Recent Discussions
Metrics that Matter (MTM) Question Update - Effective Nov 1, 2025
Hello TSPs, We've announced on the last two monthly community calls that an update was coming to the Metrics that Matter (MTM) survey currently leveraged for the TSP quality scoring metrics. Attached is a refreshed MTM overview document which contains the new questions that will go live on November 1, 2025. From a partner performance or operations perspective there is no action for you - you'll see the survey automatically update on November 1. If you have custom data slices on your MTM dashboard you may want to update those data connections once the questions are live on November 1. Within the attached document you'll find additional FAQs. If you have additional questions, please post them below so that I can answer for the entire forum. The MTM support page can be found here. You can also reach support by emailing support <at> explorance.com. The attached file will soon join our other documentation in the Get Started collection on the Learning Resource site. Edit: resource is not attaching to this update. Until I can fix you can access it in September's Community Call shared folder.Shape the future - your input fuels the next developer accelerator!
Are you a developer who has looked for a short-cut to start coding in minutes on Microsoft tech? We'd love to invite you to a pilot for the new Quick-Start Development Toolkit! The QS Dev Toolkit is an interactive experience to shortcut from what you want to build to giving you sample solution arch, deployment-ready code templates, and the resources you need to get started with your project today. Want to get involved? Just complete 3 simple steps: Fill out this short form to let us know who you are We'll contact you within 5 business days with more instructions We'll schedule a short pilot call to gather verbal and written feedback We'll use this feedback to shape the future for developers around the world and take suggestions for new dev patterns. We look forward to hearing your feedback!
Setting up your Partner Center account for success
A well-structured Microsoft Partner Center account is foundational to long-term success in the Azure Marketplace. Learn essential best practices for organizing your Partner Center account to ensure operational efficiency, seamless onboarding, and scalable growth. Whether you're a new software development company or an established partner, these insights will help you optimize your account setup to support your business goals and enhance your marketplace experience. Read more: Microsoft Partner Center account structure: Best practices for long-term success | Microsoft Community Hub and attend a webinar session where you will have the opportunity to have your questions answered. Event November 4th: How to structure your Microsoft Partner Center account | Microsoft Community HubEligible Microsoft Marketplace partners with MCA customers now to benefit from accelerated payouts
Microsoft Marketplace partners transacting with Microsoft Customer Agreements (MCA) customers can now benefit from accelerated payouts. This enhancement is intended to support improved cash flow and greater predictability, with daily payment processing that shortens the average time to receive funds. To learn more about how accelerated payouts work and how to view payouts with transactions for a given month, read the full announcement article. Announcing accelerated payouts to Microsoft Marketplace partners with MCA customers | Microsoft Community HubMicrosoft AI agent envisioning series: Build enterprise-ready AI agents
The Microsoft AI Agent Envisioning Series is a four-part webinar experience designed to guide developers through the process of creating AI agents that are ready for enterprise deployment. Microsoft’s AI Agent Envisioning framework offers a structured approach to help developers build agents that are reliable, secure, scalable, and aligned with responsible AI principles. Practical guidance and tools Azure AI Foundry provides tools and templates to support the development of intelligent agents that can operate independently and collaborate effectively. Trustworthy AI principles are integrated throughout the process to help ensure ethical and responsible development. Tools like App Advisor and the Marketplace Value Calculator assist developers in evaluating both the technical and business readiness of their solutions. Next steps The guidance aligns with Microsoft’s architectural standards and helps prepare agents for publication in the Microsoft Marketplace. Learn more by reading Build enterprise-ready AI agents with confidence: Microsoft AI agent envisioning series | Microsoft Community Hub and register for the AI Envisioning Day sessions to steadily move from concept to deployment.REGISTER NOW: Microsoft Ignite 2025 – Supporting Nonprofit Innovation
Register today to attend either in-person or online! We’re excited to invite our nonprofit partners to join us at Microsoft Ignite 2025, where innovation meets impact! Ignite is Microsoft’s flagship event for technologists, partners, and decision-makers. This year, it’s bigger than ever—with 17,000 in-person attendees and over 200,000 expected online. For nonprofit partners, Ignite offers: ✅ Skilling & Training: Deep dive into Microsoft technologies tailored to nonprofit needs ✅ Networking: Connect with peers, partners, and Microsoft experts ✅ Partner Growth: Explore new opportunities to build and scale your impact ✅ Recognition: Celebrate Partner of the Year winners and join exclusive receptions Explore session catalog Dates & Locations 📍In-Person: November 18–21, 2025 (optional pre-day Nov. 17) | Location: Moscone Center, San Francisco, CA 💻 Online: November 18–20, 2025 🔗 Register now! Whether you’re attending in person or online, Ignite is your chance to fuel your mission with the latest tools, insights, and community support. Let’s make this year’s Ignite unforgettable for the nonprofit sector. Register today and spread the word!Episode 001 of the new Series in Cloud & Hosting Partner Online Meetings starts in four hours
Hi, yes, after 17 years and 166 episodes of the Cloud & Hosting Partner Online Meeting we have a reset, a restart, a rewire, a new chapter. As many of you know I took redundancy from Microsoft about 2 months ago and nothing can hold me back from wanting to help the Microsoft Partner Community. "I'm back" 😎. In just four hours from now we start with Episode 001 of the new series and here is the agenda It's not too late to register. Just click https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/4a9991d2-4d76-4c73-b02a-ec3d010d6305@3f10d240-96cd-405f-8075-e66a8c526be5. See you online soon. Regards, Phil
Webinar: SAP Business Suite Acceleration with Microsoft Cloud
The SAP Business Suite Acceleration with Microsoft Cloud is gaining powerful momentum—and our latest webinar underscores that progress. This compelling on‑demand session, hosted by Microsoft Global PDM for SAP, Sharon Collins, showcases how the alliance between SAP and Microsoft is supercharging partner-led customer transformations. to watch or scroll to the bottom of the page. Featured Speakers Wael El Kabbany, VP, Strategic Global Partnership – SAP, Microsoft As the driving force behind Microsoft’s collaboration with SAP, Wael leads global strategic alignment, partner co-selling efforts, and joint innovations aimed at accelerating SAP partner and customer success. Santina Franchi, President, Corporate & Cloud ERP (“GROW”) – SAP Santina oversees SAP’s Corporate and Cloud ERP business (GROW), empowering partners to deliver next-level ERP innovation and time-to-value. Webinar Highlights Progress to Date Together, SAP and Microsoft have launched a robust acceleration program for SAP Cloud ERP featuring tightly integrated tools—including the Joule Copilot and Microsoft Copilot, data, security, M365 and Teams. Partner Empowerment Partners are equipped with proven frameworks, AI innovation, and seamless cloud infrastructure to accelerate deals and drive transformative customer outcomes. The Power of SAP + Microsoft This powerful combination delivers: AI-Driven Automation & Insight – Leveraging Microsoft Copilot and SAP Joule to power smarter operations. Seamless Integration – Bridging productivity and ERP systems across Microsoft 365, Teams, BTP, and Azure. Faster Time to Value – Driven by embedded partner expertise and digital innovation. Watch On Demand Catch the full webinar to hear directly from Wael and Santina on how SAP and Microsoft together are helping partners close deals faster, deliver advanced AI value, and accelerate migrations to SAP Cloud ERP on Azure.
Join the Fabric Partner Community for this Week's Fabric Engineering Connection calls!
Are you a Microsoft partner that is interested in data and analytics? Be sure to join us for the next Fabric Engineering Connection calls! 🎉 Sujata Narayana will be sharing a recap of Power BI announcements from FabCon Europe, followed by the latest updates on AI Functions from Virginia Roman. The Americas & EMEA call will take place Wednesday, October 15, from 8-9 am PT and the APAC call is Thursday, October 16, from 1-2 am UTC/Wednesday, October 15, from 5-6 pm PT. This is your opportunity to learn more, ask questions, and provide feedback. To join the call, you must be a member of the Fabric Partner Community Teams channel. To join, complete the participation form at https://aka.ms/JoinFabricPartnerCommunity. We look forward to seeing you later this week!FY26 SAP on Azure Partner Incentives – Community FAQ
1. What is the Azure Accelerate incentives program for SAP in FY26? A: Azure Accelerate (FY26) is Microsoft’s unified partner investment program that rewards partners for driving SAP cloud migration projects on Azure. It merges previous, separate offers into one cohesive program covering all SAP deployment scenarios—whether native SAP on Azure, RISE with SAP (private cloud), or SAP GROW (public cloud SaaS). The goal: accelerate SAP cloud projects by offsetting partner costs and encouraging best practices, making SAP on Azure deals more attractive and profitable. 2. Who is eligible for these incentives? Answer: Partners: Must be enrolled in the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program and have achieved the SAP on Microsoft Azure Advanced Specialization. Enrollment in the Microsoft Commerce Incentives (MCI) program is also required. Customers: Commercial customers with significant SAP migration projects. Public sector deals are generally excluded. Extremely large strategic accounts may use custom funding instead. 3. How do partners apply for these incentives? Answer: Nominate the project in Microsoft Partner Center (Incentives > Engagements (MCI)), selecting the relevant Azure Accelerate – SAP offer. Provide customer/project details (including Azure Tenant ID). Customer must approve participation via email. Automatic approval for standard projects; large deals may require manual review. Deliver the engagement within the specified timeframe. Submit Proof of Execution (PoE) in Partner Center (assessment report, customer sign-off, etc.). Microsoft reviews and pays out via your usual partner payout method. Note: The 2.5% sales incentive is claimed via email to gpic@microsoft.com with required documentation. 4. What are the key timelines and deadlines? Answer: Completion Window: Pre-sales assessment: 60–120 days Migration/deployment: ~180 days Claim Submission: Typically within 30 days of completion Program Duration: FY26 (July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026). All projects and claims must fall within this period. 5. How do these incentives reflect the Microsoft and SAP partnership? Answer: These incentives are part of a broader strategic partnership between Microsoft and SAP aimed at accelerating SAP’s move to the cloud (specifically Azure). The Azure Accelerate (SAP) program is a joint go-to-market effort to encourage cloud adoption, especially for midmarket customers. SAP’s involvement ensures the offers cover scenarios like RISE with SAP (private cloud) and GROW (SaaS ERP) on Azure—so the incentives apply whether the deal is sold by SAP or the partner, as long as Azure is the platform. 6. How can partners leverage these incentives in their go-to-market strategy? Answer: Offer free/low-cost SAP on Azure assessments (funded by Microsoft) to open doors with customers. Reduce customer costs or improve your margins by applying post-sale funding to project pricing. Stack all three incentives on a single deal for maximum ROI. Market the partnership: Highlight Microsoft and SAP’s joint investment in your proposals and marketing. Utilize Microsoft resources: Tap into engineering support, marketing materials, and the Azure Cloud Accelerate Factory. Plan for timelines: Train your team to nominate deals and collect required documentation promptly. 7. Can partners stack multiple incentives on a single deal? Answer: Yes! Partners are encouraged to utilize all applicable incentives for each deal. For example, you can claim pre-sales assessment funding, the 2.5% deal win bonus, and post-sales deployment funding on the same project. Stacking incentives maximizes your ROI and can cover 20–30% (or more) of the project’s first-year Azure value. 8. What documentation is required to claim incentives? Answer: Pre-Sales Assessment: Submit the assessment report or deliverable provided to the customer. Post-Sales Migration: Submit a customer sign-off letter/email confirming successful migration, plus a brief project summary or architecture document. Sales Closure Incentive: Provide the customer contract/order form, evidence that SAP will run on Azure, and the completed incentive claim form (“Attachment A”). For all claims, ensure the customer’s Azure Tenant ID is included and all documentation is clear and complete. 9. What happens if a project is delayed or the claim deadline is missed? Answer: If you anticipate missing a completion or claim deadline, contact Microsoft or your Partner Development Manager as soon as possible. Extensions may be granted in some cases, but if deadlines are missed without communication, the funding reservation may lapse and the claim could be rejected. Always monitor your project timelines and submit claims promptly to avoid losing incentive eligibility. 10. Where can I find more information or support on the incentives and manage my deals? Answer: The Microsoft Partner Center is your central hub for all things related to SAP on Azure incentives. Here’s how to use it effectively: Nominate and Track Deals: Go to Incentives > Engagements (MCI) to nominate new SAP on Azure projects for funding. Use the dashboard to monitor the status of all your nominations, including approval, completion, and payout stages. Submit and Manage Claims: After completing an engagement, upload your Proof of Execution (PoE) directly in Partner Center. The portal will show deadlines for each engagement—keep an eye on these to avoid missing out. Check Payouts and Earnings: View your incentives earnings statements and payment status in the Earnings section. Payment cycles are typically monthly or quarterly; Partner Center will show when funds are disbursed. Access Resources and Support: Find program guides, templates, and FAQs in the Partner Center resource library. For technical issues or questions about eligibility, use the built-in support ticketing system or reach out to your Partner Development Manager. Stay Updated: Partner Center is regularly updated with new program details, deadlines, and documentation requirements. Make it a habit to log in regularly and review notifications. To Learn More: To learn more about Microsoft's SAP Programs and Offers, visit Migrate and Modernize SAP. Tip: Bookmark the Partner Center and ensure your sales and delivery teams have access. Most incentive issues can be resolved quickly if you use the portal as your single source of truth. By leveraging the FY26 SAP on Azure incentives, partners can boost profitability, de-risk projects, and deliver more value to customers—while being backed by Microsoft and SAP.Partner Enablement Calls for CSP Partners!
Microsoft invites you to our CSP Partner Enablement Series, where we’ve combined the CSP Community call and the CSP Technical Training call and into a single, streamlined call. This new format brings together high priority partner updates, technical/adoption enablement, and best practices into one cohesive experience, making it easier for partners to stay informed and prepare for change. You are welcome to access old calls or join future ones! CSP Partner Enablement seriesTech Talks presents: Build and Extend Agents directly from Power Pages
Join us on Thursday, October 9th at 8am PT as Nagesh Bhat, Senior Product Manager, Power Pages and Saumitra Nanda, Principal Program Manager, Power Pages present 'Build and Extend Agents directly from Power Pages'. Overview: Power Pages web agent allows makers to create intelligent agents directly from forms, enabling them to assist users with specific tasks like record creation or form submissions automatically. These agents can leverage site’s content and business logic to provide context-aware responses. Native authentication and single sign-on (SSO) support ensure that agents recognize and securely interact with authenticated users, providing a seamless and personalized experience. We hope to see you there! Call to Action: Click on the link to save the calendar invite: https://aka.ms/TechTalksInvite View past recordings (sign in required): https://aka.ms/TechTalksRecordingApp Advisor updates: Build smarter, publish faster with these new features
The App Advisor experience has been enhanced to help you build smarter and publish faster to the Microsoft Marketplace. The six new features make it easier to stay focused, move faster, and scale smarter with apps and agents. Whether you are in the planning, building, or publishing phase of your journey, the new features are designed to meet you where you are, offering curated guidance and actionable insights. Learn how the updates can help you today. Build smarter, publish faster: Here’s what’s new in App AdvisorJoin the Fabric Partner Community for this Week's Fabric Engineering Connection calls!
Are you a Microsoft partner that is interested in data and analytics? Be sure to join us for the next Fabric Engineering Connection calls! 🎉 Tom Peplow will be discussing OneLake Diagnostics and Sarab Dua will be joining to cover recent releases and roadmap for network security. Both promise to be presentations you won't want to miss! The Americas & EMEA call will take place Wednesday, October 8, from 8-9 am PT and the APAC call is Thursday, October 9, from 1-2 am UTC/Wednesday, October 8, from 5-6 pm PT. This is your opportunity to learn more, ask questions, and provide feedback. To join the call, you must be a member of the Fabric Partner Community Teams channel. To join, complete the participation form at https://aka.ms/JoinFabricPartnerCommunity. We look forward to seeing you later this week!ANNOUNCEMENT: New Demand Generation Resources now available!
We’re thrilled to announce that the Nonprofit Partner Readiness site has just been refreshed to include the new Demand Generation Resource section—now live and ready for you to explore! 📌 Located right on the landing page, this new section is designed to empower your marketing and event efforts with easy access to: 📖 Event How-To Guide Resource – Step-by-step guidance to help you plan and execute impactful nonprofit events. 🤝 Nonprofit Partner Event Co-Marketing Program Resources – Process overview, tactics and submission process. 📣 Nonprofit Partner Marketing-as-a-Service Program Resources – Overview, programs and engagement process. These resources are part of our ongoing commitment to equip you with the tools you need to drive awareness, engagement, and impact in your communities. 🔗 Visit the Nonprofit Partner Readiness site today and check out the new Demand Generation section! Let us know how you’re using these resources—we’d love to hear your success stories!Tech Talks presents: Copilot + Power Funded Engagements
Join us on Thursday, October 2nd at 8am PT as Ginny Hoban, Director, Product Marketing, Microsoft; Matthew Davis, Product Marketing Manager, Microsoft; Courtney Lanza, Architect Solutions, Microsoft; and Paula Nobre Santos, Senior Business Strategy Manager, Microsoft present 'Copilot + Power Funded Engagements'. This session will provide an overview of the new Copilot + Power Funded Engagements including highlights of changes since last year, key elements of the program, an overview of the design, structure, and best practices for engagement delivery, and understanding how success is measured. We hope to see you there! Call to Action: Click on the link to save the calendar invite: https://aka.ms/TechTalksInvite View past recordings (sign in required): https://aka.ms/TechTalksRecordingAccelerate SAP on Azure Success with FY26 Partner Investments
As we kick off FY26, Microsoft is deepening its commitment to SAP partners with enhanced investments and streamlined offers designed to support SAP migrations to Azure. Whether you're guiding customers through ECC modernization, deploying SAP Cloud ERP (RISE and Grow), or scaling SAP Business Suite in the midmarket, these new incentives are built to help you deliver faster time-to-value and stronger customer outcomes. Partners can take advantage of expanded funding for pre-sales engagements, technical enablement, and delivery support through programs like Azure Accelerate and the Cloud Accelerate Factory. These resources are designed to simplify execution, reduce delivery costs, and unlock new growth opportunities. To learn more about what’s available and how to activate these offers, we invite you to watch the recording of the “Migrate SAP on Azure: FY26 Partner Incentives & Offers” webcast. Let’s make FY26 a breakthrough year for SAP on Azure!SAP Business Suite Acceleration Program with Microsoft Cloud
Accelerate Growth. Empower Innovation. Partner with Confidence. SAP and Microsoft have joined forces to launch the SAP Business Suite Acceleration Program with Microsoft Cloud—an end-to-end initiative designed to help partners deliver faster time-to-value, AI-powered innovation, and seamless cloud transformation for customers. Why Join the Program? Faster Time-to-Value Benefit from seamless integrations and connected processes across SAP and Microsoft - including Microsoft Teams, Azure AI, and Microsoft 365 Copilot Partner Expertise Joint Microsoft and SAP-enabled partner ecosystem that brings critical market insights, industry-specific expertise, and deep customer knowledge to drive faster adoption Built-in AI AI Innovations delivered by SAP and Microsoft unlock business insights you can act on boosting productivity and collaboration across business functions Secure and Reliable Deliver enterprise-grade security with advanced encryption, identity management, and real-time threat detection—so your customers can scale with confidence. Simplified Operations Streamline implementations and reduce friction in workload migrations with intuitive system interactions and simplified processes. Partner Benefits Joint Go-to-Market Framework: Our unified go-to-market strategy aligns SAP, Microsoft, and SI partners around a shared vision and objectives. This ensures successful outcomes for all stakeholders involved. Partner Marketing as a Service (PMaaS): Benefit from joint marketing support by Microsoft and SAP, including account planning, content, and joint demand generation. Financial Incentives: Gain access to complementary incentives from Microsoft and SAP to help accelerate sales and implementations. Partner Success: Simplify complexities to enhance operational efficiency, ensuring seamless transitions and intuitive interactions for customer success Availability The program is currently available in the U.S., with expansion to the EU, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand later this year. Select SAP Cloud ERP packages are now available via the Microsoft Azure Marketplace.
Events
October 23, 2025 | 2:00 PM GTM+11 Publishing your solution on the Azure Marketplace unlocks opportunities to reach a global audience, but it also requires a strong focus on security. This session equ...
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A well-defined Microsoft Partner Center account is critical for smooth operations, marketplace success, and an overall better experience in the portal. But with multiple configuration options, identi...
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Recent Blogs
- 1 MIN READAccess the latest Instructor-Led Training (ILT) updates anytime at: http://aka.ms/Courseware_Title_PlanOct 17, 2025
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