Microsoft is rolling out two new partner services—the International ISV Assistance Program and the Telesales Service—to help drive partner sales of its products.

The International ISV Assistance program gives ISVs the intelligence they need to identify new markets and provides the guidance necessary to expand their businesses beyond their borders.

The ISV Telesales Service is designed to give medium-size Microsoft Gold Certified partners access to a solution-based telesales organization that should help increase their sales opportunities.

Given that Microsoft hasn't released a new version of Windows since XP in October 2001, its partners are "betting their business on Vista because 250 million units are expected to ship on new PCs in the next 24 months. There has never been that kind of momentum behind Windows before," says Allison Watson, corporate vice president of Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Group.