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Hrvoje Kusulja's avatar
Jan 29, 2026

Visual Studio Lite benefits - without Azure Credits and Keys

As communicated earlier, the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program benefit offerings—including partner benefits packages, Solutions Partner designations, and specializations—will be updated later this month to support how you build, differentiate, and grow your business.

The per-user monthly Azure credits associated with this benefit will no longer be available. You can still access organization-level Azure bulk credits that come with your benefits offering. This may require an Azure subscription migration for users to continue accessing credits, and we strongly recommend a change management plan for this transition. In addition, product keys will no longer be accessible within Visual Studio. Keys will instead be available as part of the benefits package(s) your organization holds and can be securely assigned to users directly from Partner Center.

Please note that these changes will not be retroactively applied. They will go into effect when your organization renews its affected benefits offering(s) or if you activate a new offering on or after the February update.

 

We have been partners for 20 years and using Partner benefits.

Again, Microsoft tries to lower benefits, and in parallel benefit package price will increase (due to different reasons).

This discussion and community of partners, should unit and tell to Microsoft Partner Benefits program that:

  • Partners have employees/users, that use current Visual Studio benefit, that is (like MSDN), having the user access to keys and Azure credits, for specific user / employee need of test, dev, demo etc.
  • Azure Bulk credit was never the same and cannot be used as a same
  • Azure Bulk credit / Azure sponsorship, does not have cost control, Azure budgets and other methods. (This is in plan to change for several years, no progress) on Azure technical side.
  • Will Microsoft increase Azure Bulk credits to compensate te amount of included benefit usage?

Dear, Microsoft, please leave current Partner Benefits, with full Visual Studio, including Azure credits, and Keys for assigned users, without moving to lower benefit - Visual Studio Lite.

Thank you for understanding, and hope this will not be active in production after partner renewals.

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