Forum Discussion
Unified for Partners (UfP)
Hello!
A few months ago at Microsoft Ignite, Dan Rippey shared an update on The Future of Partner Support - Customer + Partner + Microsoft.
Dan brought 'Unified for Partners' center stage and mentioned that Microsoft is going into listening mode and taking partner feedback. It's easy to share feedback with Microsoft by visiting booths at Ignite. What are some ways partners can share feedback with Dan and others at Microsoft year round?
For reference, we have a signed NDA with Microsoft if that helps!
My first thought are the two community calls that were running for most of 2025. They were the CSP Technical Training Series and Microsoft Partner Community Q&A Call. However, I don't see any upcoming events scheduled...
Thanks!
-jon
18 Replies
Great question Jon, and glad this thread exists. Adding some feedback here since Jill mentioned the Microsoft team is monitoring this thread.
We want to start by saying we genuinely support what UfP is trying to accomplish. Building a stronger partner-led support model where Microsoft acts as a backstop makes sense, and as a 20-year Microsoft partner we believe in that direction. Our entire practice is built on the Microsoft platform. We recommend Azure and Microsoft 365 to every client we serve, we stake our reputation on it, and we actively advocate for it every day. That partnership matters to us and we want it to work.
Where we want to share honest feedback is on the pricing structure and how it lands for managed service partners.
The UfP fee is calculated against what partners pay Microsoft for services, across both Azure and Microsoft 365 licensing. For partners managing large accounts at competitive margins, that fee can consume a significant share of what we earn before we have delivered any managed service. We would encourage other partners to run that math against their own book of business, because we think it is a concern that will be felt broadly.
We also think the program is trying to solve two different problems with one instrument. Reactive incident support and knowledge or advisory access are fundamentally different things. Incidents are a cost to minimize. Advisory and knowledge access is something partners would willingly invest in because it makes us better advisors and stronger Microsoft advocates. A model that separates those two, perhaps consumption-based or pre-committed tiers for advisory access, would let partners invest in the real value rather than paying a flat percentage for a blended program.
We have shared detailed feedback and specific recommendations directly with our Microsoft contact and hope it reaches the UfP program team. If a formal feedback channel opens up we would welcome the opportunity to be part of that conversation.
Protected Trust, LLC CSP Direct Bill Partner, 20+ Years
Look what the cat dragged in! an OpsReadiness collection on UFP
https://partner.microsoft.com/en-us/asset/collection/unified-for-partners#/
Looks like both resources are locked, originally the Datasheet with the rates listed was not locked
- JillArmourMicrosoft
Community Manager
I have been in contact with the team and the have promised to update me as things progress so stay tuned! I will post them here:
Partner Enablement Calls for CSP Partners! | Microsoft Community Hub
Hi Jill, my question is as follows:
What are some ways partners can share feedback with Dan and others in addition to visiting a booth at an in-person event?
I shared the two channels I could think of and addressed why those two channels do not answer my question, because they have been cancelled for the foreseeable future.
I look forward to learning ways I can connect with the team that is looking for my feedback!
Thanks, I was having trouble finding the cancellation reason.
So,
What are some ways partners can share feedback with Dan and others in addition to visiting a booth at an in-person event?- JillArmourMicrosoft
jonwbstr24 if you would like to share your feedback here in the comments and I can send to the team for you.
Now to set expectations, I can share it with them, but there is no guarantee they will respond or make changes. 🤩
My feedback is, if the team is interested in the feedback of partners they should let partners know how to share feedback with them. By not creating a space where the feedback can be shared on a regular basis it signals to partners that receiving that feedback is not a high priority.
I look forward to not only being told that my feedback is important but also being provided a way to provide that important feedback!
Hello Jon,
Its true there were community calls planned; but the march/april/may all got cancelled on 16th of march.
The event you registered for has been cancelled.
Event Title: FY26 CSP Partner Enablement Call - May
Event Date/Time: Thursday, May 21st 2026 04:00 PM BST
Following recent partner and internal feedback, we’re taking a pause on the CSP Partner Enablement call while we reassess the format and ensure it’s delivering the right value for partners. This pause is intentional and allows us to listen, reflect, and rethink how we engage in a way that is more effective, scalable, and responsive.On demand content will continue to be available here: Launch Enablement Guide - Partner Center announcements | Microsoft Learn.
Thank you for your understanding and continued engagement.
