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.

Cybersecurity Awareness Month is an international initiative celebrated in the United States each October. It’s the perfect time to reflect on our digital habits and fortify our defenses against cybercriminals. In an age where technology permeates every aspect of our lives, ensuring our personal devices and accounts are secure has never been more crucial.

Here are five practical actions you can take to significantly reduce the likelihood of being hacked or breached by cybercriminals.

Step 1: Use strong, unique passwords

One of the most effective ways to shield yourself from cyberthreats is by using strong, unique passwords for each of your accounts. Avoid common passwords such as “123456” or “password,” and instead create complex combinations of letters, numbers, and special characters. Using a different password for each account ensures that even if one password is compromised, your other accounts remain secure. Consider using a reputable password manager to generate and store your passwords securely.

Step 2: Enable two-factor authentication (2FA)

Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security to your accounts by requiring two forms of verification before granting access. Typically, this involves something you know (like your password) and something you have (such as a verification code sent to your phone). Enabling 2FA significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access, even if your password is compromised. Make sure to enable 2FA on all accounts that offer it, especially those containing sensitive information.

Step 3: Keep your software updated

Regularly updating your software is a simple yet powerful way to protect against cyberthreats. Software updates often include patches for security vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit. Ensure that your operating system, applications, and antivirus software are set to update automatically. This practice not only enhances your device’s performance but also fortifies your defenses against potential attacks.

Step 4: Be wary of phishing scams

Phishing scams are a common tactic used by hackers to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information. These scams often come in the form of emails or messages that appear to be from legitimate sources but contain malicious links or attachments. To avoid falling victim to phishing, always verify the sender’s identity and refrain from clicking on suspicious links. Additionally, be cautious of unsolicited requests for personal information and report any suspicious activity to the appropriate authorities.

Step 5: Secure your Wi-Fi network

Your home Wi-Fi network can be a gateway for hackers if not properly secured. Start by changing the default username and password of your router to something more secure. Use WPA3 encryption, if available, to enhance your network’s protection. Additionally, consider hiding your network’s SSID (service set identifier) to make it less visible to potential intruders. Regularly monitoring your network for any unfamiliar devices can also help detect unauthorized access.

Stay safe!

As we become increasingly reliant on digital technologies, the importance of cybersecurity cannot be overstated. By implementing these simple yet effective measures, you can significantly reduce your risk of falling prey to cybercriminals. This Cybersecurity Awareness Month, take proactive steps to safeguard your and your customers’ digital life and encourage others to do the same. Remember, a secure digital environment starts with informed and vigilant individuals. Learn more about Microsoft industry-leading Security solutions.

Keep learning

I have the privilege of working with many Microsoft partners across the Americas. If you are a Microsoft partner (anywhere in the world) bookmark the Microsoft Security Partners page. Stay up to date on new content, including recently launched Security training videos!

Stay safe, stay secure, and embrace the power of cybersecurity!

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.

May 8 Americas Partner Insider Call: Demystifying Copilot Licensing

Shubham Choudhary, Director, Security Product GTM, GPS Americas, will lead the discussion and answer your questions on demystifying Copilot licensing. Peter Horsman, Partner Solutions Governance Lead at Microsoft, will also join the call to provide the latest Co-op (Partner Incentives Cooperative Marketing Funds) updates designed to help drive the growth of your business.

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights from our expert speakers, connect with other partners, get the latest updates, and elevate your partnership with Microsoft. Register today!

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

Partner Audience:#CSP
Relevant to: #Deadline #UnderstandBenefits #Azure

End of support for SQL Server 2014

July 9, 2024, marks the end of support (EOS) for SQL Server 2014. As a Microsoft partner, it’s always important to understand the options available and the actions you need to take to keep your customers’ mission-critical systems secure and compliant. The approaching EOS deadline provides an opportunity to assess your customers’ business needs and upgrade their IT infrastructure. Read this blog to learn more.

Partner Audience:#CSP #MSP
Relevant to: #SalesAndMarketing #BestPractice #GrowYourBiz #CrossSolution

Microsoft AI Cloud Summit for SMB Partners: Session playlist

The MSP Summit in March provided an opportunity for managed service providers to connect with Microsoft SMB and partner stakeholders, explore new technology solutions for scaling your business, and learn best practices from other Microsoft partners who have successfully implemented solutions with their customers.

If you missed the in-person event or want a recap, you can watch the sessions on demand.

Microsoft partners are facing rising or unpredictable costs due to changes in the market. If your cost model has been impacted and your profits are eroding, moving to the cloud with Microsoft Azure offers the best path to modernize and benefit from cloud-native capabilities.

Along with migrating directly to Azure, there are two other options for partners to consider when faced with rising or unpredictable costs:

• Azure VMware Solution (AVS) works best when your customer wants to stay on VMware with more predictable costs, offering the ability to lock in prices with up to five years with reserved instances.
• Azure Stack HCI works best when your customer wants to stay on premises and virtualize workloads to run cloud-native apps.

If you want to evaluate these options and how they fit your organization’s needs and capabilities, reach out to the Microsoft Datacenter Optimization (DCO) team.

Azure VMware Solution: Move your VMware virtual machines to Azure “as is”

Azure VMware Solution (AVS) allows you to run your VMware workloads natively on Azure. AVS integrates with Azure so you can take advantage of the full range of Azure services while maintaining your existing VMware workloads. You’ll also get peace of mind with long-term pricing protection of five-year reserved instances (must be contracted and deployed by June 30, 2024).

Organizations can complete full migrations rapidly as the pivot to AVS allows you to remain on the VMware platform. Read this customer story detailing how Kier Group, a leading UK infrastructure services, construction, and property group, quickly realized the power of the cloud with AVS.

Learn more

• • DEMO: Discover the Potential of Azure VMware Solution (AVS)
  • Continued innovation with Azure VMware Solution | Microsoft Azure Blog
  • Azure VMware Solution Landing Zone Review Assessment – Microsoft Community Hub
  • Introduction – Azure VMware Solution | Microsoft Learn
  • Azure VMware Solution Documentation Hub – Azure VMware Solution | Microsoft Learn

Azure Stack HCI: Virtualize workloads and run cloud-native apps on premises

Refreshing and consolidating aging virtualization hosts with Azure Stack HCI can improve scalability and make your environment easier to manage and secure. It’s also an opportunity to retire legacy SAN storage to reduce footprint and total cost of ownership. Operations and systems administration are simplified with unified tools and interfaces and a single point of support.

With Azure Stack HCI you can:

• • Run containerized, cloud-native, and virtualized workloads—including Azure Virtual Desktop—side by side on premises.
  • Deploy and manage container-based apps anywhere and simplify operations with Azure Kubernetes Service for Azure Stack HCI.
  • Share a GPU device with multiple virtual machines to reduce total cost of ownership and simplify AI deployment at the edge.
  • Reduce complexity and cost by extending the functionality of Azure Migrate to move workloads to Azure Stack HCI.
  • Monitor, update, and secure Azure Stack HCI infrastructure, including fleets of locations, directly from the Azure portal.

Learn more

• • Podcast episode: Unlock Your Datacenter with Azure Stack HCI for Cost Savings & On-Prem Cloud Integration
  • Azure Stack HCI catalog
  • Azure Stack HCI solution overview – Azure Stack HCI | Microsoft Learn
  • Azure Stack HCI documentation | Microsoft Learn

Next steps

Azure VMware Solution and Azure Stack HCI are great options to help you navigate the current market changes and find the best path forward for your business. If you’re ready to explore these solutions further, or a full modernization to Azure, get started by reaching out to the Microsoft Datacenter Optimization (DCO) team.

Related posts

Maximize your cloud hosting strategy in 2024: Success stories from our partners | Microsoft

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.

Cloud migration is the next step for partners looking to grow their managed services practice.  Selling cloud services provides benefits to customers, and opportunities for you. Microsoft estimates a $13.7 billion migration opportunity in the SMB market,¹ and Microsoft partners earn an average of $7.51 in follow-on services for every dollar in Azure consumption.²

Customer interest in cloud solutions is also increasing, but security remains top of mind as a key challenge for many.  According to a Flexera report, 79% of organizations list security as a top challenge to address in their cloud adoption strategy.³ 

As a Microsoft partner, you can capitalize on this opportunity by helping customers securely and efficiently migrate to Azure. You can then provide valuable management services to ensure that they’re spending efficiently and staying secure as their environments change.

Why Azure?

The Microsoft Cloud is the most trusted and comprehensive commercial cloud available to help protect and defend your customer’s business. To help them migrate securely, leverage our Azure-focused partner enablement resources, including our Azure bootcamps and our Azure Depth Enablement series.

Another benefit of the Microsoft Coud is that it brings with it our ecosystem of partners that have built solutions to help you deploy, manage, and secure customers in the cloud. To help you securely migrate your customers to the cloud, we’ve partnered with Datto to develop Datto Backup for Microsoft Azure (DBMA). Backup and disaster recovery services are often the first workloads that customers move to the cloud, and they want a trusted solution with easy-to-understand pricing. Designed specifically for managed service providers (MSPs), DBMA is a complete business continuity and disaster recovery solution with simple pricing and native integration into Datto’s suite of tools.

Learn more about this opportunity by registering to watch the on-demand webinar, How to quickly and safely migrate your clients to Azure with Microsoft and Datto.

Next steps

If you’re ready to get started moving your customers to Azure, register for an upcoming workshop in the Kaseya + Datto Connect Local series. In the coming weeks we’ll be hosting joint events in cities across the globe. We look forward to seeing you there!

And let’s continue the conversation through the Microsoft MSP Community Hub!

Related posts

Maximize your cloud hosting strategy in 2024: Success stories from our partners | Microsoft
Help your customers secure their cloud workloads | Microsoft
Showcase the value of Azure migration with Solution Assessments and Evaluations | Microsoft

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.

¹ Estimate from Microsoft data based on on-premises install base and average cloud server spend
² Microsoft internal data
³ Flexera 2023 State of the Cloud | Report

As businesses shift their operations from on-premises to the cloud, security has become a top priority. Cloud workloads are the applications, data, and other IT assets that run on cloud platforms including Microsoft Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud. Securing cloud workloads is essential to preventing unauthorized access, data breaches, cyberattacks, and compliance violations that could compromise the performance, availability, and integrity of your cloud services. Let’s explore what you can do to help protect your customers’ cloud environments.

Minimize the risks with a cloud workload protection platform

A cloud workload protection platform (CWPP) is a cloud security solution that helps protect cloud workloads—offering unified cloud workload protection across multiple providers. By using a CWPP, your customers can leverage the benefits of cloud computing while reducing the risks and challenges of cloud workload security.

According to a report by Wiz, a cloud security company, 50 percent of the public cloud environments they analyzed had at least one critical vulnerability associated with unsecured APIs. Examples of vulnerabilities associated with unsecured APIs include suboptimal access controls, weak authentication protocols, wrong rate limits, and accidental exposure. These oversights can leave the interfaces vulnerable to malicious activities, so it’s important to secure cloud workloads by using a CWPP that can monitor and remediate API-related issues in near real-time.

Why Microsoft Defender for Cloud?

For many, a CWPP is part of a larger cloud-native application protection platform (CNAPP). A CNAPP combines the workload protection tools from a CWPP along with cloud security posture management (CSPM) solutions, which focus on the accounts associated with cloud applications.

Microsoft Defender for Cloud is a CSPM and CWPP designed to protect your customers’ cloud environments. Among other benefits, Microsoft Defender for Cloud can help your customers:

• Detect and respond to cyberattacks in real time across multiple cloud platforms, as well as on-premises workloads.
• Reduce attack surface by identifying and remediating vulnerabilities before they’re exploited and automatically safeguarding new workloads as soon as they’re deployed.
• Integrate their unified security operations platform and provide connected investigation and hunting with Microsoft Defender XDR and Microsoft Defender Threat Intelligence.
• Customize their security with the right cloud workload protection plan for their resources, such as servers, storage, containers, databases, and APIs.

Figure 1. Microsoft Defender for Cloud pillars: Unify your DevOps security management, strengthen and manage your cloud security posture, protect your cloud workloads.

To learn more about Defender for Cloud, see:

• What is Microsoft Defender for Cloud?
• Microsoft Defender for Cloud product page
• Microsoft Defender for Cloud pricing page

Earn partner incentives

Not only is Defender for Cloud a powerful technology for securing cloud workloads, as a Microsoft partner you can also earn incentives on it. Part of the Microsoft Commerce Incentives (MCI) portfolio, the Workload Acquisition & Nurture incentive (WANI) rewards qualifying partners for landing new workloads on Azure. WANI offers up to $9K per customer per workload for acquisition and 30 percent on month-over-month growth of partner-led Azure consumed revenue (PAL ACR) for nurture. This incentive is available to partners who deliver top-notch Azure solutions across various scenarios, such as security, migration, modernization, and hybrid.

Learn more

Cloud Workload Protection Solutions | Microsoft Security

Azure Foundations: Security & Defender for Cloud (microsoft.com)

Related posts

Join the MSP Partner Community and expand your service offerings with Microsoft | Microsoft

Drive security with the new Secure Multicloud Environments campaign and other partner assets | Microsoft

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.

How to quickly migrate customers to Azure with Microsoft and Datto. Join Henrik Gutle, Azure GTM Leader for Microsoft Americas, and Brent Torre, Datto GM of Unified Backup, for a conversation on the customer opportunity to securely migrate cloud workloads to Azure with Datto Backup for Microsoft Azure. Register here for this on-demand webinar.

As the pace at which organizations are moving their workloads to the public cloud continues to accelerate, understanding their current IT landscape is critical to a smooth migration. Together with our partners, we aim to empower SMB customers to harness the full potential of Microsoft Cloud Services in their cloud migration and modernization journey.

To this end, Microsoft has launched the SMB Assessment Desk to deliver evaluations, rapid cloud migration, and security assessments for SMB customers with Azure Migrate. Partners can leverage this service to provide customers with a comprehensive understanding of their current IT landscape through actionable reports that help speed the pace of migration.

US partners: Fill out this form to request a Solution Assessment for your customer.
CA partners: Fill out this form to nominate your customer for a Microsoft Evaluation.

Learn more about Solution Assessments.

How do Assessments and Evaluations benefit you and your customers?

Solution Assessments and Evaluations are valuable tools to help showcase the value of migration to your customer, and to guide them to a successful implementation through our tried and tested Cloud Adoption Framework. Assessments can be an integral part of your customer’s cloud migration journey and an opportunity for you to present the full benefits of migrating to the cloud.

Migrating to the cloud has a financial, business, and operational impact on how a customer runs their business. With support from Microsoft, you can guide them through this process by showing performance impacts, total cost of ownership comparison, and a detailed breakdown of what their cloud environment would include. Evaluations provide a more holistic view of the customer’s environment. Evaluations are an opportunity to provide your customers with a comprehensive look at their IT environment and recommendations for potential technology solutions that can drive efficiency and cost savings in their operations.

What is Azure Migrate?

Azure Migrate is one of the Assessment tools available. It’s a free tool that simplifies Azure migration and modernization with a unified platform. Use Azure Migrate to assess a customer’s environment and provide an actual cost estimation so you can offer specific recommendations based on their actual environment. And now, Azure Migrate has a business case built right into the tool. Use the business case capability to build a business proposal to understand how Azure can bring the most value to your customer’s business.

Partner incentives

We recently launched a new Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) incentive for new customer acquisition and we want to make sure you have the tools you need to successfully migrate customers. Check out the Partner Incentives page for details on our Microsoft Commercial Incentive Launch for Azure Customer Adds (ACA). Direct and indirect resellers can earn 15 percent on new customer adds over $100 for the first year, up to $250K. Indirect providers can earn 11 percent on new customer adds over $100 for the first year, up to $250K.

Additional resources

Introduction to the Azure migration guide – Cloud Adoption Framework | Microsoft Learn

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.

Microsoft is committed to supporting our partners and customers by providing tools and resources that will increase productivity and efficiency—and help transform your business. One of the avenues for our on-premises customers running on GP, SL, NAV, AX, or on-premises Business Central platforms is to migrate to the cloud with Business Central and unlock the prowess of AI with Dynamics 365 Copilot. 

Why should customers care?

While it’s clear that the power of AI and Copilot comes via the cloud, there are some risks and downsides to remaining on-premises. Customers need to be aware of and consider the risks as they look to improve productivity and efficiency. Some of the risks include: 

• • Security concerns. On-premises enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are more vulnerable to cyberattacks and data breaches than cloud-based systems. This is because on-premises systems are hosted on local servers, which are more susceptible to physical damage, theft, and hacking. 
  • Scalability issues. On-premises ERP systems are limited in terms of scalability. This means that businesses that rely on on-premises systems might find it difficult to expand their operations or add new features to their systems. 
  • Higher costs. On-premises ERP systems require businesses to invest in expensive hardware, software, and IT infrastructure. This can be a significant financial burden for businesses and will block capital that can be used for other business expansion needs. 

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is a comprehensive business management solution that helps small and medium-sized companies connect their finance, sales, service, and operations teams within a single easy-to-use application. With Dynamics 365 Business Central, customers can confidently move to the cloud and unlock the insights needed to adapt faster, work smarter, and perform better. Watch this video for an overview. 

What are the benefits of Dynamics 365 Business Central?

Dynamics 365 Business Central in the cloud provides a range of benefits, including: 

AI-powered experiences. Dynamics 365 Business Central in the cloud brings the power of AI to small and medium-sized businesses with features that help companies work smarter, adapt faster, and perform better. For example, Dynamics 365 Copilot introduces the next generation of AI-powered experiences to Microsoft Dynamics 365 business applications. Dynamics 365 Copilot provides AI assistance directly in the flow of work using natural language technology, automating repetitive tasks, and unlocking creativity. With Copilot in Business Central, product managers can save time and drive sales with engaging AI-generated product descriptions. Banish writer’s block with unique, compelling marketing text created in seconds using product attributes such as color, material, and size. Tailor the descriptions to your brand by choosing a tone of voice, as well as format and length. This is the AI power that an organization won’t have access to being on-premises. Watch this video to learn more. 

Cost savings. Dynamics 365 Business Central in the cloud can help slash operating costs for your business when it comes to labor, equipment, warehouse space, admin, deployment, and more. Plus, businesses that make the move to the cloud can expect to reduce their IT costs. 

Flexibility and scalability. Cloud solutions like Dynamics 365 make it easier to control where data is stored, who has access, and what resources a business is using at any given moment. Migration can reduce the risk of ransomware attacks and data breaches and provide greater data security for customers. Arguably the most tangible benefit of migrating to the cloud is the ability to access data and business tools from any device or location, and move seamlessly between laptops, tablets, smartphones, and desktops without losing critical data or hours of work. The cloud advantage is a must-have today considering the remote teamwork experiences and global partnerships. 

Move to the Cloud with AIM

We’re pleased to announce our FY24 Migration Program framework: AIM. With AIM, you can expedite your customer migration conversations by leveraging our investment offers, migration tools, and support for qualified customers. It’s easier than ever to help customers and partners migrate data from on-premises to Dynamic 365 Business Central and help boost business productivity and efficiency. 

Within the AIM program, we’ve created top-notch offers for customers that will help save costs in their cloud migration journey. There are also incentive levers that our partners and customers can leverage, along with a support ecosystem for qualified opportunities that will help with the actual migration. This support ecosystem is comprised of both internal Microsoft architects and our network of partners with Dynamics 365 Business Central migration expertise.  

Watch this Inspire session on demand to learn more. 

Get started today

Ready to get started using Dynamics 365 Business Central? Get an overview and a guided tour. 

To help your customers move to the cloud with confidence, go to the Dynamics 365 Partner Portal for resources and assets. 

Related posts

Catch up on what you missed at Microsoft Ignite 2023 | Microsoft 

Transform work with Copilot in Dynamics 365 Business Central – Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog 

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.