Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program: Benefits, Pricing, and Dates
Estimated Read Time: 3 minutes
Intended Audience: Microsoft Partners
Revised August 2023
Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program Benefits
Once you attain a Solutions Partner Designation, you will be eligible to receive the new Partner benefits package. These incremental benefits, specific to the designation attained, are additive to each other and to common benefits.
The updated benefits package includes:
- Product Benefits: Formerly known as Internal Use Rights (IURs), these benefits are aligned to specific Solutions Partner Designations, and depending on the designation attained, could include Azure Bulk Credits, Cloud Licenses, Power BI Premium, Dynamics 365, and many more.
- Go-to-Market Services: These marketing benefits include profile optimization, marketing assets, digital marketing content on demand (DMC), a partner toolbox, and more.
- Customer-Facing Badges: New badges will represent the Solutions Partner Designations to showcase expertise to prospects and customers. Each solution area will have one corresponding badge, and partners who attain all six badges will receive a Solutions Partner for Microsoft Cloud badge.
- Technical Pre-Sales and Deployment Services: Support and advisory benefits include advisory hours for deployment scenarios and unlimited assistance with technical presale scenarios.
- Technical Support: Support is provided for Signature Cloud Support incidents and Microsoft Product Support (on-premises) incidents.
- Eligibility to Earn Incentives: As discussed in our previous blog, partner associations can make you eligible to earn even more incentives such as access to valuable data.
Go-to-market services and support are common benefits included with all Solutions Partner Designations, regardless of which designations are attained. In addition to this, product benefits specific to specializations (currently called advanced specializations) and expert programs will also be introduced, increasing value for partners who demonstrate deep technical expertise and experience through customer references, third-party audits, and other performance measurements.
Even though updated Solutions Partner benefits have been available since October 2022, you can also continue to retain the benefits that you have been getting from legacy competencies until your next anniversary date, after which you will have the option to pay a fee to retain your legacy benefits.
Pricing Modification in the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program
Important Dates Regarding the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program
September 30, 2022, was the last day for partners to renew legacy competencies to retain their legacy benefits. While partners can continue to access these benefits, legacy competencies are no longer valid, meaning that gold and silver badges are no longer supported.
October 3, 2022, is when the Microsoft Partner Network officially became the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program, and Solutions Partner Designations became available to attain.
After your first anniversary date, you can choose to move to updated Solutions Partner benefits or retain legacy benefits by paying the corresponding fee. If you don’t meet the requirements for a Solutions Partner Designation but renewed a competency by September 30, 2022, you can continue to pay a fee to retain your legacy benefits. By October 1, 2023, obtaining a Solutions Partner Designation will be required in order to be eligible for the incentives, meaning that legacy competencies and legacy benefits will no longer be recognized.
Adapt to the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program with Ease
Adapting to changes can be a bit of a hassle, but the Mavens are here to support you during this transition. We will help you stand out in the sea of software sameness as you adjust to the new partner designations and rise to the category of one.
Our team of experts will help you take your B2B marketing strategy to the next level. Whether you are a Microsoft Cloud Solutions Provider (CSP), Microsoft Managed Service Provider (MSP), Microsoft Value Added Reseller (VAR), Microsoft Independent Software Vendor (ISV), Microsoft Systems Integrator (SI), or a Microsoft Reseller, we’ve got your back.
Contact us today to learn more!
