October Update: What's new in Azure for Partners

News and Announcements

• Blog series: Catch up on our Cloud & AI Platforms blog series starting with Part 1: Capturing the market opportunity and continuing with Part 2: Migrations & modernizations and Part 3: Unify your data platforms.
• Microsoft Ignite 2025: Seats in San Francisco (and virtually) are filling fast; don’t miss this opportunity to bolster your knowledge, build connections, and explore emerging technologies to give you the edge you need to drive impact in the era of AI. Register today for Microsoft Ignite, which runs from November 18 to 21.
• Oracle AI World 2025: Microsoft announced expanded Oracle Database@Azure investments and new platform innovations—including support for Base Database, Exascale 19c, and Oracle Database 23ai—now available in 28+ regions. These updates strengthen our multicloud hyperscaler reach for partners and customers.
  Learn more.
• Introducing Microsoft Agent Framework (public preview): The Microsoft Agent Framework is the open-source SDK and runtime that simplifies the orchestration of multi-agent systems. It converges AutoGen, a former Microsoft Research project, and the enterprise-ready foundations of Semantic Kernel into a unified, commercial-grade framework—bringing cutting-edge research to developers. Learn more here.
• New models in Azure AI Foundry: Sora 2 is now available in Azure AI Foundry (in public preview). Combining OpenAI’s most advanced video generation capabilities with the trusted infrastructure and security controls of Microsoft Azure through Azure AI Foundry and responsible AI principles, we empower customers with embedded security, safety, and privacy controls. Microsoft partners have more capabilities to choose from, so they can use the precise models needed to meet specific customer requirements. Find more details here.
• Access three new co-branded campaign in a box (CiaB) asset collections to generate demand and create more opportunities with your customers: Migrate and modernize your estate ENT & SMB and Unify your data platform.
• Missed FabCon Europe? Learn about the top announcements and Partner Day through these blogs from Jessica Hawk (CVP, Azure Marketing) and Arun Ulagaratchagan (CVP, Azure Data). Get ready for FabCon 2026 in Atlanta in March––register soon before it sells out.
• SAP Business Data Cloud Connect for Azure Databricks: We are happy to announce that your Azure Databricks customers can connect their SAP BDC environment to existing Azure Databricks to enable bi-directional, live data sharing and run SAP Business Data Cloud on Azure. Learn more and share this update with your customers. Use this blog to tell your customers why Databricks and Azure work so well together.
• New partner investments available for Microsoft Defender for Cloud: InfraDB specialized and Azure Expert MSP partners with the Microsoft Security designation are now eligible for incentives to help drive Defender for Cloud in migration and modernization projects. Access helpful resources here.
• New third-party integrations into Fabric: Announced at FabCon, these new integrations go even further. Build your customer’s workload into Fabric with the Fabric Extensibility Framework.

Incentives and Offers

• Explore Azure Accelerate: A unified offering within the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program, Azure Accelerate brings together Azure Migrate and Modernize, Azure Innovate, and Cloud Accelerate Factory––all built upon the foundation of Azure Essentials. Nominate your project today.
• Cloud Accelerate Factory provides zero-cost deployment assistance for more than 30 Azure services, with expert support and joint delivery, no matter the project size.
• Dr Migrate is an AI-assisted platform for cloud migration planning, available within Azure Accelerate. Eligible partners can request licenses through Azure Accelerate to run environment and proof of value assessments with customers. Join the Driving Confidence Through AI-Assisted Cloud Migrations partner webinar to learn more about the Dr Migrate offer.
• Invite a colleague to join the Azure Migrate and Modernize Partner Forum, your source for early access to Azure offerings, product roadmaps, and marketing updates for partners.
• ISV Success Advanced Package: Top-performing software companies with certified software designations can qualify for financial incentives to build AI solutions or migrate customers to Azure. The package supports every stage of ISV Success. Learn more.
• New end-customer migration incentives: Microsoft FY26 partner incentives empower software development companies to accelerate customer migrations and modernizations with substantial financial rewards. Partners with certified software designations—including Azure, Security, and Industry AI—can earn up to $175,000 USD for qualifying Customer Migrate & Modernize engagements. Check out the “ISV Engagements” tab in the incentives guidefor more information. 
• Grow your business with Microsoft Security Envisioning Workshops to reach more customers, refine your sales, and unlock new revenue with world-class security.

Skilling and Events

• Visit our Skilling Hub for the latest training resources to earn designations and specializations. Explore the most recent skilling blog for key skilling-related announcements.
• Looking for bite-sized skilling changes? Check out this episode of the Azure Essentials Show to learn how Azure Databricks transforms fragmented data estates into unified platforms for analytics and AI.
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• Microsoft AI Tour for Partners is back: Join a free one-day event to accelerate your AI journey with sales best practices, growth opportunities, hands-on labs, and technical deep dives. Upcoming stops: Frankfurt (December 2) and Mumbai (December 9).
• Join the Fabric FabCon Global Hackathon (September 15–November 3, 2025): Build data and AI solutions with Fabric, collaborate globally, and compete for prizes up to $10,000 USD. Participants get 50% off Fabric certifications.
• Register for in-person Fabric technical skilling workshops in your region: Check out the Skilling Hub for events near you.
• Sign up for our upcoming Azure Databricks workshops (November 4–7), available with instructors from several time zones.
• The Migrate and Modernize Summit replay is available now. Hear from Microsoft leaders––including Scott Guthrie, Jeremy Winter, Amanda Silver, and Cyril Belikoff––on the latest innovations around AI-assisted tooling and products to help simplify and accelerate cloud migrations.
• Participate in AgentCon 2025 by Global AI Community: Join a global series of one-day conferences designed exclusively for developers building the future with autonomous AI agents.
• The 2027 deadline to move SAP workloads to S4/HANA is approaching, so now is the time to activate your SAP on Azure. Utilize Partner Ready and Sales Ready courses to help business managers unlock Azure benefits and equip sales teams to effectively position SAP on Azure solutions.

Go-To-Market

• Download and use the Partner Execution Guide for AI Apps and Agents for use cases, win formulas, key actions, questions to ask customers, and more. And the sales assets include solution accelerators, templates, and pitch decks. 
• Take your marketing strategy to the next level with predesigned campaigns, resources, and ready-to-go assets. Learn more.
• Generate leads leveraging customer propensity lists and execute marketing initiatives with Microsoft CloudAscent and Solution Play Propensity Accelerate Revenue and KPIs (SPARK) propensity.
• Looking for proven and scalable AI transformation assets that deliver value quickly? AI Solution Accelerators are prebuilt PoC assets that drive successful AI implementations, enabling you to demonstrate the value of AI capabilities and accelerate time to value.
• Drive success in building AI apps and agents with a comprehensive set of sales tools and marketing resources, including Microsoft pitch decks, guides, solution accelerators, demos, and more. Access them here.
• Unify your data platform to help your customers implement a data strategy that is fit for the era of AI, including customizable pitch decks and other go-to-market resources to help you succeed. Find it all here, and explore resources for our key solutions, including Microsoft Fabric, Azure Databricks, and Microsoft Purview.
• Differentiate your expertise to customers with Solutions Partner designations and specializations.

Customer Success

• Discover how Microsoft can transform your sales strategy with case studies and customer success stories that showcase how businesses, NGOs, and individuals leverage AI to transform their businesses.