The Record - Issue 18: Autumn 2020

61 “Our digital experience is available to all mem- bers of the Microsoft Partner Network (MPN). This gives you 24/7 access to a comprehensive library of solutions and content that are easy to discover, manage, and share with customers and prospects in just a few clicks.” While the global coronavirus pandemic has deeply affected all industries and nations, Microsoft and its partners have been working behind the scenes to keep essential services operating during these challenging times. “A lot has changed in the last six months,” says Muckler-Visser. “In many ways, it’s been the most challenging year in our lives, and that has brought unprecedented change for our custom- ers and partners supporting them. We’ve seen partners act in truly heroic ways: supporting first responders and healthcare and front-line workers. We have partners supporting schools that suddenly had to deliver education remotely. I am so proud of Microsoft’s response to these situations during these unique times. The part- ner ecosystem always steps up to address the changing needs of our customers, and we saw examples of this throughout the industry during this pandemic.” “What we’ve learned during this time is that our partner ecosystem is remarkably resilient,” she notes “Microsoft is committed to helping our customers respond, recover, and reimagine their business and our partners are absolutely critical to these efforts.” As in-person events were cancelled, partners had to quickly pivot their marketing strategies to stay connected to their customers. Despite brick- and-mortar retail demand falling by 90 per cent, research company TrustRadius found that soft- ware spending will likely increase by 40 per cent. “Market forces are clearly accelerating the need for always-on digital resources that are scalable and customisable,” says Muckler-Visser. She sees an opportunity for Microsoft to go beyond offer- ing a portfolio of GTM resources and deliver a co-marketing model that fully harnesses the scale of the MPN to drive demand and revenue growth. “To compete successfully in the market today, trust and credibility are critical,” she says. “Conflicting news, predatory marketing, pricing,