Microsoft's Front Runner program for SQL Server ISVs

Microsoft has a new program for ISV's called Front Runner, currently for SQL Server. As an Independent Software Vendor (ISV), being a Front Runner gives you the competitive edge by helping you to be among the first to get your Microsoft® SQL Server™ 2005 application to market—quickly and effectively.

eWeek has a great story "Getting ahead with Microsoft's Front Runner program" including interviews with several ISVs in the program.

What does Microsoft's Front Runner program for SQL Server 2005 mean to channel partners, in concrete terms?

For the first time, Embarcadero Technologies is going to be big in Sao Paolo, big in Asia—big in places it could never reach before with its database management technologies.

For its part, Tenrox is on track to get the next release of its project governance and compliance technology to market a whopping six months sooner than the competition.

"That's what we anticipate," said Randy Urquhart, Tenrox director of alliances and director of product marketing.

"If everybody were to wait for release of 2005 to start analyzing and developing [database] conversions to go to 2005, it would take quite some time—we estimate six months—because of the many significant changes to the [SQL Server 2005] program."

Giving ISVs a competitive edge—whether by getting applications to market faster or whether by helping to spread the word internationally with Microsoft's extensive sales reach—is what the Front Runner program is all about.

Get more details about the Front Runner program benefits here.