November 6 Americas Partner Insider Call

Register now to attend our next Americas Partner Insider Call. Microsoft Partner Solution Architects will discuss strategies for governing and securing organizational data for Microsoft 365 Copilot. Join the call to learn how to address common concerns and recommend paths forward for your customers interested in Copilot.

See the list of previous sessions, now available to watch on demand.

Partner Audience: #AllPartners
Relevant to: #SalesAndMarketing #DoingBizwMSFT #AccelerateDeals #CrossSolution

Copilot for Microsoft 365 Excellence Workshop

To help accelerate your sales cycle, these one-on-one Microsoft-led training sessions are crafted for your customers that are eager to expand Microsoft 365 Copilot within their organization and scale their AI strategy. You’re invited to attend as well!

Nominate your customer through the Partner-led Sales Resource (PLSR) form today.

Partner Audience: #AllPartners
Relevant to: #SalesAndMarketing #BestPractice #AccelerateDeals #CrossSolution

Drive sales with Microsoft CloudAscent

CloudAscent is a data-driven tool that utilizes machine learning to provide Microsoft partners with valuable insights into their existing customer base. Use CloudAscent to identify which customers are ready to purchase Microsoft products—and focus on delivering the solutions they need.

Learn more and check out the new training videos available to partners and indirect providers.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a futuristic concept but a reality that’s revolutionizing multiple sectors, and education is no exception. As AI technologies advance, new opportunities are arising to improve and transform education, from personalized teaching to streamlining administrative processes. But how can AI, in combination with digital tools, radically change the education sector and better prepare students for the future? Controles Empresariales partnered with Microsoft to explore the possibilities.

Personalized learning is at the heart of this educational revolution

One of the biggest benefits of AI in education is the ability to deliver personalized learning on a large scale. With the use of advanced algorithms, it’s possible to tailor educational content to the specific needs of individual students. This means that students can learn at their own pace, focusing on areas where they need more support and advancing faster in the subjects they’ve mastered.

In addition, AI can be used to analyze large volumes of data to identify patterns in student learning. These trends allow educators to adjust their teaching methods and offer additional resources to those who need them. This not only improves the quality of education, but also reduces dropout rates by keeping students engaged and motivated.

Leveraging AI to optimize administrative processes

The implementation of AI is not limited to the classroom. Educational institutions can leverage it to optimize their administrative processes, such as enrollment management, student progress tracking, and resource allocation. For example, AI systems can predict the demand for certain courses or educational resources, allowing institutions to plan better.

Likewise, AI can be a powerful tool for automated assessment of tests and assignments, reducing the workload of teachers and allowing them to focus on teaching. With the help of AI, educational institutions can achieve greater operational efficiency, resulting in a better experience for students and teachers.

AI in action in educational environments

In Colombia, we have added several experiences that reflect the power of technology in educational spaces. For example, we collaborated with the Secretary of Education of Medellín to strengthen education during the pandemic crisis in 2020 that resulted in 102,000 students dropping out of school.

Together with Microsoft, we implemented Microsoft 365 in 118 educational institutions, benefiting 1,960 users, including teachers and students, through 167 workshops and more than 330 hours of training. This project not only improved connectivity and reduced dropout rates, it also boosted educational productivity and personalization. Through the integration of tools such as Code Combat and Educaplay, Controles Empresariales demonstrated leadership in the digital transformation of education.

In this scenario, we used AI to transform educational processes by personalizing learning, adapting curricula according to the needs of each student, especially in rural areas with limited resources. In addition, AI was used to predict student dropout rate by analyzing behavioral patterns, enabling early interventions to keep students in the education system. Virtual assistants were also implemented to guide students and teachers in the use of digital tools, offering real-time support and improving accessibility.

AI was also used to automate repetitive administrative tasks, such as attendance management and test marking, allowing teachers to focus more on teaching. Interactive, AI-powered tools were able to deliver more dynamic educational content, while education leaders used predictive analytics to make more informed policy and resource decisions. The result: AI can be leveraged to optimize existing resources and improve the efficiency, accessibility, and personalization of education, generating a lasting positive impact.

The future of education with AI

The implementation of AI in education is not just about improving teaching methods and administrative processes. It also has the potential to transform the way we think about learning and education. As technology continues to advance, it’s critical that educational institutions and governments prepare to integrate these tools effectively, ensuring that all students, regardless of location or socio-economic status, have access to quality education.

AI has the power to bridge gaps, personalize education, and optimize processes. The integration of AI into the education sector is undoubtedly one of the keys to preparing future generations for the challenges of the modern world. Together with Microsoft and the right strategy, Controles Empresariales has shown it’s possible to build a more equitable future full of opportunity for all with AI.

Join the conversation

Want to explore this and other topics you care about with Microsoft and other US partners? Head over to the Microsoft Americas Partner Community on LinkedIn.

Now extended through June 30, 2024!

Microsoft Surface Commercial has expanded channel access to allow all resellers in the United States and Canada to purchase the full Surface for Business portfolio of devices and accessories (excluding Protection Plans) from authorized distributors through June 30, 2024. Resellers are no longer required to become a Surface Authorized Partner in order to sell Surface devices and accessories to customers.

The key goals of the Surface Reseller Expansion Program are to:

1. 1. Excite new breadth resellers to sell Surface by removing the barrier to entry to sell.
   2. Recruit and onboard new authorized partners, helping to expand our partner network.
   3. Enable more customers to realize the value of the full Microsoft stack solution on Surface.

Why Surface?

Microsoft thoughtfully designed and built Surface devices to adapt in versatile ways to how teams work, learn, and create. Flexibility comes in a variety of form factors, putting high-powered productivity at your fingertips—no matter where work happens. World-class security is built in; from chip to cloud, Surface devices are held to the same standard as all Microsoft software and services and work seamlessly with the Microsoft security stack to enable a Zero Trust security model.

Business processes like deployment, management, and scale are optimized for the software experience organizations rely on every day using Microsoft 365. More than a laptop, Surface devices help unlock the potential for people and businesses to achieve more.

Next steps

Now our full Microsoft reseller ecosystem can provide their customers with premium devices and accessories that are the best expression of Windows. To learn more and start purchasing Surface, reach out to your distributor team or contact Microsoft directly at surfacebreadth@microsoft.com.

We also encourage you to watch our on-demand webinars:

• • Why Surface for Business – A Technical Perspective. Learn more and register here.
  • Surface Reseller Breadth Channel – Profitability 101. Learn more and register here.

Join the conversation

Want to hear about what Microsoft and other US partners think about the Surface Reseller Expansion Program? Head over to the Microsoft US Partner Community on LinkedIn.

What are the benefits of AVS?

One of the key benefits of AVS is the ability to run native VMware workloads on Azure without the need for any rearchitecting or refactoring. This means that businesses can easily move their existing VMware-based applications and services to Azure, taking advantage of the many benefits of the cloud while maintaining the familiarity and compatibility of their existing infrastructure. For example, customers and partners can still reuse their VMware skills to manage AVS, and cloud experience can grow with them organically until they become cloud experts. 

Another major benefit of AVS is the ability to easily and securely connect on-premises and cloud-based resources, allowing businesses to easily and seamlessly move data and applications between environments. Organizations can take advantage of the cost savings and scalability of the cloud while maintaining the security and control of their on-premises infrastructure. 

Azure brings exclusive and unmatched benefits to AVS, including free Extended Security Updates (ESU) for deprecated Windows Server and SQL Server, knowing that 75 percent of Windows Server/SQL Server runs on VMware. Read this blog to learn more.  

AVS also inherits Azure Hybrid Benefit, enabling customers with software assurance to maximize the value of existing on-premises Windows Server and SQL Server license investments when migrating or extending to Azure. In addition, Reserved Instances is available for Azure VMware Solution customers, with one-year and three-year options on dedicated hosts, which could cut costs up to 50 percent. 

What is the AVS Learning Plan?

To fully take advantage of AVS, it’s important to have a solid understanding of both VMware and Azure. To help with this, the AVS Learning Plan was created and added to the Partner Resources repository, which provides a comprehensive set of resources and tutorials to help partners get up to speed on AVS. You can also go there to learn about AVS events, best practices, enterprise-scale landing zones, and much more.

Get started

Check out the AVS Learning Plan today for everything you need to know to start leveraging the power of AVS in your organization.  

The AVSHub compliments the AVS Learning Plan. It provides a hands-on guide for delivering various AVS use cases. Partners and customers can leverage these step-by-step details to implement AVS configurations, migration, disaster recovery, advanced networking and more. 

Related posts

Announcing more Azure VMware Solution enhancements 

Azure VMware Solution GitHub Repository is now live! 

Know your options for SQL Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 End of Support 

Join the conversation

Want to explore this and other topics you care about with Microsoft and other US partners? Head over to the US Partner Zone within the Microsoft Partner Community!

Prior to October 1, 2022, partners in the Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) program could activate the first free 12-month subscription of Azure AD Premium Plan 2 for up to 25 seats in their partner tenant. Partners in the CSP program with Delegated Administrative Privileges (DAP) can now activate a second free 12-month subscription of Azure AD Premium Plan 2 for up to 25 seats in their partner tenant anytime before October 1, 2023.

Azure AD Premium Plan 2 security features

Protecting access to customer data is a cybersecurity priority for both MSPs and Microsoft. With this offer, you get tools that:

• Enable the principle of least privilege access. Minimize the number of staff who have standing high privilege access to delegated customer tenants. Learn more about using Azure AD PIM.
• Better protect customer data and oversee staff access through risk-based conditional access. Learn more about User risk-based Conditional Access and Sign-in risk-based Condition Access.
• Review cross-tenant sign-in activity data. Evaluate information about cross-tenant sign-ins and how the delegated access granted to you by your customers is used by your staff. Learn more about Azure AD sign-in logs.

Next steps

Activate your free 12-month subscription of Azure AD Premium Plan 2 today.

For more information and guidance, read the announcement.

Related posts

Microsoft Entra (Azure AD) Blog

Join the conversation

Be a part of this conversation as it emerges – join Microsoft and other US partners in the US Partner Zone within the Microsoft Partner Community!

With the new year just around the corner, this is the perfect time to reflect on your accomplishments and begin planning your business goals for 2023. We hope you take some time to relax and celebrate with family and friends. We appreciate our partners and look forward to working together to accomplish our joint business goals in the coming year.

Don’t forget to register for the first US Partner Insider call of 2023, which takes place on January 17 at 10:00 AM PT. Join the call and get to know Nina Harding, the new Microsoft GPSUS CVP.

Register for the Insider call

Modern Work & Security

JOIN THE PARTNER ACADEMY TO UNCOVER NEW SALES OPPORTUNITIES
The Partner Academy is here to ensure Microsoft partners are aware of the many programs and resources available to help you grow your business and accelerate sales. The goal is to simplify the complexity of key benefits and assets, streamline go-to-market opportunities, and accelerate sales engagement and support from Microsoft. 

The Partner Academy will help you navigate the wealth of resources and enable you to have richer conversations with customers.

Learn more and register here for upcoming and on-demand webinars.

SMB SECURITY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Be among the first 100 CSP indirect reseller partners to sell Microsoft Defender for Business to 10 or more customers¹ for the chance to win a trip and attend a tailored training experience in Mallorca, Spain, on May 16-19, 2023.

Get the details and register here to participate in the SMB Security Scholarship Program.

¹Qualifying customers are those who have not previously purchased more than five seats of Microsoft Defender for Business and who purchase more than 15 seats between November 2022 and March 31, 2023.

MICROSOFT 365 BUSINESS PREMIUM LOCAL ACCELERATOR LEGACY RATES RETIRING ON DECEMBER 31, 2022
We hope you’re taking advantage of the exciting Microsoft 365 Business Premium local accelerator to grow sales! This offers eligible Partners 5 percent on NCE and 2.5 percent on Legacy CSP on every Microsoft 365 Business Premium seat. Even more exciting benefits come as you partner with the Do More with Less campaign, enabling you to grow revenue by acquiring new customers and upgrading existing customers to more premium products.

Keep an eye out for upcoming changes to the local accelerator offer for Q3, as Legacy CSP rate will retire at the end of Q2 (December 31, 2022).

More information regarding Q3 updates will be shared soon. Feel free to reach out to our M365BP US Local Accelerator Support Team with any questions.

10 TEN YEARS OF SURFACE. INTRODUCING THE NEW SURFACE HOLIDAY LINE-UP
Surface continues to deliver innovation with a modern device strategy that puts employee experience at the center, built for flexible/adaptable work environments.

New products include:

• Surface Pro 9: 2-in-1 flexibility for maximum impact. Versatility goes next level with two processor options, one with optional 5G and Pluton security.
• Surface Laptop 5: Superpowered for serious work. Our most powerful Laptop yet—50 percent more powerful and a new color: Meet sage!
• Surface Studio 2+: Stand-out design, fluid productivity. Blazing-fast graphics, brilliant color, and attention-worthy design. Surface Studio 2+ makes a beautiful statement in form and function.
• Surface accessories: An amazing list of Surface accessories also launched, including the Microsoft Audio Dock, Microsoft Presenter+, and Microsoft Adaptive Accessories!

For more information, read the announcement or check out what’s next with Surface and Intel.

Azure

YOU’RE INVITED! GROW YOUR AZURE VIRTUAL DESKTOP BUSINESS WEBINAR
Desktop as a service (DaaS) is among the fastest-growing cloud services. Take advantage of this expanding market opportunity by knowing how to quickly deploy Azure Virtual Desktop and apps that enable secure remote work for your customers’ hybrid workforce.

You’ll leave this webinar ready to get started using Azure Virtual Desktop sales enablement resources and Microsoft partner-ready go-to-market materials.

Sign up today for this partner-exclusive opportunity.

BE READY FOR THE NEW YEAR WITH AZURE
Learn about Microsoft Azure—what it does, how it can be used to run business workloads securely, and how you as a Microsoft partner can build a practice to support your customers. Discover best practices for configuring resources in Azure, selling the value of Azure to your customers, and creating a secure environment in the cloud.

Make sure you’re ready for the new year and have the tools to help your customers make the move to Azure. Register for the on-demand Cloud Foundations course today!

MICROSOFT-FUNDED CLOUD AND SECURITY EVALUATIONS PROGRAM
Empowering partners with tools to accelerate cloud growth is key to our joint success. Microsoft is offering partners the opportunity to leverage Evaluations powered by Block 64 at no cost to you or your customers. This offering will enable you to provide data-driven insights to your customers on how they can improve security and optimize their environment by leveraging Azure and Microsoft 365. It will also help you identify more growth opportunities and projects with new and existing customers, boosting your sales.

Sign up today for the Cloud and Security Evaluations program. A Microsoft Program Representative will be in contact within 48 hours to help you onboard and run your first Evaluations.

Microsoft-funded Evaluations are limited to end-customers that belong to the Microsoft SMC Scale or SMB Commercial segments in the US.

LEVERAGE AZURE TECHNOLOGY TO BOOST YOUR CUSTOMERS’ AGILITY
Cloud-native apps enable your customers to reduce costs, efficiently respond to changing opportunities, and deliver more agile app innovation.

Help your customers realize the benefits of cloud-native apps. Azure can help you:

• Manage cloud-native apps by leveraging Azure Arc, which allows you to simplify governance and management by delivering a consistent multicloud and on-premises management platform.
• Quickly develop and deploy cloud-native apps via Azure Kubernetes Service, featuring built-in code-to-cloud pipelines and guardrails. Get unified management and governance for on-premises, edge, and multicloud Kubernetes clusters.
• Adopt a serverless solution in Azure Functions, which operates with less code and infrastructure while saving on costs.

Use these assets to get your customers started on their journey toward modernizing and building new applications.

ACCELERATE INNOVATION WITH THE ISV SUCCESS PROGRAM
Build, sell, and thrive on the Microsoft Cloud. Grow your business as an ISV with powerful tools, one-to-one consultations, and training resources—and gain access to millions of Microsoft customers across the globe through the commercial marketplace. Join the public preview today.

Business Applications

HELP CUSTOMERS DO MORE WITH LESS WITH POWER PLATFORM
Accelerate innovation and save with the world’s most complete low-code platform. New customers can take advantage of a 25 percent discount in the first year on Power Apps per user with attended RPA.

The Do More with Less Using Power Platform offer is available through March 31, 2023. Visit the Microsoft Power Platform Partner Portal for more information.

Black Partner Growth Initiative (BPGI)

DON’T MISS THE BPGI INNOVATION TOUR
The Microsoft Black Partner Growth Initiative (BPGI) Innovation Tour provides an opportunity for members of the BPGI community to engage in interactive sessions designed to support their growth, development, sales acceleration, and success.

Find your city and register for an Innovation Forum today.

Please share with those who may be interested in attending an upcoming forum!

Customer Lifecycle Management

ENSURE YOUR CUSTOMERS’ SUCCESS WITH PROJECT ORLAND
Project Orland puts Microsoft’s understanding of the health of millions of customers to work, guiding partners to valuable lifecycle opportunities within their customer base. With access to AI-driven customer insights and actionable recommendations across the acquire, retain, and grow phases of CLM, partners can deliver value to their customers at every stage of their journey.

CSP partners with an active Microsoft Cloud Partner Program agreement and an established Microsoft 365 customer base under management are invited to join the public preview.

Learn more about Project Orland.
Register now for the February 7 webinar.

Enabling an Inclusive Economy

#BUILDFOR2030: BUILDING MORE RESILIENT COMMUNITIES, TOGETHER
Communities around the world are navigating a transformed landscape, with shifting needs and priorities. Microsoft partners are rising to the occasion, harnessing the power of new and emerging technologies to help reimagine a more resilient future.

Start your journey of impact:

• Read this blog by Angie Heise, CVP Worldwide Public Sector, on recognizing Microsoft partners reimagining a more inclusive and sustainable future.
• Support featured solutions that are building more resilient communities, together.

Opportunity for diverse businesses
US partners can self-attest as a social impact and/or diverse business and upload relevant certifications in Partner Center. This information can be discovered by sellers and customers. Get started now.

LinkedIn

LINKEDIN’S #B2BELIEVE BEGINS!
Join us for our inaugural LinkedIn event dedicated to B2B marketers.

On November 16, LinkedIn experts and thought leaders shared their insights and perspectives into the future of B2B marketing in a series of LinkedIn livestream events. Keynotes included:

• Pushing creative boundaries: A conversation with Ben Stiller
• Fireside chat with Michael Park, CMO at ServiceNow

Missed the livestream? Follow the @LinkedIn Ads page to see and reshare our B2Believe content.

Sustainability

PARTNERS HELP BRING SUSTAINABILITY TO LIFE
Addressing sustainability challenges is a global undertaking. We’re grateful for our growing ecosystem of partners delivering Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability solutions to help customers unlock data, build impact reduction initiatives, and create more sustainable outcomes.

Cloud for Sustainability updates
Recently at Ignite, we unveiled new Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability features, services, and resources that are summarized in this blog.

Supply Chain Reimagined webinar
Register now to learn how to bring agility, connectivity, and sustainability to the forefront of your supply chain:

• Discover how Microsoft is committed to supply chain innovation.
• Be among the first to see a demo of the new Microsoft supply chain offerings.
• Get thought leadership insights on supply chain agility during the event’s keynote presentation.
• View a panel discussion of real-world best practices featuring Microsoft customers and partners.
• Get a sneak peek at the new innovations from Microsoft.

The Peggy Smedley Show – Sustainability Insights
Listen to this December 6 podcast featuring General Manager, Sustainability Solutions, Environmental Sustainability, Mark Kroese, and TCS, Sustainability Director, Eugenio Longo.

Microsoft and Climate Week plus COP27
Microsoft participated in the United Nations General Assembly and hosted key engagements at our new UN office. Read the stories:

• Using our voice to advance carbon and electricity policy
• Expanding carbon-free electricity globally: Microsoft electricity policy brief
• Accelerating global decarbonization efforts: Microsoft carbon policy brief

For COP27, Microsoft’s Brad Smith spoke to Protocol.com about COP27, fossil fuels, and clean energy, highlighting the diverse facets of Microsoft’s approach to sustainability and the breadth of our commitments and activities in this space.

Sign up here to stay informed about Microsoft sustainability.

Transformation

MICROSOFT CLOUD PARTNER PROGRAM: KEY CALLS TO ACTION
On October 3, 2022, the Microsoft Partner Network evolved into the new Microsoft Cloud Partner Program, as we can continue to grow our partnership and help you grow your business. We’ve simplified our partner program and aligned to how we go to market and meet customer demand—validating partner capabilities to deliver successful customer outcomes and investing more in your profitability.

We’re here to help guide you through your transformation journey. Start by knowing what to learn, what to assess, and how to prepare to activate the changes ahead:

• Learn more about the requirements and benefits of the Solutions Partner designations.
• Assess your current score and track progress towards new designations via the Partner Center dashboard.
• Activate your business plan in the new program.

Read the blog for more on what you need to learn, what to assess, and how to prepare to activate the changes ahead.

Have questions or need further support? Create a request in Partner Center.

THE IMPORTANCE OF A SECURITY STRATEGY IN YOUR BUSINESS
Cybersecurity continues to be one of the top challenges of our digital age, and Microsoft partners play a key role in securing cloud transformations around the world. As the fiscal year ends, leverage these readiness assets to make sure you’re prepared:

• Security journey map
• CSP security best practices
• Customer security best practices

THERE’S STILL TIME TO TRANSITION TO GDAP!
As part of a proactive, integrated Zero Trust approach to cybersecurity, Microsoft will update the way administrative privileges are managed between customer and partners in the CSP program.

By January 17, 2023, granular delegated admin privileges (GDAP) will replace the DAP model, which will be discontinued. Go here for step-by-step guidance.

Have questions? Join these weekly Q&A sessions on security-related changes in the CSP program.

BECOME A SOLUTIONS PARTNER FOR SECURITY
As a Solutions Partner for Security, you’ll demonstrate your broad capability to help customers safeguard their entire organization with integrated security, compliance, and identity solutions. Learn more about the Solutions Partner for Security designation and the Microsoft Cloud Partner Program.

INCENTIVES FOR CSP PARTNERS
Incentives in CSP new commerce went into effect in October 2021 and will be earned and paid through the Microsoft Commerce Incentive (MCI) program. Incentives for legacy CSP subscriptions will be paid through December 31, 2022. After that date, any legacy subscription still in effect won’t generate monthly incentive earnings or payments to the partner. Initially, new commerce incentives earnings in CSP will be 100 percent rebates rather than a rebate and co-op fund split as was the case in the legacy CSP incentives program. Partners should consider the end of monthly rebate payments for legacy subscriptions starting January 1, 2023, when making decisions about when to migrate legacy subscriptions to new commerce.

As of November 1, 2022, partners participating in the MCI program can begin earning cooperative marketing funds (co-op) in the new commerce experience (NCE). Participating partners can apply these funds toward development and marketing costs related to best practices for building channel awareness and promoting Microsoft products.

Read this blog for more information on MCI and co-op. To review your eligibility and enroll, sign in here.

PROMO EXPANSION IN NCE
The new Microsoft 365 SMB New Customer, Upsell, and CSP legacy to CSP new commerce renewal, and the Dynamics 365 and Power Platform New Customer and CSP legacy to CSP new commerce renewal promotions provide a 16.67 percent discount to new Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365 and Power Platform customers; existing Microsoft 365 customers upgrading to a more premium product; and Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365 customers on legacy CSP that are migrating to NCE. The promotion allows customers to start with a low-risk monthly subscription across the Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365 and Power Platform products offered in the promotion.

These new offers are valid until June 30, 2023. To learn more, read this Partner Center announcement and download the Global Promotions Readiness Guide.

Voices for Innovation

YOUR VOICE IS NEEDED FOR NEXT YEAR’S TECH POLICY DEBATES
The 2022 elections may have shown a divided nation, but on many tech policy issues there is broad consensus among voters and across party lines in Congress. Consider these examples:

• Last year, a Morning Consult poll found that more than 80 percent of voters wanted Congress to pass legislation to protect online privacy. This year, Congress introduced bipartisan data privacy legislation, but it didn’t advance.
• Similarly, a vast majority of Americans support federal investment in closing the digital divide. Last year’s bipartisan infrastructure legislation provided funding to meet this goal, but now state governments and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) need to determine the best path forward.

In 2023, Voices for Innovation (VFI)—the Microsoft-supported tech advocacy organization for partners—expects government officials to make decisions on these key issues. Policymakers may also act to strengthen cybersecurity, tech competition, and tech education.

And this is where you—as a Microsoft partner—can help. Policymakers want to hear from tech professionals, who have expertise, experience, and insights on these issues. You can make a difference by signing up today for Voices for Innovation and participating in our advocacy community; there is no cost for being part of VFI.

Partner Resources

• Microsoft Cloud Partner Program provides the resources to help you stay engaged with your customers and take your business to the next level. Get the latest partner resources and news tailored to our US partners.
• Visit the US Partner Insider Forum to engage with other partners and hear from Microsoft subject matter experts on how to grow your business.
• Microsoft is now a national member of the Small Business Digital Alliance (SBDA). The SBDA provides small businesses with free tools, training, networking, and other resources—the keys to helping you innovate, grow, and succeed. Learn more and get started today!

Join us for Events and Activities

• Business Applications Cloud Week or Sales Bootcamp. If you weren’t able to attend December 5-9, register here to view on-demand sessions up to 30 days post-event.
• One-stop destination for Business Applications training. Register here for virtual and on-demand training and enablement events.
• Improve your monetization of Microsoft 365 with AI-driven insights. Register now for this Microsoft Teams Live Event on February 7.
• Marketing as easy as 1-2-3. Learn more and register here for this Microsoft Teams Live Event on January 18.
• Partner Investments office hours. Join these weekly calls to learn about our investment offers and incentive programs. Register here for an upcoming call or watch on demand.
• Digital Marketing Content OnDemand. Learn more and get started using DMC today!

What is Project Orland?

Project Orland is a customer lifecycle management (CLM) experience that provides AI-driven customer insights, actionable recommendations, and prescriptive guidance across the customer lifecycle.

Project Orland is based on data science and modeling used internally by Microsoft and has benefitted from ongoing partner feedback to create a robust experience. It puts Microsoft’s understanding of the health of customers to work for you, guiding you to valuable lifecycle opportunities within your customer base. With access to AI-driven insights and dynamic recommendations across the acquire, retain, and grow phases of CLM, Project Orland enables you to deliver value to your customers at every stage of their journey.

Based on a set of business rules, customers usage, and licensing position, Project Orland executes propensity modeling. For each customer, you’ll be provided rich recommendations, which will help direct the most relevant sales conversations with each customer.

Get started

Start building your CLM practice with Project Orland today:

• Learn more about the benefits of Project Orland to you and your customers.
• Register now for the February 7, 2023, webinar Improve your monetization of Microsoft 365 with AI-driven Insights.
• Sign up here to express your interest in joining the Project Orland public preview.

Related posts

Go Big with Hybrid Work: Equip customers with the best Microsoft 365 solution for their business

Join the conversation

Want to explore this and other topics you care about with Microsoft and other US partners? Head over to the US Partner Zone within the Microsoft Partner Community!

The new program transforms the existing 18 competencies into six Solutions Partner designations that are aligned with the Microsoft Cloud.

This new, single-tier designation model combines today’s silver and gold tiers. As of September 30, 2022, legacy competencies and associated badging are no longer valid. Partners that have competencies by this date will retain their benefits and have time to learn and assess how the Solutions Partner designations fit in to the strategic plan for your business. Partners have until their anniversary date to make decisions.

Learn, assess, and activate

We’re here to help guide you through your transformation journey. Start by knowing what to learn, what to assess, and how to prepare to activate the changes ahead:

Learn more about the requirements and benefits of the Solutions Partner designations.

• • Read the blog Evolving Microsoft Partner Network programs for partner growth and customer success.
  • Read the blog Evolving the Microsoft Partner Network programs.

Assess your current score and track progress towards new designations via the Partner Center dashboard.

Activate your business plan in the new program with the following calls to action:

• • Hold a discussion as a part of your business rhythms to ensure awareness of the change.
  • Confirm your status in the new Partner Center dashboard.
  • Outline steps for how you can be ready for the transition to the new Solutions Partner designations.

Secure your infrastructure and control access

Transition to GDAP

As part of the Zero Trust security model, Microsoft urges partners to take a step-by-step approach to securing their infrastructure and access to their customers’ tenants in order to minimize fraudulent and abusive activities.

To help secure the Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) ecosystem, partners are being advised to transition from delegated admin privileges (DAP) to granular delegated admin privileges (GDAP). GDAP is a security feature that allows partners to control more granular and time-bound access to their customers’ workloads.

Cybersecurity continues to be one of the top challenges of our digital age. Partners in the CSP program are responsible for their customers’ consumption of Microsoft Cloud Services. It’s important to be aware of, and take steps to mitigate and remediate, security issues that affect you and your customers. Microsoft has extended the time partners have to make the transition from DAP to GDAP. However, partners in the CSP program are advised to take the necessary steps now:

• Review DAP report and remove DAP relationships that are not required.
• Leverage the bulk migration tool to transition to GDAP.
• Find relevant links and guides in the Operations Readiness gallery.
• For technical documentation, review the introduction to GDAP and API overview.
• Sign up for CSP Security Q&A sessions and check out these GDAP resources to learn more.

Help promote security best practices

SMBs still running SQL Server 2012 can save money and keep their businesses safe by migrating to Azure. Learn how you can help secure your customers’ workloads during the transition, whether they’re ready to upgrade now or need more time.

Secure now, update when ready

End of support (EOS) means regular security updates will no longer be provided. With cyberattacks becoming more sophisticated and frequent, running apps and data on unsupported versions can create significant security and compliance risks. It is highly recommended that customers upgrade to the most current versions for better performance, efficiency, and regular security updates.

Customers that migrate applications and SQL Server databases to Azure Virtual Machines get free Extended Security Updates for three years after end of support, only in Azure. Customers can combine this with Azure Hybrid Benefit by using existing on-premises SQL Server and Windows Server licenses on the cloud at no additional cost.

For customers who need more time, we’re announcing Extended Security Updates (ESUs) for SQL Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2. This additional extended servicing option will help secure workloads for three more years after the end of support deadline. Also, one additional year of ESUs is available for Windows Server and SQL Server 2008 and 2008 R2, only on Azure.

Get started

Make sure you’re prepared before reaching out to customers still running SQL Server 2012. Take these steps to get started:

• Use CloudAscent in Partner Center to identify existing SMB customers who might be at risk of losing security updates.
• Watch the Path to Azure Cloud Growth webinar for a comprehensive overview of the Azure Cloud market opportunity, along with resources for migrating customers to Azure.
• Get up to speed with the Windows Server and SQL Server End of Support Collection, including the Play-in-a-Box (PiB), which explains and provides resources for all Windows Server and SQL Server solution plays to help partners ready their staff, create demand, and sell.
• Launch a broad-reach digital Azure migration campaign. The Digital Marketing Content OnDemand platform provides partners with an easy-to-execute, customizable digital campaign to share with their customers the value of migrating to Azure.

Attend the October 25 webinar:
Grow Your Azure Virtual Desktop Business

Desktop as a service (DaaS) is among the fastest-growing cloud services. Take advantage of this expanding market opportunity by quickly deploying Azure Virtual Desktop and apps that enable secure remote work for your customers’ hybrid workforce. Learn more and register here.

Looking for partner training courses, community calls, and events? Refer to the Events Calendar that’s updated regularly as we learn about new offerings. To stay in touch with us and connect with other partners and Microsoft sales, marketing, and product experts, join our US Partner Community on MPC.

New posts on the US Partner Community blog

• September 2022 Hot Sheet partner training schedule
• Learn, Assess, and Activate: FY23 partner transformation priorities
• Modern Workplace announcements and opportunities for our SMB partners
• What to do after Microsoft Inspire to grow your business 
• Together We Grow: Creating Opportunities Through Partnership
• Build your managed services practice with Microsoft 365 Business Premium
• Inspiring the future through mixed reality
• Momentum builds for Power Platform at Microsoft Build 2022
• Build your managed services practice with Microsoft 365 Business Premium
• Microsoft partner leads in digital transformation
• Want to be a Microsoft Partner? Start at Microsoft Inspire
• The Microsoft Cloud Partner Program – How Indirect Providers Can Help
• The Microsoft Cloud Partner Program – Partner Capability Score Dashboard
• CSP renewals shifting to new commerce exclusively
• What you need to know about the Microsoft Cloud Partner Program

Upcoming community calls, events, and webcasts

Microsoft Partner Network news

• Partner investments and incentives: upcoming portfolio changes
• Let’s seize the opportunity of an accessible future, together
• Enabling your customers to secure their hybrid workplace
• Help make us all better: Join the Microsoft Partner Research Panel
• Eight co-sell tips to help you acquire new customers
• New licensing benefits make bringing workloads and licenses to partners’ clouds easier 
• How to build technical and sales capability in a time-starved world
• Partners are building success with Microsoft Azure solutions
• Celebrating Black futures this Juneteenth
• Explore Microsoft virtualization options during DISRUPT on Tour 2022
• Evolving the Microsoft Partner Network programs
• Counter cyber threats as a Solutions partner for Security
• This year’s Microsoft Build introduced additional ISV partner opportunities
• Accessibility enables greater innovation for everyone
• Drive cloud transformation with Azure-related solutions partner designations
• Small business: the opportunity for business transformation

Featured videos

• Modern Analytics Academy Vignette: Power BI Incremental Refresh and Hybrid Tables
• (34) Modern Analytics Academy – Azure Synapse Link for SQL – YouTube
• Top Azure DevOps Announcements at Microsoft Build 2022
• Modern Analytics Academy Vignette: Power BI Incremental Refresh and Hybrid Tables
• Modern Analytics Academy – Azure Synapse Link for SQL
• Azure Data Academy – MySQL Flexible Server Migration Options
• Modern Analytics Academy – Azure Synapse Link for CosmosDB
• Azure Data Academy – Azure Database for MySQL Deployment Options: Terraform, CLI, ARM, Bicep
• Azure Data Academy – MySQL Flexible Service High Availability and Disaster Recovery (HADR)

Learning news

• Skill up with Microsoft Learning Partners
• Skilling up on Azure? Explore this quarter’s key new resources
• Walking the walk of a ‘Keep Learning’ culture at Tietoevry
• Microsoft Learn exam readiness provides exam prep strategies
• The 2-Minute Recap: Everything new with Microsoft 365 on Microsoft Learn
• New exam structure for Dynamics 365 certifications for customer engagement apps
• Improvements to the Exam Accommodation Process
• How has Microsoft training and certification impacted your career? Survey date extended!
• 1,100 more colleges to get skilled up through Microsoft Learn for Educators
• Announcing the new certification for cybersecurity architects
• The 2-Minute Recap: Everything new with Security, Compliance, and Identity on Microsoft Learn
• Announcing the new support engineer certification for Microsoft Exchange Online