bb-net opens Microsoft world for refurbishers

Prepared IT, such as from tecXL, is sustainable, environmentally friendly and powerful, but cannot be used without an operating system. Buying a new Windows license is unavoidable and only legally secure from a Microsoft refurbisher. For this purpose, Microsoft launched a refurbisher program, which is divided into two partner levels. Around 3.000 partners are members of the Registered Refurbisher Program (RRP), which mainly process devices in smaller quantities. Your customers are primarily educational institutions, government agencies and non-profit organizations. Besides RRP there is the Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher (MAR) Level that places significantly higher demands on its partners. Only 69 refurbishers worldwide are accredited by the American software company. MAR mainly serve customers in the commercial B2C and B2B area.

In June 2020, the news about the cancellation of the Registered Refurbisher program without replacement until the end of September 2020 was a surprise. Members are now forced to reorganize their business. In order to continue to receive and sell original licenses in the future, the only way left is to become a so-called Third Party Refurbisher (TPR) to connect to a MAR like bb-net from Germany.

Big challenges for MAR partners

The change offers MAR partners new opportunities, but also great challenges. They rarely have the appropriate skills, partner programs and onboarding processes. In addition to the innovation in the Refurbisher program, Microsoft has announced the next step in digitization: the end of the "sticker product key" (COA) by the end of June 2021. This means a complete change in the processes for providing hardware with digital product keys and delivering them can.

bb-net in close collaboration with the Registered Refurbishers

The news about the end of the RRP program came as a surprise to the IT refurbisher bb-net, but only affects the company secondarily. Because bb-net has been one of the 10 MAR partners worldwide for almost 69 years and has been awarded several MAR Top Sales. Bb-net initiated the switch to digital licenses over two years ago and is still the only company in the DACH region that delivers devices with digital licenses. Proven 100.000 times over. The resigning program participants can now also benefit from the long experience of the Schweinfurt-based company, because through bb-net it is possible for RRPs to continue to have access to inexpensive non-profit and commercial Microsoft Windows and Office products for refurbished devices.

bb-net license partner program (BLP)

In order to make the change to bb-net as TPR as pleasant as possible, the company developed the under the motto “partnership at eye level” bb-net license partner program (BLP). It is characterized, among other things, by an uncomplicated onboarding process. Once accepted into the BLP, the partner receives the licenses, software images, full technical support, reporting and future services directly from Schweinfurt. Bringing former Microsoft partners on board is not new territory for bb-net. Even former MAR with insufficient numbers of units was able to give bb-net a new home. Almost all former MAR partners from Austria and Switzerland trust the German performer here. In view of the upcoming change with digital licenses, the right choice of partner should be made. The call to switch to the BLP is therefore also aimed at existing TPRs at other refurbishers in order to be able to carry out their business in the future. Interested parties and those willing to change can visit the website blp.bb-net.de inform and apply for membership.