Recent Discussions
New Azure blog on charting AI & agent strategy with Marketplace
In a new Azure blog, Cyril Belikoff, Vice President, Commercial Cloud and AI Marketing, talks about how organizations are using Microsoft Marketplace as a central hub for discovering, buying, and deploying AI models, applications, and agents to support their AI strategy. He emphasizes that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach—companies can build custom solutions, buy ready-made ones, or blend both depending on their needs. Marketplace offers thousands of pre-vetted models and AI tools that integrate with existing Microsoft products (like Microsoft Foundry and Copilot), helping teams accelerate time-to-value, maintain governance, and balance agility with oversight as they adopt AI more broadly. Read the full blog and share it with your customers: Design your AI strategy with Microsoft Marketplace SolutionsREGISTER: Microsoft Elevate H2 Partner Kick‑Off - Feb 3 (EMEA) / Feb 4 (AEDT)
You’re Invited: Microsoft Elevate H2 Partner Kick-Off Kick off the second half of the year with clarity, confidence, and momentum. Join the Microsoft Elevate H2 Partner Kick-Off, where nonprofit partners take center stage and Microsoft shares the priorities, programs, and investments shaping H2. Get a first look at what’s new across Elevate, plus practical guidance on skilling investments and go-to-market opportunities to help you grow and drive greater nonprofit impact. ✨ Why attend? Stay ahead of evolving Elevate priorities and expectations Discover where Microsoft is investing—and how to align for growth Accelerate your team’s skilling with new resources and tools Turn insights into action with clear next steps for H2 👉 Register for the session aligned to your region and head into H2 informed, aligned, and ready to win. EMEA/Americas session REGISTER: February 3, 2026 at 8:00AM PST | 4:00PM GMT ANZ/Asia session REGISTER: February 4, 2026 at 10:00AM AEDT | 8:00AM JST / February 3, 2026 at 3:00PM PSTUnlock key strategies for Marketplace growth
Looking to strengthen your go‑to‑market strategy in the year ahead? Don’t miss Microsoft’s latest guidance on how partners can accelerate success in the commercial marketplace. At Microsoft Ignite 2025, Microsoft Marketplace emerged as a central platform for cloud and AI innovation, with major enhancements such as expanded resale-enabled offers, deeper integration across Microsoft’s cloud ecosystem, and new tools designed to streamline procurement and accelerate value delivery for customers. This valuable resource distills 10 essential tips to help organizations optimize listings, leverage private offers, improve discoverability, and scale more effectively in the evolving AI-first landscape. It’s a valuable guide for any partner aiming to elevate their marketplace performance and align with Microsoft’s modern go-to-market approach. Read more: 10 Essential tips for Marketplace success: Insights from Microsoft Ignite 2025 | Microsoft Community Hub
Tech Talks presents: Generative Pages – Vibe Code Your Way to Awesome
Join us on Thursday, January 15th at 8am PT as Nikita Polyakov, Principal Program Manager, FastTrack and Raskia Chaudhary,Principal Program Manager, FastTrack present 'Generative Pages – Vibe Code Your Way to Awesome'. Have you ever wondered how far can one take UI/UX in Power Apps and Dynamics 365? Have you ever had a crazy hard requirement from the users that would take days to code? You start thinking about web resource, custom code component or how you cna solve that with a Canvas App UI...STOP! Come learn how you could not only prototype but actually solve your UX needs with generative AI for UI front-ends in Power Apps. We'll be grounded in Dataverse-based App using the feature of Generative Pages in Power Apps which is generally available since November 2025. Need a boost from sample prompts? See how Power CAT's Intelligent Applications Catalog can help! 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/TechTalksRecording
Very Negative Experience With Microsoft Partner Program
Since two months I am trying to verify my account, after countless attempts and errors and automatic rejections, finally I got authorized. I want to update my tax profile so I can send the add in, guess what Microsoft cant find my EIN although I sent official EIN number. After three weeks I sent another ticket and instead of finding a solution for the EIN number issue, they responded that there is a problem with account verification which is already approved!!! I dont know what is happening here total mess...Optimizing maintenance workflows with AI and Azure
In our Partner Spotlight series, we highlight organizations driving innovation across the Microsoft Marketplace. In each feature, we share the distinct journey of a partner leveraging the Microsoft ecosystem to deliver AI‑enabled solutions and transactable offers that streamline enterprise adoption and accelerate digital transformation. In this installment, we spoke with Benjamin Schwärzler of Workheld, a Vienna‑based SaaS company transforming maintenance management for asset‑intensive industries. We dive into their early beginnings, their growth as a Microsoft partner, and the ways they’re helping organizations close the gap between shopfloor execution and strategic decision‑making—powered by a secure, Azure‑based architecture. Read more to learn how Azure is shaping the future of intelligent maintenance management: AI-powered maintenance management with Microsoft Azure | Microsoft Community HubGain clarity on your Marketplace offer type with App Advisor
Understanding the right offer type is essential for maximizing success in the Microsoft Marketplace. The new App Advisor tool streamlines this process, helping partners quickly determine the offer type that best aligns with their solution, business model, and go-to-market goals. In just minutes, you can receive clear guidance tailored to your scenario saving time, reducing uncertainty, and ensuring your marketplace strategy is on the right track. Read the full article to explore how App Advisor can simplify your marketplace decisions: Gain clarity on your Marketplace offer type in minutes with App Advisor | Microsoft Community HubANNOUNCEMENT: EDU Partners - Submit events to the new EDU Events page
Microsoft Elevate partners supporting Education are invited to submit upcoming events for inclusion via the EDU Events page. Access the EDU Event Page Request Form (internal & external) to request your event publication: http://aka.ms/education_events 🔄 Review cadence: Submissions are reviewed on the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month. ✅ If approved: Events will be published early the following week. Submit EDU events you’d like highlighted to help increase visibility across the Education partner community: Expand reach and awareness by increasing visibility of partner events to a broader, education-focused audience. Provide a centralized, trusted destination for discovering Microsoft-aligned education events, improving clarity and engagement. Strengthen partner credibility and alignment with Microsoft Elevate, reinforcing thought leadership and supporting deeper customer conversations. We encourage education partners to take advantage of this opportunity to showcase your expertise, contribute to a unified EDU event experience, and connect with the right audiences at the right time.Join the Fabric Partner Community for this Week's Fabric Engineering Connection calls!
🚀 Upcoming Fabric Engineering Connection Call – Americas & EMEA & APAC! Join us on Wednesday, January 14, 8–9 am PT (Americas & EMEA) and Thursday, January 15, 1–2 am UTC (APAC) for a special session featuring the latest Power BI Updates & Announcements from Ignite with Sujata Narayana, Rui Romano, and other members of the Power BI Product Team. Plus, hear from Tom Peplow on Developing Apps on OneLake APIs. 🔗 To participate, make sure you’re a member of the Fabric Partner Community Teams Channel. If you haven’t joined yet, sign up here: https://lnkd.in/g_PRdfjt Don’t miss this opportunity to learn, connect, and stay up to date with the latest in Microsoft Fabric and Power BI!
Account Suspended Despite Compliance – Seeking Clarification and Reinstatement
Hello Microsoft Community, My company’s Partner Center account currently shows a Suspended status for both the Indirect Reseller and Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider programs, even though we believe we’ve met all requirements. What we’ve done: Completed all security requirements (MFA enabled, security contact designated) Verified business and legal information is up to date Ensured there are no outstanding payments or compliance issues We received a notice about CSP indirect reseller eligibility (USD 1,000 revenue requirement), but our partner confirms our license spend exceeds this threshold. Our questions: Why is the account still suspended if we’ve addressed the stated requirements? Is there a hidden or unaddressed compliance issue? What specific steps must we follow to have the suspension lifted? Can Microsoft reinstate the account once we provide evidence of compliance? We’re unable to perform critical operations like assigning licenses or accessing partner benefits while suspended. Has anyone experienced a similar situation? Any guidance from Microsoft moderators or the community would be greatly appreciated.Upgrade plan for Marketplace offers in admin center
Hi Community, I’m reaching out here after spending nearly 6 months discussing an issue with Microsoft Support, without getting a satisfactory answer. We have published transactable SaaS apps in the Microsoft Marketplace. Each of our SaaS offers includes multiple plans (e.g., Premium, Pro, Leader). About six months ago, our customers started reporting that they could no longer upgrade their plan via the Microsoft 365 Admin Center. We were able to reproduce the issue ourselves. Symptom: when attempting to upgrade, the dropdown list that should display available upgrade plans is empty. This functionality worked correctly before. After multiple discussions with Microsoft Support engineers, their supervisor, and their manager, the official response we received is: “change to different plan functionality (for marketplace offers) in Admin Center is by design not enabled, which is why the dropdown does not display available plans.” This directly contradicts Microsoft documentation, which indicates that plan changes should be supported: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/partner-center/marketplace-offers/pc-saas-fulfillment-life-cycle Despite sharing this documentation, Microsoft Support maintains that this behavior is by design and that customers cannot upgrade plans from the Admin Center. My questions to the community: Are there ISVs here who have published transactable SaaS offers with multiple plans? If so, can your customers upgrade plans through the Microsoft 365 Admin Center? Are your customer experiencing the same issue? Can any SME confirm or contradict Microsoft Support’s statement that “by design, customer cannot upgrade plans using M365 Admin center”? For reference, here is our Microsoft Support ticket ID: 2508260010000694. I’m happy to share additional information upon request. Thank you in advance for any insights or confirmation. Sang, ps: I recently notice change of domain name in M365 admin center and the log showing this. Weird coincidence.
Pearson Vue storing personal info in US for EU citizens?
We are located in EU and find it quite unacceptable that we need to agree that this company will store private data from an eID on US servers as it says so explicitly before you can book and exam. They say they comply to EU (aka GPDR) regulation, they even have a EU office (but strangely no phone nor email address for that branch on their website.... what?), so sadly a nogo for our company since data needs to reside in EU.Microsoft Ignite- Meaningful Announcements That Create Real Movement
Now that we are officially in 2026, I want to reflect back on Microsoft Ignite as it was more energized than ever. There is real momentum right now across Microsoft Marketplace, and the most meaningful shift I am seeing is around REO( Reseller Enabled Offer )capability. This is opening the door for partners to take Marketplace offers and bring them directly into new regions, new customer segments, and new routes to market without adding operational friction for either side. A true channel selling motion! For ISVs, REO means you can authorize trusted partners to resell your Marketplace offer in the way that works best for the customer. You no longer need to manage every deal yourself. For partners, it means instant access to in demand AI and security solutions that customers are already asking for. It removes barriers, it speeds up the process, and it connects the ecosystem in a much more natural way. If anyone in the community is exploring REO, private offers, multiparty models, or Marketplace strategy in general, it would be great to hear from you or reach out and would love to discuss. Looking forward to connecting with everyone in the new year. justinroyal
Number of technical support cases for Partner support
Hi everyone, Has anyone noticed that the ASfP (Advanced Support for Partners) included technical support incidents is reduced to around 20–30 cases this year? Many of our past tickets were not partner troubleshooting issues, but Microsoft backend-required requests (e.g., Azure quota increases for high-demand SKUs/regions) where CSP partners must open a support case for approval. Some tickets even take Microsoft internal team months to check and still no solution found. Curious if others see the same and whether Microsoft should separate backend-required requests from actual technical support incidents. Thanks!Unlock new revenue streams with Microsoft Marketplace
Learn how software providers are accelerating revenue and expanding global reach through Microsoft Marketplace. Explore strategies like co-sell with Microsoft sellers, resale-enabled offers for channel partners, and streamlined procurement that meets evolving buyer expectations. Discover why Marketplace is more than a transaction portal—it’s a growth engine for AI-driven solutions and partner-led success. Read more: Unlocking scalable growth through Microsoft Marketplace | Microsoft Community Hub
MCT Email in MTM
📣 Important Update for MCT Renewals – Effective October 2026 Beginning with MCT renewals in October 2026, all trainers will be required to have taught 6 sessions (or 6 days) during the previous enrollment cycle. ✔️ Please refer to the attached PDF for the official definition of what qualifies as a session or day of delivery. This activity will be tracked in MTM (Metrics That Matter) using the MCT email address that the trainer is registered with in the MCT Program. 🔔 Important Notice for Learning Partners & TSP Community If your MCTs deliver classes under a learning partner email address, they will not receive credit for those deliveries in MTM. To ensure accurate tracking and compliance: ➡️ MCTs MUST use their official MCT email address when logging deliveries in MTM. ➡️ Learning partners, please ensure your trainers are aware of this requirement and are using the correct email when delivering and reporting classes. Maintaining accurate delivery records is essential for renewal, program integrity, and ensuring we continue to uphold the high standards of the MCT community. Thank you for your cooperation! Any questions please email mailto:mctprog@microsoft.com2026 Is different—Are you ready to win?
2026 Is different—Are you ready to win? 2026 isn’t just another year—it’s a turning point. Cloud go-to-market strategies are being rewritten in real time by AI, marketplaces, co-sell, and ecosystem-led growth. The hard truth? If your strategy isn’t fully aligned this year, you’re going to feel it. That’s why Ultimate Partner is kicking off the year with a must-attend free livestream designed to give you clarity and actionable steps—not theory. On January 13 | 11:00–12:30 pm ET, Vince Menzione, CEO of Ultimate Partner will join two industry leaders for an inside look at what’s next: Jay McBain, Chief Analyst at Omdia, will share his predictions for 2026 and beyond. Cyril Belikoff, VP of Commercial Cloud & AI Marketing at Microsoft, will reveal exciting changes at Microsoft and how to align your GTM strategy for success. This is your chance to ask the tough questions during a LIVE Q&A and walk away with insights you can put into action immediately. ______________________________________________________ 📅 January 13 | 11:00–12:30 pm ET 🎥 Livestream: “Winning in 2026 and Beyond” 👉 Register for FREE: HERE
Events
Tune in for a closer look at Microsoft Marketplace reporting in the Microsoft Partner Center. Get to know the Insights and Earnings workspaces. Explore which roles have permission to access reporting...
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Tune in for updates, insights, and live Q&A to help you sell through the Microsoft Marketplace. Learn how to bring your innovations to businesses, organizations, and government agencies around the wo...
Online
Recent Blogs
- 🔐 Authentication & identity management Q: How does SharePoint Embedded integrate with Microsoft Entra ID? A: SharePoint Embedded requires all users to authenticate through Microsoft Entra ID...Jan 15, 2026
- 2 MIN READAzure offers a broad global footprint, strong security and compliance foundations, flexible cost options, and the ability to deploy your solution directly into a customer’s subscription for tighter i...Jan 15, 2026
