children’s Miracle Network. From helping refurbish Boys and Girls Clubs to filling backpacks with crayons and coloring books, partners rolled up their sleeves in true Microsoft fashion and lent a hand to local Toronto organizations.
Interested in getting the full recap of WPC? Check out their website, Digital WPC, and join the WPC conversation by connecting on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Also, for a full recap of WPC news and events read the blog of Microsoft’s U.S. Vice President, Partner Strategy and Programs , Jenni Flinders: https://bit.ly/LWB88S.