Frequently Asked Questions
Below you will find answers to the more frequently asked questions we receive in connection with the ES program for Latin America . If you cannot find an answer to your question please refer to the contact details at the ES Contact Us page.
I_About the ES Program
Why is Microsoft launching this program?
The program is designed to improve the knowledge in our education channel and increase customer satisfaction both in this channel and among education customers. We also wanted to help provide the tools to enable you to improve your knowledge of how to select the right licensing for customers and create a community of resellers that we can begin to engage with better.
What are the key benefits of the program?
 
More revenue opportunity by selling Microsoft software to education customers.
Become an end-to-end Microsoft education solution provider by including licensing in your offerings
Lend credibility to your marketing materials with the ES program logo
Access information just for ES on the secure website
Keep your academic licensing knowledge base up-to-date with web-based training and exam
What does a company need to do to become an ES?
The ES Program is designed for Microsoft Partners who want to become an Academic Reseller and provide the best solutions to the education customers needs.
To qualify for the ES program, your company must meet the following minimum requirements:
 
1. Must be enrolled and active in the Microsoft Partner Program (MSPP) at least at Registered Level
2. If the organization is enrolled in MSPP in the Registered Member level, it must also be subscribed to the Microsoft Action Pack Subscription (MAPS). Your company subscription must be active (not expired) at the time of application
3. Provide two customer references of Microsoft or other technology products with valid contacts
4. Agree on sales objectives for the first year with Microsoft by submitting a Business Plan
5. All commercial representatives need to complete the web training and pass the certification tests
6. The company must have a line of credit with at least one of the Distributors (???) listed in the ES program in good standing
7. The Area (territory) for doing business must be available at the time of the application. All Areas available will be listed on the ES site application web page by the time of application
Every commercial representative of your company will have only one Area assigned to doing business. The sum of Areas for each commercial representative will be the company's territory to doing business under the ES program.
How is going to be the engagement process with Distributors?
Distributors will have access to the AER search tool, so they can validate the current status of an ES partner at any time.

Distributors will only accept orders for Microsoft academic products from resellers that have registered and obtained an ES certification number for the Area that they are currently quoting. The certification will last for 12 months and is renewable annually.
What is the definition of Area under the ES program?
Area is the territory where a commercial representative does business under the ES program. An Area could include one or more cities, districts or counties. All available Areas are listed in the ES website under the application section
How is going to be the engagement process with Distributors?
Distributors will have access to the ES search tool, so they can validate the current status of an ES partner at any time.

Distributors will only accept orders for Microsoft academic products from resellers that have registered and obtained an ES certification number for the Area that they are currently quoting. The certification will last for 12 months and is renewable annually.
Are any MCP certifications required for resellers to become ES?
No. All the testing is self contained in the site
How is going to be the engagement process with Distributors?
Distributors will have access to the AER search tool, so they can validate the current status of an ES partner at any time.

Distributors will only accept orders for Microsoft academic products from resellers that have registered and obtained an ES certification number for the Area that they are currently quoting. The certification will last for 12 months and is renewable annually.
How is going to be the engagement process with Distributors?
Distributors will have access to the ES search tool, so they can validate the current status of an ES partner at any time.

Distributors will only accept orders for Microsoft academic products from resellers that have registered and obtained an ES certification number for the Area that they are currently quoting. The certification will last for 12 months and is renewable annually.
II_ About the Application Process
What is the process to apply for the ES?
Both General Manager and Commercial Representatives are part of the process. Once your company meets the requirements to become an ES, there are 3 steps to follow:
 
1. Company Application : The General Manager should complete the application forms on the web site and provide the following information
  1.1 Review and acceptance of the program characteristics
Your Company's data
  1.2 ES Administrator data
  1.3 Complete the Business plan template with the information of each Commercial Representative, the Area they will cover and forecasted number of contracts to sell during the first year as an ES
  1.4 Two customer references of technology products or services
Once the application is complete and submitted, all the information will be sent to the correspondent department at Microsoft, which will answer within 5 business days based on the validation of the minimum requirements. The company Administrator (General Manager) will receive an e-mail with the status of the application process. If the information you provide is inaccurate, incomplete or if Microsoft is unable to validate the information provided by you, your application will be rejected
2. Commercial Representatives Application : All Commercial Representatives should enter on the ES Web Site, complete a short application form, review and accept the program characteristics
3.

ES Exam : All Commercial Representatives should complete the Exam, which is composed by three modules covering Fundamentals of Licensing, Principles of Licensing and Academic Licensing (revision materials are provided).

When all commercial representatives complete successfully the exam, the manager will receive a Microsoft ES certification, a printable Microsoft ES certificate acknowledging the company status, and an ES logo that can be used to promote the status. The manager will be able to log on the site and check the company's status during the entire process.

How long does the ES Application process take?
It could take from one to several weeks. The Application Process is composed by three steps. First, the General Manager should complete the application forms. Once the application is complete, all the information will be processed and checked by Microsoft, which will answer within 5 business days . Second, all Commercial Representatives should complete their application forms, as well as take and pass the ES exam. So, it will be a matter of how many representatives you have and how much time they will need to study and complete the exam
What is exactly the information I will have to provide in the application forms?
 
Company's data : Company Name, Partner Program ID, Level of membership in the Microsoft Partner Program, Company Email, Address, Telephone, Preferred Distributor, Company Sales Tax Registration Number (if your company is registered)
General Manager's data : Name, Email, Job Title, Address, Telephones , Additional Contact within your Organization (Full name and E-mail)
Business plan:
 

Commercial Representatives Staff (Full name, Area, Telephones, e-mail and number of forecasted contracts).

  Two customer references: Company name, Main Contact, Telephone and e-mail

Review and acceptance of the program characteristics

How long does the Exam process take?

Each module of the ES Exam takes up to 30 minutes. If you are already familiar with Microsoft Licensing and Microsoft Academic Licensing, you will be able to finish the ES Exam in about 1 ½ hour. If you are new to Microsoft licensing you should allow further hours to review the training materials before taking the exam.

Before sitting the exam you will be asked to sign-in with your Microsoft ®Passport Network account and complete a short application form. If you don't have a Passport account, you will have to create one by completing a short form
Will I receive any formal notification when I become certified?
Yes. When all commercial representatives pass the three exam modules, the General Manager will receive an electronic certificate that can be printed and displayed to customers. The certificate will contain a unique ES certification number that should be retained and quoted to the distributor when purchasing Microsoft academic products

Why will ES have to go through the whole renewal process every 12 months?

Our licensing program changes periodically and it is important that everyone is aware of the most recent changes. Reseller points of contacts and other details also can change during the course of the year. So it's important for us to have accurate records so that we can address and meet the needs of our resellers by ensuring that we send relevant information out and maintain regular contact. Resellers have told us that they want to have timely, accurate information, and an annual renewal process helps Microsoft meet this need

What if I don't apply for the program?

You will miss out on many benefits and may not be in as good a position as your competitors to address your customers' needs. Those who do not register and obtain a unique ES number will also be unable to purchase academic products from distributors. You can apply to join the program at any point during the year and your authorization will last for 12 months.
III_ Other Questions

Will I be able to include more Commercial Representatives after getting the certification?

Yes, through the ES Site. Every new Commercial Representative will follow the same process the others did. While the new Commercial Representative doesn't complete the application form and complete successfully the Exam your company's status will be as Authorized/Certifying.

What if one of my Commercial Representatives becomes disengaged from my company?

The General Manager will be able to edit this information through the ES Site. If there was only one certified commercial representative, you will have to include and certify a new one. Otherwise, your company's status will become inactive.
What if the General Manager becomes disengaged from my company? How will the company be able to edit this information?
The new General Manager should send an e-mail explaining the change to the following address aerla@microsoft.com in order to get a new login and password to sign in the ES web site.
Specifically which customers qualify for educational pricing on Microsoft software?
The full list of eligibility guidelines can be found in the Qualified Education User Definition
How will academic customers be able to identify a list of ES?
Local Microsoft sites will carry an up-to-date list of all ES for customers to refer to so that they can select the right one according to their needs and location. Customers can also verify ES by their unique certification number.
Who should resellers contact if they have queries?
For further details, please refer to the contact details at the ES Contacts Details page.