Tab 3—Customer and Capabilities
Tab 3 presents more questions in a multiple choice format. These include:

Micrsoft Solution Profiler Micrsoft Solution Finder Microsoft PMC

Horizontal Solution Areas: Select the customer needs that your solution addresses. This section will help customers understand the specific capabilities of your solution. A horizontal solution area refers to a customer need that your solution solves, regardless of vertical market. For example, customer relationship management or account management.

• Industry and vertical target market and solution areas can also be selected. Choose the vertical markets that your solution serves. A vertical solution refers to a product that is designed for a specific market. For example, manufacturing, consumer packaged goods (CPG), customer service or customer care framework.
• SIC or NAICS Code: If applicable, enter the SIC or NAICS code for the solution you are profiling
• Size of customer organization: Select the types of customer organization that would be appropriate for the solution you are profiling. For example, small, mid-market, or enterprise.

Tab 4—Where Will Your Product Be Used?
Your potential customers may be interested in your product, but you may not be able to serve them due to their geographic location or the language in which it is available.

For the country/region availability check box, select the countries and regions in which your company is able to provide your solution. Check all that apply. This information matches the customer's geographic preferences to the preferences of the solution you are profiling. It's also important to select the language(s) in which your solution is available. Again, be sure to check all that apply.

Tab 5—How Customers Will Find You
Your solution isn't worth a hill of beans if you customers can't find you. Tab 5 makes sure that this situation doesn't happen. Here are the fields that you should be prepared to answer in moving on to Tab 5.

• Solution contact: The primary contact name for customers interested in your solution. Customers are more likely to contact you if they have a name they can refer to.
• Solution contact e-mail: The primary contact e-mail address for customers interested in your solution. This is the address that will be listed on the Web site, so check it regularly. Choose an e-mail account that is linked to a long-term employee or a generic alias.
• Solution contact phone: The primary contact phone number for customers interested in your solution (including area code and country/region code). Ensure that you add a reliable phone number and extension where customers can reach you.
• Associated customer references: The references displayed here are imported from the Microsoft Partner Membership Center. Only approved references are displayed for you to select. Once a reference has been approved by the customer, it can take up to 24 hours for it to appear in Partner Solution Profiler. You can add your references in the Partner Membership Center by choosing the "Manage Your Profile" option from the left navigation menu.

Tab 6—Preview and Publish
This tab allows you to:

• Review your solution profile by section.
• Edit your solution profile by section.
• Publish your completed solution profile to the Partner Solution Profiler directory. (Items displayed with a red asterisk are required fields. You must complete these correctly to publish your profile.)
• Keep your profile up-to-date

To ensure that customers are receiving the most up-to-date information for each of the solutions you profile, you should update your information at least once a year. You can do this by logging on to Solution Profiler, opening your profile and clicking on the "Edit Solution" button. Customers will use the Microsoft.com search engine to find partners to serve their needs.

Targeting Your Clients
We often spend too much time trying to find out exactly who and where customers are located. The Microsoft Solution Profiler takes out the middle man by helping customers find you and decide whether you can serve their needs. This kind of efficiency serves the needs of both suppliers and customers. Every day, 1,000 U.S.-based companies query the Solution Profiler database—generating 150 partner referrals per day. To get your share of those referrals, take a little bit of time to list your company in the database. Then you can judge for yourself how effective it is. Simply appearing in the Microsoft Solution Profiler demonstrates your commitment to your customers by letting them know that you are delivering a solution in partnership with Microsoft. Even if you only get a single new client via the program, it's surely worth the effort.

* This article was commissioned by and prepared for Microsoft Corporation. This document is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.

George Walsh is a veteran tech editor and writer with experience in fields ranging from embedded systems programming to CAD. As a freelance researcher and writer, he has provided his expertise to more than 35 clients in a wide variety of technical markets. He is currently Special Projects Editor for BZ Media and writes a monthly column for Eclipse Review.