Microsoft today kicked off its premiere annual event for its worldwide channel of business partners, the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference 2004. With more than 5,500 business leaders, marketing executives, sales professionals and solutions architects in attendance, the event runs today through July 13 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

Building on last year's launch of the Microsoft Partner Program, the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference 2004 will serve as the venue in which Microsoft unveils programs and resources closely aligned with the Microsoft Solution Competencies to help partners capture additional business opportunity.

To gain insight into news shared during the Worldwide Partner Conference 2004, PressPass spoke with the executives who delivered keynote addresses on the opening day of the event: Allison Watson, vice president, Partner Sales and Marketing Group; Orlando Ayala, senior vice president, Small and Mid-market Solutions and Partners Group; and Sanjay Parthasarathy, corporate vice president, Platform Strategy and Partner Group.