VMware Partner Exchange 2012 is just days away. Along with the 20+ pre-conference boot camps and over 150 break-out sessions, we are offering VMware Certification exams on-site again this year. Delivering exams on-site is no small task, but with the release of VCP5, and the six-month grace period allotted for professionals to update their certification status coming to an end, we knew it was important to make it easy for you to either upgrade your current certification or achieve your first.

The VMware Exam Center, San Polo 3405-3406, Level 3 of the Venetian, will be open all day, every day for the four-day conference. The VCP4, VCP5, VCP4-DT and VCAP4-DCD will be available. Even better, exam fees are 50% off.

No time to sit for your exam?

If you aren’t able to take an exam on-site, we are extending the 50% discount to any Partner that registers at the Self-registration Kiosk (also at the Exam Center) during the event. In order to take advantage of the savings, you have register at the event and sit your exam before May 31, 2012. However, if you want to upgrade your certification, the grace period ends February 29, so I wouldn’t delay!

In addition to offering exams at a great discount, the big news for Certifications at Partner Exchange is the VMware Certified Advanced Professional 5 – Datacenter Design (VCAP5-DCD) beta will be available on-site. Beta participants are limited to VCAP4-DCDs. If you have achieved the pre-req, you should have already received your invitation via email to take the exam. Beta registration opens on February 10. When it does, the Las Vegas Partner Exchange location will be an option when you are ready to schedule your exam. If you are a VCAP4-DCD and going to be at the event, we hope you will take advantage of this exclusive opportunity and participate in this beta.

With the great savings and the approaching end to the certification upgrade grace period, please take advantage of this unique opportunity and get certified at VMware Partner Exchange. Seats are filling up very quickly. Don’t delay, get VMware Certified at VMware Partner Exchange 2012!

-Maureen Lonergan

Maureen Lonergan is the Senior Director of Global Partner Readiness. She has responsibility for building training programs to enable all Channel Partners; Solution Providers, Corporate Resellers, Technology Providers, Alliance Partners, System Integrators and System Outsourcers, and Hosting. She has been leading the Channel Enablement Team since August 2008.

The "My VMware Partner Readiness" team want to see you at Partner Exchange! We are excited to announce the "My VMware Experience" lab at PEX where we will offer an exclusive, hands-on sneak peek to our partners. You will be the first to test-drive and provide feedback on My VMware before our customer Beta launches. Please spread the word to your colleagues who plan to attend PEX - your feedback is instrumental to our efforts! Stop by the Delfino Room at the Venetian hotel to learn more - we will have an added incentive for those who stop by!

As promised, below is an update to the My VMware efforts from Scott Bajtos, SVP, Global Support and Services.

As most of you know, we keep many of our biggest VMware Partner Network program announcements under wraps until Partner Exchange, but today we’ve decided to break the rules because this news is just too big to keep secret!

To convey our appreciation of your sales efforts and our willingness to invest in your continued success, we’reexcited to announce optimized VMware rewards to increase your profitability in 2012. The new program features and the rich rewards are extraordinary!  To pique your interest, I’ll quickly highlight three key areas of interest to entice you learn more:

Double Incentives
That’s right – 2X higher. With our enhanced advantage+ and Solution Rewards programs, you now have the opportunity to double your incentives in 2012!

Huge Market Opportunity  
Despite the tremendous success we’ve jointly shared over the years, our internal analysis shows that there are still many new customers out there that we have not yet reached, and our 300,000+ existing customer base represents a great opportunity for our broadest solution portfolio yet. We believe this represents a multi-billion dollar market opportunity for our partners.

Solution Competencies 
We are more committed than ever in delivering Solution Competencies as a fundamental driver for partner differentiation, increased sales opportunities, profitability and rewards. Our mutual investment in Solution Competencies is the key to unlocking your new opportunities, doubled incentives and your continued success with VMware solutions and services.

You can start taking advantage of these new offerings on February 1, 2012!

Please visit Partner Central to learn the specific details.We hope that you share our great excitement over these new program changes and will capitalize on this extraordinary opportunity! 

-Scott Aronson
Senior Vice President Global Channels and Alliances

On January 24th we introduced the VMware Solution Exchange– a single destination site for partners to share their compatible VMware applications and cloud infrastructure products. 

The VMware Solution Exchange (VSX) allows customers to discover, evaluate and expedite the buying process.   Customers can easily explore VMware partner solutions and developer-provided virtual appliances in a single location, download collateral, get free trials, watch a demonstration, rate & review, and engage directly with the partner or developer.

For partners, the VSX simplifies how they work with VMware, providing a unified, self-service go-to-market portal that has a single interface and integrated view of their joint products and solutions, product reviews and lead management.  Partners can create accounts, list their VMware products or solutions, upload collateral, and offer free trials through self-serviced, password protected go-to-market portal.  Partners are also able to get leads, manage customer interest, enable multiple users and organize information in an intuitive manner with a well-framed admin interface which affords password protection.

The proliferation of social media has evolved the way many people use the Internet to discover and information.   The VSX looks to provide a familiar social experience, by empowering customers to use search tools, explore rich multimedia content, and directly engage with partners and developers to help ease the process of finding the right solution for their business.

Here are some additional resources:
 Watch this video about the VMware Solution Exchange with Sheryl Sage,  Director Alliance Programs  and Kristen Edwards, Sr. Manager Alliance Programs.

 Read partner and industry support (link to quote sheet)

 Review the VMware Solution Exchange press release!

 List your solution in the VSX – Register Now!

 Market your VSX listing in the VMware TAP blog.

 Submit blog posting link to vsxalliance@vmware.com.

 Experience the marketing potential of the VSX at VMware booth at PEX EXPO, Las Vegas.

 Learn how to get the most from the VSX at the VSX session at Technology Exchange track.

 VSX questions? Email us

-Sheryl Sage
Director, VMware Alliances Programs

I would like to personally invite you to attend a two-hour session featuring inspiring women at VMware Partner Exchange, on Monday, February 13th from 5-7 PM at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas for:  "Women of Purpose: It Starts Here with You!  Your Cloud, Your Life, Our Women".

Our third annual Women of Purpose event continues to be an experience you will not want to miss.  This is an incredible opportunity for you to foster new relationships and hear from distinguished women in our emerging industry. Our session will showcase how our distinguished panel of executives have once again redefined their career journey to now include Cloud Computing.

The Panel will be led by VMware’s JJ DiGeronimo and Colleen Kapase.

Our Distinguished Panel includes the following women:
• Siki Guinta, Global VP, Cloud Computing, Computer Science Corporatation
• Laura-Beth Hatem, VP Marketing, iLand
• Renee Bergeron, VP Managed Services & Cloud, Ingram Micro

We've received phenomenal feedback on this event from year's past, and we know that participating in this year's VMware Partner Exchange Women of Purpose event will not disappoint! Some of the benefits of this experience include:
• The opportunity to meet and interact with other women leaders within the partner community
• Learn how other women are leading organizations into Cloud Computing and how the role of IT is changing
• Gain information from executives as they share their career journeys and life milestones

Eligible attendees should have received an invitation after registering for VMware Partner Exchange. So, be sure to register today:
Women of Purpose: It Starts Here with You!  Your Cloud, Your Life, Our Women
Monday, February 13th- The Venetian Hotel, Delfino 4003/4004/4103/4104
5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. – Women of Purpose Executive Customer Panel, Roundtable & Reception.

We look forward to seeing you there!
Must be registered to attend PEX in order to register for
this program.

Got a question for the VMware Women of Purpose Panel? Questions on career advancement? How you can have a bigger impact in 2012? Do you have a desire to have inspiring, motivating and energizing conversations with Women in technology? Respond by Wednesday, Feb 1st to include your questions for the panel with an email to spatel@vmware.com.

-Sonal Patel
Co-founder & Director, Women of Purpose
Sr.National Partner Manager for AdvizeX Technologies & World Wide Technology