Microsoft has changed the penalties for violation of contracts and the Partner Code of Conduct. For some of the worst offenders, Microsoft could revoke the solution provider’s ability to sell in certain partner programs and even remove the provider from the partner ecosystem.
Some of the ways partners can violate the Partner Code of Conduct include:
- Breaking anti-corruption and anti-money laundering laws through bribery, kickbacks, and other practices
- Improperly influencing government officials, employees, or political candidates through gifts, meals, travel, and entertainment.
- Breaking fair competition and antitrust laws
- Breaking the rules around government procurement, tenders, and bids, including conspiring with other partners to rig bids, place orders before tender finalization, and fix prices
- Placing ordersfor Microsoft technologies, products, support, or services without a corresponding customer order or agreement
- Cold-calling seniors, children, and other vulnerable consumers to buy or subscribe to unneeded technical support or services
- False, inaccurate, and misleading advertising and marketing
- Discriminatory hiring, compensation, training access, promotions, firings, and retirement due to protected statuses such as race, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, gender identity, disability, political affiliation, and veteran status
- Sexual harassment
- Misbehavior at Microsoft events
- Not having an adequate training program
Why do we care?
There’s a tactical reason to care: the fundamental “don’t do bad things” reason. Don’t do bad things.
Here’s a more interesting angle – How do you feel about Microsoft setting ethics for their partners? They are a private business and free to do what they want, and as a partner, I tend to trust them, and these are pretty good rules of the road. They take on risk doing business with you, too, after all. I’m particularly optimistic about this move for Microsoft and note that they can pull it off.
Play the mental game here for all your vendor partners. How would you feel if this was … Google? Ingram Micro? I’ll get spicy and say… Kaseya? Now vendors, consider how your trust with your customer base matters.