Microsoft

Microsoft Partner Pavilion Solution

Overview:   Microsoft's Partner Pavilions and Expos Program (MPP) is a business unit within the Microsoft Corporation's corporate marketing organization that sells exhibit space packages to Microsoft's partners at industry trade shows and events. Operating on a cost-recovery basis, the MPP team is chartered to help Microsoft's partners enhance the visibility of their products and support marketing initiatives by Microsoft's product groups. MPP has engaged DDGlobal to deliver a new Web solution to drive better service to partners and promote internal efficiency.

Business Challenge:   MPP manages the full life cycle of exhibition space at major industry events, from pricing booth packages and sending invitations to processing registrations and payments, delivering exhibitor kits to partners, managing a waitlist for booths and theater space, responding to customer service queries, and providing refunds. MPP needed to find a way to reduce the cost of administering these processes by pushing as much to the Web as possible. Equally important to MPP was the need to build even stronger relationships with over 1000 partners through a sales channel that was more intuitive and easier to use than the legacy Web site. In turn, MPP anticipated that a more user-friendly site would help the program sell exhibition space more quickly, providing a higher degree of revenue assurance in advance of each convention.

Business Solution:   In response to these challenges, DDGlobal first engaged MPP in an exhaustive effort to create an exceptional experience for users of the new Web site. After conducting extensive analysis of business processes and user behavior to determine the best design for the solution, the team developed wireframes and a prototype to validate the usability of the forthcoming site on a screen-by-screen basis before proceeding to the development phase.

Technical Solution:   DDGlobal deployed Microsoft Active Server Page (ASP) technology running on the Windows 2000 platform and a SQL Server 2000 database. The application layer was comprised of DDGlobal's suite of proven software components designed to facilitate rapid development efforts. As the user community on the site is varied, the solution makes extensive use of open standards. The presentation layer is executed by way of XSL transformations of XML data. This enables MPP to more easily offer services in different languages and on different platforms or delivery vehicles, such as wireless and voice. Additionally, this approach enables a distinct separation of the presentation layer from business rules and data, creating a more flexible and maintainable solution. As part of the solution, DDGlobal also developed an innovative Macromedia Flash floor map that displays booth space location and availability in real time via connectivity with the database. By contrast, the administration site, designed to simplify MPP's business processes and increase productivity, was built on Microsoft's cutting-edge .NET platform. Featuring pages developed in ASPX using VB.NET compiled into .NET objects, the site was created in the VisualStudio.NET Beta 2 environment. Among the .NET-based applications DDGlobal built for the administration site is an e-mail tool that enables MPP staff to create, store, and send e-mails to partners based on customizable templates.

Outcome of Engagement:   DDGlobal has delivered the Web site and supporting technical documentation to MPP and is continuing to provide value to this key initiative. MPP now can go to market with a highly intuitive Web site capable of rewarding partners with a rich and flexible user experience. Using this tool, partners can easily seek out, register for, and purchase booth space at trade shows while enjoying control over a wide range of account information. At the same time, the solution will automate an unprecedented number of administrative tasks so that MPP staff can focus their attention on providing first-rate service to partners.

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