August update: What’s new for partners in Azure

The Cloud & AI Platforms partner newsletter is your monthly guide to the latest Microsoft partner resources, Azure product updates, and go-to-market growth opportunities for you to accelerate your cloud & AI practice. This month, explore new FY27 Cloud & AI Platforms go-to-market (GTM) resources, get ahead of the upcoming Azure reservation exchange policy update, and more.  

• New FY27 Cloud & AI Platforms GTM resources are ready for partner use: FY27 is moving fast. Make sure your conversations with customers are keeping pace. New Cloud & AI Platforms go-to-market resources rolled out in July 2026, including new discussion guides and updated product pitch decks. By adopting this framework, you’ll align with the Microsoft FY27 go-to-market (GTM) strategy and be better equipped to have more impactful conversations that can build trust, create value, and drive customer transformation. Explore the resources. 

• Turn Azure migrations into an AI-powered growth engine: Migration projects can open the door to significantly larger, long-term opportunities. A new Forrester Total Economic Impact™ study found that for a composite SMB customer, the Azure services opportunity increased from approximately $23,000 to $95,000 by expanding into managed services, data modernization and unification, and Azure AI and agentic solutions1. Explore how a land-and-expand strategy can help you deepen customer relationships, accelerate AI adoption, and grow recurring revenue. 

• Strengthen your advisory role by helping customers get ahead of the Azure reservation exchange policy update: Starting on February 1, 2027, Azure reservation exchanges will no longer be available for services covered by savings plans. Reservations purchased before that date will retain one final exchange. This update highlights the importance of proactive commitment planning and creates opportunities to engage customers on cost optimization, workload evolution, and commitment strategy. Review customer environments now, identify impacted reservations, and help customers choose the right mix of reservations for stable, predictable workloads and savings plans for dynamic, evolving workloads that require flexibility across services and regions. Read more on Microsoft Learn. 

• Grow services revenue with Azure HorizonDB: Azure HorizonDB is now in public preview, giving you a new way to drive migration, modernization, and AI app development opportunities. With built-in AI capabilities, GitHub Copilot integration, support for vector search, and scaling up to 192 vCores and 128 TB of storage, partners can use HorizonDB to differentiate their practice and create new services revenue streams. Get more details here. 

• Faster, clearer co-sell referral processing: We’re enhancing how inbound co-sell referrals are reviewed and processed. These updates are designed to help your referrals move faster and reach the right Microsoft sellers sooner—while reducing back-and-forth due to missing or unclear information. Read the Microsoft Learn article to find out more. 

• New Omdia research shows how high-growth partners are winning today’s buyers: Omdia reports that today’s buyers increasingly research independently and rely on AI and trusted partners before engaging sales—so how you invest in, execute, and measure marketing matters more than ever. Now, updated FY27 cooperative (co-op) guidance and resources give you a clearer path to invest in the demand generation activities that drive stronger returns. And with Partner Marketing Center Pro, your team can execute these activities at scale by simplifying campaign management, improving collaboration across teams, and bringing AI-powered campaigns to market faster. Read our latest blog post to learn more about how the buying journey has evolved—and how you can capture more demand with these investments. 

• Take your place at the AI frontier: Join us to find out what’s next, learn how it works, and connect with peers and experts at Microsoft Ignite from November 17–20. Don’t miss your chance to get hands-on with the latest AI innovations, learn from the experts to build your skills, and strengthen your network with meaningful new connections. Interested in sponsoring? Sign up to receive the 2026 Microsoft Ignite sponsorship opportunity guide, available now, or contact sponsor@microsoft.com for more information. Secure your package and make a plan to engage with attendees through interactive booths, sessions, and networking events in a dynamic environment. 

• Bring your unique partnership story to the Microsoft AI Tour this year: We’re excited to share that sponsorship sales are now open for the Microsoft AI Tour. From October 2026 through June 2027, the Microsoft AI Tour will travel to 35 cities around the world, bringing the latest in AI innovation to key markets in every region. Visit Microsoft Event Sponsorship or contact sponsor@microsoft.com to get the 2026–2027 Microsoft AI Tour sponsorship opportunity guide. The Microsoft AI Tour is a global, one-day event series designed for organizations to move from AI experimentation to confident action. The Tour brings AI, cloud, data, and security innovation to life for qualified audiences, driving market momentum by showcasing our latest joint solutions through customer stories, immersive experiences, and inspiring keynotes. You’ll engage face-to-face with decision-makers and practitioners across industry segments, giving you the opportunity to generate pipeline and build brand visibility in partnership with Microsoft. As a Microsoft sponsor, you can:

• • Make meaningful connections with qualified Microsoft audiences from around the world. 
  • Boost your organization’s profile and strengthen your alignment with Microsoft and AI. 
  • Showcase your innovations in your booth and in sessions to spark interest and generate leads. 

          Reach out to sponsor@microsoft.com to make your plan and join us on tour this year. 

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