Africa Partner Events and Training topics

Modernization That Actually Works

James Avenant — Mon, 19 May 2025 04:09:36 GMT

Let’s be honest - modernization can be messy.

But what if it didn’t have to be?

At #MSBuild, we’re sharing a new way to think about app modernization. It’s practical. It’s scalable. And it’s designed to meet you where you are.

We’re keeping the details under wraps for now—but trust us, this is one you won’t want to miss.

📅 May 19–22
🔗 https://build.microsoft.com

Join us for the keynote 18:00 - 20:00 SAST (UTC+2) on 19 May 2025 and review the session scheduler for interesting breakout sessions.

AppModernization #MSBuild #CloudTransformation #ModernizeSmarter

Discover the Future of Productivity - Free Copilot Webinars

ishmaelhassa — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 10:00:05 GMT

Please share with customers and your colleagues.


Dear Valued Customer, We are thrilled to extend a free invitation to all customers on the African continent. Whether your company has already invested in Microsoft 365 Copilot, are in the enquiring stage or simply looking to learn more about Microsoft 365 Copilot, our upcoming webinars are designed for you. Join us in these 2 hour insightful sessions to explore how Microsoft 365 Copilot can significantly boost productivity and unlock numerous other benefits for your organization. Our webinars will cover:
Topic	Description	Dates	Register
Future of Work with AI	Get more done and unleash your creativity with Microsoft Copilot. In this webinar, you'll explore how to use Microsoft Copilot to help you research, find information, and generate effective content, all while understanding its role in the future of work with AI.	20 March 2025 14 April 2025 9 May 2025 20 June 2025	Register Here
Persona-based Use Cases	In this webinar, we will explore persona-based use cases for various business-related scenarios to help you understand the power of AI, specifically Copilot. By delving into these use cases, we will demonstrate how Copilot can enhance decision-making processes. Understanding these applications is crucial for businesses looking to stay competitive in the digital age.	24 & 25 March 2025 15 & 16 April 2025 12 & 13 May 2025 23 & 24 June 2025	Register Here
Copilot: The art of effective prompting	Discover ways to craft effective and contextual prompts for Microsoft 365 Copilot that create, simplify, transform, and compile content across Microsoft 365 applications. Learn the importance of providing a clear goal, context, source, and expectation in your prompt for the best results.	26 March 2025 17 April 2025 14 May 2025 25 June 2025	Register Here
Microsoft 365 Copilot (Product focus session)	Join us for a comprehensive webinar on Microsoft Copilot, the AI-powered assistant that enhances productivity within Microsoft 365 applications. Learn how Copilot can automate tasks, provide smart suggestions, and help you make the most of your everyday tools.	27 March 2025 24 April 2025 15 May 2025 26 June 2025	Register Here
Design a dream destination with AI	In this webinar, you learn about the capabilities of generative AI using Microsoft Copilot. Bring your personal creativity and passion to dream up a novel destination and create the content to help tell its story.	28 March 2025 25 April 2025 16 May 2025 27 June 2025	Register Here
Don't miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights and take your productivity to the next level with Microsoft 365 Copilot. We look forward to your participation and are excited to help you harness the full potential of Microsoft 365 Copilot.

Microsoft AI Tour in Johannesburg, 23 January 2025

James Avenant — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 08:36:27 GMT

Elevate your AI skills at the Microsoft AI Tour in Johannesburg!

On January 23, 2025, we’re bringing together business leaders, developers, and AI professionals for a day packed with insights, hands-on workshops, and networking with Microsoft experts. Discover the latest AI advancements, gain new skills, and learn how responsible AI can transform your industry.

Don’t miss this chance to connect with visionaries and enhance your AI expertise. Secure your spot today!

🔗 Register now: Microsoft AI Tour

#MicrosoftAITour #ArtificialIntelligence #TechEvent #Johannesburg

Microsoft Partner

fideleadjoumani — Sat, 05 Oct 2024 14:21:13 GMT

Hello,

I am an institute that do formation and need to become partner but I don't arrive to do it. This is an urgent.

Best Regards

Introducing Partner AI Digest: Showcase Your AI Solutions to Microsoft Employees!

deBruinJJ — Tue, 26 Mar 2024 09:39:43 GMT

Dear Partners

I am writing to introduce a new initiative called "Partner AI Digest". Partner AI Digest aims to provide you with an opportunity to showcase the innovative AI solutions you have built to Microsoft employees.

We understand that time is precious, each Partner AI Digest session will be limited to just 15 minutes. During this time, you will have the opportunity to present your AI solution and its unique features, highlight its benefits, and demonstrate its capabilities to the Microsoft community.

To streamline the scheduling process, we have created a link where you can book your Partner AI Digest slots for the upcoming months. Please find the link below:

Book Time

Please note that once you have booked a slot, it is essential to provide a minimum of two weeks' notice if you are unable to make the Partner AI Digest session. This will enable us to allocate the time to another partner who may be interested in participating.

To help you make the maximum impact during your 15-minute slot, we suggest the following strategies:

· Clearly define your objective: Identify the key message you want to convey during your presentation. Focus on the most significant aspects of your AI solution that will resonate with the Microsoft audience.

· Keep it concise and engaging: As time is limited, ensure your presentation is concise, structured, and engaging. Capture the attention of the audience from the beginning and maintain their interest throughout the session.

· Highlight the value proposition: Clearly articulate the unique value proposition of your AI solution. Explain how it addresses a specific problem or pain point and the benefits it offers to Microsoft employees.

· Showcase real-world examples: Whenever possible, provide real-world examples or case studies that demonstrate the effectiveness and impact of your AI solution. This will help the audience visualize its potential applications.

· Demonstrate the solution in action: Utilize a live demonstration or pre-recorded video to showcase your AI solution's capabilities. This will provide a tangible experience for the audience and enhance their understanding.

· Encourage interaction and questions: Allocate time for questions and engage in a discussion with the Microsoft employees. This will help foster collaboration, gather feedback, and address any concerns or queries they may have.

We believe that the Partner AI Digest sessions will serve as an excellent platform for you to showcase your AI solutions to a wider audience within Microsoft. We encourage you to make the most of this opportunity and utilize the limited time efficiently to leave a lasting impression.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to GPS. We look forward to your active participation in the Partner AI Digest sessions.

Thank you for your continued partnership with Microsoft.

When you join this event, your name, email address and/or phone number may be viewable by other session participants in the attendee list. By joining, you’re agreeing to this experience. If you prefer, I not forward you these types of communications, just let me know. To learn how to manage your contact preferences for other parts of Microsoft, please read our Privacy Statement

Prepare for certification with Business Applications Cloud Week | March 18-22, 2024

JacquiConradie — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 10:06:55 GMT

EMEA GTM Business Applications Q3 Partner Update Call | 12 March 2024

JacquiConradie — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 15:08:38 GMT

You're invited to the EMEA GTM Business Applications Q3 Partner Update. This event is exclusively curated for Partner Sellers, Alliance Managers, Practice Leads, Pre-Sales professionals, Sales Managers, and Marketing Managers.

Key Topics:

H2 Strategy and Priorities
Programme and Product Updates
Trainings and Events Calendar

Stay at the forefront - don't miss the opportunity to stay ahead of the ever-evolving Business Applications landscape.

Save Your Spot:

Secure your place now on the 12th of March from 09.30 – 10.30 GMT to be part of the conversation.

Register now

What’s next for CSP Partners & Microsoft Copilot Webcast (Business Applications Partner news)

JacquiConradie — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 12:08:29 GMT

What’s next for CSP Partners & Microsoft Copilot Webcast

Summary

On January 16, 2024 Microsoft announced the expansion of Copilot for Microsoft 365 availability to small and medium-sized businesses and how commercial customers can now purchase through Cloud Solution Provider Partners—making Copilot generally available to individuals, enterprises, and everyone in between.

Building on this momentum, last week it was announced that on March 1, 2024 Microsoft Copilot for Sales & Microsoft Copilot for Service become generally available to customers purchasing through Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) partners. Copilot for Sales and Copilot for Service bring together the power of Copilot for Microsoft 365 with role-specific insights and actions to streamline business processes, automate repetitive tasks, and unlock productivity. Both provide flexibility to integrate with existing contact center and CRM systems, such as Microsoft Dynamics 365, Salesforce and ServiceNow, to get more done with less effort.

Customers can purchase Copilot for Sales or Copilot for Service for $50 per user per month as a standalone license that includes Copilot for Microsoft 365. Customers who already own Copilot for Microsoft 365 can step-up for $20 per user per month to purchase Copilot for Sales or Copilot for Service.

These products will be a joint opportunity for Modern Work sellers and Business Applications sellers. They also present a great opportunity for our CSP channel to expand their Cloud footprint, serve the broader needs of customers and grow their businesses.

On February 29, 2024, Microsoft will host a partner webcast “What's next for CSP Partners and Microsoft Copilot” (AM option | PM option) hosted by Giovanni Mezgec, VP of Modern Work + Business Apps Field & Partner Marketing; Emily He, CVP of Business Apps; and David Smith, VP of Global Partner Solutions. Microsoft will provide the latest Copilot updates and showcase how customers and partners are differentiating themselves while expanding their businesses with this exciting and innovative technology.

Call to Action

Learn:

Register for the February 29 partner webcast to learn how to activate this sales motion within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem (AM option | PM option)
Register for the upcoming Q3 CSP Masters Copilot Sales & Technical Bootcamps, where you’ll learn how to develop your Copilot CSP practice with the latest best practices and learnings on expansion, adoption as well as how to extend value with Copilot Studio and role-based Copilots
Use the new Business Central promo campaign kit to accelerate another great AI opportunity for small and medium sized businesses

Resources:

Review the additional adoption and sales guidance on aka.ms/CSPCopilot
Review the Business Central + Microsoft 365 better together blog on February 12 to learn how to expand your Cloud footprint
NEW! Sign up for the Dynamics 365 and Power Platform Partner Newsletters
Follow the Dynamics 365 and Power Platform partner LinkedIn channels
Join and engage in the Business Applications Microsoft Partner Community

Business Applications MCI offers - resources from the call 9 November 2023

James Avenant — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 15:44:28 GMT

Good day, partners,

Thank you to all the Dynamics and Power Platform partners that joined us to learn how you can leverage the MCI offer investments for qualifying Solution Partner Designations.

Here is the deck used in the session.

Warm regards,

JamesA

Enabling the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) partner ecosystem

James Avenant — Wed, 08 Nov 2023 08:55:30 GMT

We are pleased to invite you to our Global Partner Solutions Enablement session for the combined Europe, Middle East and Africa region. During this connection we will unfold key pillars of the Global Enablement Strategy and how that lands in EMEA, along with key strategic offerings and programs towards building partner tech intensity and sales capability.

Don’t miss our “Enabling the EMEA partner ecosystem” session and discover:

How to increase capability for teams and individuals across sales, presales, designations/specializations and delivery
The new programs available on Partner Enablement

When: Wednesday, November 29, 2023 | 3:00 PM – 4:15 PM (GMT+01:00)
Where: Online

November Partner Enablement

James Avenant — Wed, 08 Nov 2023 03:45:51 GMT

November 7, 2023

Industry Cloud | SureStep Ambassador/SMB Resellers | Other Resources

*New* Partner Training Gallery : Bookmark this page to find up-to-date Technical and Sales enablement events, resources and Playbooks.

Copilot

Microsoft Copilot Partner Bootcamp

Learn more about our AI capabilities from both business and technical aspects, with an overview of each Microsoft Copilot solution. We will help demystify AI and Copilot by covering the narrative, customer conversations, and technical requirements across each Copilot solution. Join us to discover how to make the most out of this opportunity and get your customers ready for Copilot.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service Copilot Workshop

Learn how you can empower agents with tools powered by next-generation AI that fuel collaboration and productivity across teams. And transform operations with automation that drives efficiency and generates outcome-based value for customers.

Sales Enablement

FY24 Solution Play Sales Bootcamp

Open to all partners

Learn about the Solution Plays, how to pitch and demo, the opportunity with Copilot, and what programs and resources are available to partners.

November 28 – December 1, 2023

UTC-7, UTC+1, UTC+5:30

Trainings visible once registered.

SMB Sales Bootcamp

Open to all partners

Learn about the Solution Plays, how to pitch and demo, the opportunity with Copilot, and what programs and resources are available to partners.

December 5-8, 2023

UTC-8, UTC+0, UTC+5:30

Trainings visible once registered.

FY24 High Volume Acceleration Fundamentals Program

Open to all Business Applications partners

Learn the best practices Dynamics partners around the world are using to accelerate their Dynamics practice and customer adds.

HVP Fundamentals

November 13-16, 2023

UTC-8

HVP Advanced

November 13 & 29, 2023

UTC-8

Microsoft 365 CSP Masters Program

Windows 365: Selling Windows in the Cloud

Learn how to position, pitch, and discuss opportunities with Windows 365. We will share use-case scenarios, partner profitability, and resources to help you get started.

On-demand Coming Soon

Microsoft 365 CSP Masters Sales Bootcamp

In the sales bootcamp, we will cover:

Microsoft 365 partner opportunity, programs, incentives, and tools for partners
Key customer use cases and sales scenarios across security, productivity, and Cloud PC
Guidance on how to upsell and how to handle common customer objections

Microsoft Low Code Sales Bootcamp

Open to all partners

Learn about the Low Code Solution Play, how to pitch and demo, the opportunity with Copilot in Power Platform, how low code aligns with other practice areas across the Microsoft cloud and what programs and resources are available to partners.

Other on-demand sales content

Help learners become proficient at starting sales conversations, solving customer challenges, pitching Microsoft cloud value, and overcoming objections by showcasing real-time customer benefits.

Sales Bootcamps:

Azure Sales Bootcamp
Business Applications Bootcamp
Modern Work Bootcamp
Security Bootcamp
Do More with Less Sales Bootcamp
Sales Acceleration Bootcamp

Trainings visible once registered.

Microsoft Cloud Executive Enablement Series:

Vodcast: Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program | Microsoft Cloud Executive Enablement Series
Podcast: Microsoft Cloud Executive Enablement Series

Azure

MAICPP Designation : Certification enablement

Azure Cloud Week

This week-long training will result in a deeper knowledge of technical capabilities, allowing participants to deliver exceptional services to Azure customers and prepare for Microsoft certification.

On-demand

On-demand certification prep content

Modular Training Videos

This content is derived from Microsoft Official Curriculum and presented in a modular format for each certification course.



Depth enablement
Uncover new insights, learn about key considerations, and find ways to support customer business challenges with Depth Workshops. Offered as intermediate to advanced technical training and taught by experienced technical professionals, each workshop focuses on a specific topic to help drive deep skills applications across priority solution plays.

Microsoft Fabric Workshop Hands-on lab access will be limited capacity and granted on a first come first serve basis Attend this course to learn more about this comprehensive suite of services, including data lake, data engineering, and data integration, all in one place. November 6-9, 2023 UTC+0 December 4-7, 2023 UTC+5:30 Register here Trainings visible once registered.		Build and Modernize AI Apps on Azure Workshop Hands-on lab access will be limited capacity and granted on a first come first serve basis Learn to leverage the power of Microsoft Azure’s Apps, Data and AI solutions to modernize and build intelligent apps focusing on internal business critical applications and external customer-facing apps. November 13-16, 2023 UTC-8, UTC+0 Register here Trainings visible once registered.

Azure VMware Solution Partner Boot Camp Open to all partners Sales and technical insights into Azure VMWare, a Microsoft service verified by VMware that runs on Azure Infrastructure, and how it can help you modernize applications with Azure native services. November 28-30, 2023 UTC-8, UTC+0, UTC+5:30 Register here Trainings visible once registered.		Migrate and Secure Workloads to Azure Workshop Hands-on lab access will be limited capacity and granted on a first come first serve basis Learn how to design a migration strategy to help your customers migrate their on-premises workloads to Azure using the guidance provided by Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework for Azure. December 4-7, 2023 UTC+0 Register here Trainings visible once registered.

Azure OpenAI Workshop Open to all partners Deepen your understanding of Azure OpenAI Services, tailored for developers and data scientists aiming to do more with less. December 12-14, 2023 UTC+0 Register here Trainings visible once registered.

Other on-demand Azure Depth Trainings

Instructor-led intermediate to advanced technical training with technical experts. Uncover new insights, learn about architecture and implementation considerations, and find innovative ways to support business challenges.

Available Trainings

Azure OpenAI Workshop
Analytics and AI Boot Camp – Fabric Track
Analytics and AI Boot Camp – Azure AI Track
Build and Modernize AI Apps on Azure Workshop
Migrate and Secure Workshop
Enlighten your Apps with Cognitive Capabilities and AI Services
ML and ML-Ops with Azure Machine Learning Service
Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) Workshop
Azure Load Testing Technical Webinar
Azure AI Boot Camp
Azure Networking and Network Security Boot Camp
Innovate Across Hybrid with Azure Arc Boot Camp
Extend and Innovate SAP with Cloud Services Workshop
Data & AI | Azure Synapse Analytics
App Innovation | Modernize .Net Apps
Infrastructure | Azure Virtual Desktop
Infrastructure | Migration to Azure
Well Architected Framework Boot Camp
Modernize Java App and Data with Azure
Azure VMware Solution Boot Camp
App Innovation Boot Camp

Trainings visible once registered.

Business Applications

MAICPP Designation : Certification enablement

Business Applications Cloud Week

Labs will be available to a limited number of Microsoft partner participants. Invitations to the labs will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis

This week-long training will result in a deeper knowledge of technical capabilities, allowing participants to deliver exceptional services to Dynamics 365 and Power Platform customers, and prepare for Microsoft certification.

December 4-8, 2023

UTC-8, UTC+0, UTC+8

On-demand certification prep content

Modular Training Videos

This content is derived from Microsoft Official Curriculum and presented in a modular format for each certification course.

Depth enablement

Uncover new insights, learn about key considerations, and find ways to support customer business challenges with Depth Workshops. Offered as intermediate to advanced technical training and taught by experienced technical professionals, each workshop focuses on a specific topic to help drive deep skills applications across priority solution plays.

Build Next-generation AI-powered Customer Experiences with Dynamics 365 Customer Insights (Data) Workshop

Hands-on lab access will be limited capacity and granted on a first come first serve basis

Learn how to transform customer data into actionable, real-time insights driving customer-centric experiences and processes with Dynamics 365 Customer Insights (Data) and copilot capabilities.

November 7-9, 2023

UTC+5:30, UTC-8

Trainings visible once registered.

FY24 High Volume Acceleration Fundamentals Program

Open to all Business Applications partners

Learn the best practices partners around the world are using to accelerate their Business Applications practices, increasing their Dynamics 365 and Power Platform SMB and SMC customers adds.

HVP Fundamentals

November 13-16, 2023

UTC-8

HVP Advanced

November 13 & 29, 2023

UTC-8

Reimagine Process Automation with AI and Power Automate Workshop

Hands-on lab access will be limited capacity and granted on a first come first serve basis

Learn how to unlock process insights, get guided recommendations powered by AI, and leverage the different low-code automation capabilities to optimize business operations by simplifying processes, reducing delays and errors, and saving costs.

November 20-22, 2023

UTC+5:30

Trainings visible once registered.

FY24 Customer Success Series

Open to all partners

Learn from our customer success experts about the approach, methodology, insights, and best practices to support your customers’ challenges and grow your cloud business.

November 29, 2023

UTC+1

Trainings visible once registered.

Secure and Govern Power Platform at Enterprise Scale Workshop

Hands-on lab access will be limited capacity and granted on a first come first serve basis

Gain an understanding of the architecture of Microsoft Power Platform control that is imperative when designing solutions based on Power Platform.

November 28-30, 2023

UTC-8

Trainings visible once registered.

Innovate with AI and Power Platform Low Code Tools Workshop

Learn how citizen and professional developers alike can leverage AI-powered low code features across Power Apps, Power Automate, Power Virtual Agents and Power Pages for reducing time to market, saving costs and increasing business value with line-of-business solutions.

On-demand Coming Soon

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service Copilot Workshop

Inside the new Dynamics 365 Customers Insights Licensing

Curious about how the new Dynamics 365 Customer Insights will affect your customers? Experts from the Customer Insights team will cover the naming strategy, product experience, and dive deep into licensing scenarios.

Other on-demand Business Applications Depth Trainings

View on-demand content to deepen your skills through instructor-led training with technical experts. Uncover new insights, learn about architecture and implementation considerations, and find innovative ways to support your customer business challenges.

Available Trainings

Optimize Dynamics 365 Implementations with Process-focused Solutions Boot Camp
Secure and Govern Power Platform at Enterprise Scale Workshop
Reimagine Processes Automation with AI and Power Automate Workshop
Innovate with AI & Power Platform
FY23 Customer Success Series
Microsoft Digital Contact Center Platform
Dynamics 365 Project Operations | Project Accounting
Dynamics 365 Finance | Cost Accounting
Power Platform | Architecture & Governance
Microsoft Customer Experience Platform
Extend Dynamics 365 F&O with Power Platform
Dynamics 365 Marketing & CI | Personalize Experiences

Trainings visible once registered.

Modern Work

MAICPP Designation : Certification enablement

Modern Work Cloud Week Labs will be available to a limited number of Microsoft partner participants. Invitations to the labs will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis These week-long virtual events will teach you about Microsoft 365 and Endpoint administration, Microsoft Teams management, and collaborative communication solutions. Each day you will learn from subject matter experts, expand your technical capabilities, and build the skills needed for your role. November 6-10, 2023 UTC-8, UTC+0, UTC+8 Register here		On-demand certification prep content Modular Training Videos This content is derived from Microsoft Official Curriculum and presented in a modular format for each certification course. Register here

Depth enablement

Microsoft Teams Phone Partner Bootcamp Open to all partners To help prepare you for working with customers on upgrading their telephony solutions, we’ve worked together with Microsoft Teams Engineering to create the Teams Phone Bootcamp for Partners. This year we will also be including a Sales track with speakers from our Specialist Technical Unit to share our customer approach, propensity and methodology including toolsets to help your sellers and solution architects identify customers ready to make the transition to Teams Phone and how to structure the business case. November 9, 2023 UTC+5:30 Register here		Microsoft Teams Rooms Partner Sales Bootcamp Open to all partners Join us for the next Microsoft Teams Rooms Partner Sales Bootcamp, where we will share advanced knowledge, experience, and resources designed to help partner sales teams drive the conversation for Microsoft Teams Rooms and how it can turn any space into a smart workplace. November 29, 2023 UTC-7 December 5, 2023 UTC+5:30 Register here

Microsoft 365 CSP Masters Program Unleashing the Power of Cloud PC Windows 365 for IT Pros Learn how to leverage Microsoft Intune and Microsoft 365 Lighthouse for simpler cloud desktop management with demos to illustrate real-world implementation. Attendees will also get access to resources to help them get started. On-demand Coming Soon Powering Business Growth with Microsoft 365 Lighthouse Delve into the innovative Sales Advisor capability and discover how Microsoft 365 Lighthouse simplifies customer management, offers standardized configurations, enhanced security, and robust risk management. On-demand Coming Soon Microsoft 365 CSP Masters Technical Bootcamp In the technical bootcamp, we will cover: Key deployment and management scenarios across Microsoft 365 security, productivity, device management and Cloud PC How to scale services and manage a multitude of customers with Microsoft 365 Lighthouse Management and deployment demos and best practices Register here (On-demand)

Teams Rooms Enablement Opportunities Take advantage of the below skilling opportunities for Teams Rooms. These trainings are based in the Asia region and available for anyone worldwide to attend. Foundations \| Jul – Nov \| All Days / Times Technical Foundations \| Aug – Dec \| Day 1 Technical Foundations \| Aug – Dec \| Day 2 Masterclass: End to End Rooms Management \| Online Event

Security

MAICPP Designation : Certification enablement

Security Cloud Week

Cyber-attacks are a daily threat to businesses around the world, and the demand for skilled professionals is growing. Security Cloud Week for Partners is designed for technical professionals to discover how Microsoft’s Security, Compliance and Identity solutions can meet these threats.

On-demand

On-demand certification prep content

Modular Training Videos

This content is derived from Microsoft Official Curriculum and presented in a modular format for each certification course.

Depth enablement

Microsoft Security Immersion Training

Open to all partners

This 1:Many immersion workshop is a comprehensive, level 400 gamified learning experiences that allow participants to take on the role of security analysts in a fictional security breach scenario. These exclusive events are designed to help Microsoft security partners skill their own analysts in a community event.

Monthly

UTC+5:30, UTC-8, UTC+0

Upcoming Dates

November 15, 16, 2023

December 6, 7, 2023

Threat Protection and Incident Response with Microsoft Sentinel Workshop

Hands-on lab access will be limited capacity and granted on a first come first serve basis

Learn how to deploy and connect this SIEM and SOAR solution to different data sources. Learn how to use intelligent security analytics and threat intelligence capabilities for attack detection, threat visibility, proactive hunting, and threat response.

November 7-10, 2023

UTC-7, UTC+5:30, UTC+0

Trainings visible once registered.

Incident Response with Microsoft 365 Defender and Microsoft Sentinel

Open to all partners

Dig deep into Incident Response Foundations, Incident Response with Microsoft Sentinel, Securing Your Customer Environments Against Ransomware, Hardening Your Azure IaaS Against Attack, Leveraging Threat Intelligence for Indecent Response, Defending Against Phishing Attacks with Microsoft Defender for Office, and Identifying and Preventing Privilege Escalation.

December 11-14, 2023

UTC-8

Trainings visible once registered.

Other on-demand Security, Compliance, and Identity Management Trainings

Intermediate to advanced technical sessions designed to drive deep skills applications by experienced technical professionals across priority solution plays.

Days of the Defender

Designing a Cloud Security Strategy with Microsoft Workshop
Firewall Protection
Defend Against Threats with Microsoft Sentinel
Identify & Access Management with Microsoft Entra
Compliance and Privacy with Microsoft Purview and Priva
Capture the Flag

Other Available Trainings

Fortify your Data Security with Microsoft Purview Workshop
Microsoft Entra Updates and Azure AD Renaming Guidelines
Secure Cloud-Native Applications with Microsoft Defender for Cloud and Integrated Solutions
Implementing Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Workshop
Migrating to Microsoft Sentinel Boot Camp
Security Through the Lens of Zero Trust
Secure All Things with Microsoft Security Solutions
Azure Security Management Deep Dive
Azure Network Security Deep Dive
Implementing Cloud Security with Microsoft 365 Defender Solutions

Trainings visible once registered.

Industry Cloud

Implementing Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability

Open to all partners, labs only selected GSI

Sustainability concepts and how the business thinks about tracking and reporting emissions. Gain advanced knowledge to implement Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability in various customer scenarios and become proficient at configuring the features of Microsoft Sustainability Manager. 

November 13-14, 2023

UTC-8, UTC+1, UTC+8

Trainings visible once registered.

Implementing Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare

Open to all partners, labs only selected GSI

Advanced knowledge of four priority healthcare scenarios for implementing solutions and their capabilities. Analyze customer use cases, learn how to communicate with customers about the features and benefits of Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare (MC4H) and Azure Health Data Services (HDS), then learn how to implement them.

November 27-December 1, 2023

UTC-8, UTC+1, UTC+8

Trainings visible once registered.

On-demand Industry Cloud content

Sustainability: Sustainability concepts and how the business thinks about tracking and reporting emissions.
Healthcare: Advanced knowledge of four priority healthcare scenarios for implementing solutions and their capabilities.

Trainings visible once registered.

SureStep Ambassador / SMB Resellers

Business Applications Cloud Week

Labs will be available to a limited number of Microsoft partner participants. Invitations to the labs will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis

Business Applications Cloud Week for Partners is a virtual skilling event designed to demonstrate the power of Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power Platform. This week-long training will result in a deeper knowledge of technical capabilities, allowing participants to deliver exceptional services to Business Applications customers and prepare for Microsoft certification.

December 4-8, 2023

UTC-8, UTC+0, UTC+8

SMB Sales Bootcamp

Open to all partners

Learn about the Solution Plays, how to pitch and demo, the opportunity with Copilot, and what programs and resources are available to partners.

December 5-8, 2023

UTC-8, UTC+0, UTC+5:30

Trainings visible once registered.

Microsoft 365 CSP Masters Program

Windows 365: Selling Windows in the Cloud

Learn how to position, pitch, and discuss opportunities with Windows 365. We will share use-case scenarios, partner profitability, and resources to help you get started.

On-demand Coming Soon

Unleashing the Power of Cloud PC Windows 365 for IT Pros

Learn how to leverage Microsoft Intune and Microsoft 365 Lighthouse for simpler cloud desktop management with demos to illustrate real-world implementation. Attendees will also get access to resources to help them get started.

On-demand Coming Soon

Powering Business Growth with Microsoft 365 Lighthouse

Delve into the innovative Sales Advisor capability and discover how Microsoft 365 Lighthouse simplifies customer management, offers standardized configurations, enhanced security, and robust risk management.

On-demand Coming Soon

Sales Bootcamp

In the sales bootcamp, we will cover:

Microsoft 365 partner opportunity, programs, incentives, and tools for partners
Key customer use cases and sales scenarios across security, productivity, and Cloud PC
Guidance on how to upsell and how to handle common customer objections

Technical Bootcamp

In the technical bootcamp, we will cover:

Key deployment and management scenarios across Microsoft 365 security, productivity, device management and Cloud PC
How to scale services and manage a multitude of customers with Microsoft 365 Lighthouse
Management and deployment demos and best practices

Level-Up LMS
SureStep Ambassadors

The Level-Up Learning Management System provides skilling aligned to mainstream solution plays through an on-demand platform. Courses are embedded with assessments to drive Sales, Pre-Sales and Depth enablement.

Note: Access is limited and must be requested via AskGPSEnablement@microsoft.com. In the subject line, include the words "Level-Up Access Request" and in the body of your email, indicate your name, work email address and which Microsoft partner you work with.

Explore Level-Up

Other Resources

Microsoft Customer Engagement Methodology (MCEM) for Partners *New Resource

Microsoft Customer Engagement Methodology (MCEM) for Partners connects Microsoft sales, support, industry solutions delivery, and partners to bring more value to the customer by placing them at the heart of every deal. By employing this methodology, we can co-innovate and co-develop with our customers, understanding their unique needs and desired outcomes.

Please visit the landing page for more information and see below for available videos.

Microsoft Applied Skills *New Resource

Announcing Microsoft Applied Skills, the new scenario-based credentials that provide learners with validation of targeted skills. Advances in AI, cloud computing, and emerging technologies have made it more important than ever to demonstrate proficiency in the most sought-after technical skills and we are proud Microsoft is leading the way.

For more information, read the blog on MS Learn: Announcing Microsoft Applied Skills, the new credentials to verify in-demand technical skills.

Resources

Partner Playbooks

The Partner Playbooks are guides to enablement offerings, helping partners skill-up wherever they are in their learning journey. Playbooks are updated regularly.

Partner Training Gallery

The Partner Training Gallery includes Technical and Sales enablement events (live and on-demand), resources and Playbooks. This site will be updated frequently.

Partner Tech Connect – Azure Cosmos DB - Monthly Brownbag Sessions

The Azure Cosmos DB Engineering Group leads a monthly technical session for registered members of the Azure Cosmos DB partner community. Each session focuses on a topic chosen based on popular demand and includes a portion dedicated to the Roadmap.

To register you can join the community at: https://aka.ms/cosmosdbptc

As a member of Azure Cosmos DB’s technical community you can raise your queries at Stackoverflow by using tag azure-cosmosdb-partner or Microsoft Q&A.

Microsoft Learn Career Connected

Microsoft Learn Career Connected brings together skilling organizations, newly skilled job-seekers, and employers in need of talent. This Talent Coalition creates community of connection where people can discover opportunity, further develop their skills, build relationships, and hire the right people for the right roles.

Learn More and Get Started Today

Partner Academy

Microsoft offers a wealth of partner programs, tools, resources, and campaign tools that help partners uncover new sales opportunities, reach new customers, and expand their business.

Partner Academy is here to connect the dots between those programs, help navigate through multiple resources and allow partners to have richer conversations with their customers! The Academy will focus on simplifying the complexity of key programs, streamline go-to-market opportunities and accelerate sales engagement and support from Microsoft.

Other useful information

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Partner Technical Webinars: Register for News & Updates

MeganSmith — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 14:51:01 GMT

Our Global Events team has taken responsibility for delivering 1:Many Partner Technical Webinars, these are no longer delivered by the local PSAs.

If you want to receive updates on upcoming Webinars/Bootcamps, please register at https://aka.ms/AFGPSSignup

NEW! Microsoft Copilot Sales Bootcamp

madgray — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 08:22:58 GMT

NEW! Microsoft Copilot Sales Bootcamp

We’re pleased to invite you to register to enroll in the Microsoft Copilot Sales Bootcamp! This multi-day partner event addresses the new era of AI across the Microsoft Cloud. Join us to learn more about our AI capabilities from both business and technical aspects, with an overview of each Microsoft Copilot solution.

Register to enroll today!

The event will take place on the following dates and times:

September 19-21, 9:00-10:30 AM, Pacific Time
September 20-22, 9:00-10:30 AM, London Summer and India Standard Time

We help demystify AI and Copilot by covering the narrative, customer conversations, and technical requirements to take advantage of the AI opportunity. Discover how to make the most of this opportunity and get your customers ready for Copilot.

What will this event cover?

What Azure OpenAI and Copilot are and their capabilities
Understanding the AI and Copilot narrative and customer conversation
Customer technical requirements to adopt the various Copilots
How Copilot is licensed
Leveraging Copilot to accelerate Dynamics, Microsoft 365, and Power Platform sales
Privacy, security, and compliance

Who is this event for?

All role types from executives to sellers to architects
Anyone looking to understand Microsoft’s AI capabilities across all areas and incorporate them into their customer conversations and projects
Anyone experienced in role, but new to Microsoft + AI

Be on the lookout for additional deliveries for LATAM, EMEA, and APAC with closed captioning supporting 11 languages.

Register to enroll today!

You are invited to: Microsoft Azure Programs Sessions

MeganSmith — Wed, 09 Aug 2023 12:53:38 GMT

We aspire to empower your organization further by sharing the top Azure partner opportunities in the market today & also provide an overview of the various GTM programs & investments available to you to generate new & accelerate existing Azure opportunities. This session aims to help partners drive customer engagements from end-to-end - from an initial listening session to derive a customer's key priorities, right through to deployment and achieving profitability through managed services.

Session # Date
Session 1 Aug 15th Click here to register for the event
Session 2 Aug 16th Click here to register for the event
Session 3 Aug 22nd Click here to register for the event
Session 4 Aug 23rd Click here to register for the event
Session 5 Aug 29th Click here to register for the event
Session 6 Aug 30th Click here to register for the event

Welcome to the MCI Partner Landing Page for Webinars & On-Demand Content

MeganSmith — Thu, 27 Jul 2023 14:25:40 GMT

MCI Partner sessions are dedicated to assist Partners with questions related to new and/or existing incentive offers in MCI. In this page, you will find upcoming adoption call or webinar events that you can register to attend or listen back to past recordings.

Important! The events below will be recorded so you can watch again or share with anyone who was unable to attend live. Simply use this landing page to access the recording after the event ends.

Also, materials for these events will be provided. Simply click on the event link from this page to access the attachments for the event.

We look forward to connecting with you.

MCILandingPage Listing Page (eventbuilder.com)

Supercharge Your Developer Productivity with GitHub Copilot - Presented by Scott Hanselman

MeganSmith — Sun, 23 Jul 2023 12:51:24 GMT

We are excited to invite you to an exclusive event focused on accelerating your development productivity with GitHub Co-pilot. Join us for "Supercharge Your Developer Productivity with GitHub Co-pilot" featuring the renowned industry expert, Scott Hanselman.

As a developer, this event is specifically designed to help you unlock the potential of AI-assisted development tools and the comprehensive Microsoft development platform to innovate faster and streamline your development process.

Discover how GitHub Co-pilot, a cutting-edge AI-assisted tool, can transform your development process, enhance collaboration, and boost productivity. Scott Hanselman will share his expertise, best practices, and hands-on guidance on leveraging GitHub Co-pilot effectively, empowering you to maximize your productivity and achieve your development goals.

Join us for an engaging morning session that will kick off with a warm welcome from the Microsoft Customer Success Organization lead, followed by an Executive keynote to set the stage for an informative and inspiring event. Throughout the event, you can expect engaging sessions, live demos, and in-depth discussions on the following topics:

1. Spreading the Developer Joy with Scott Hanselman

2. Supercharge your Developer Productivity with GitHub Co-pilot by Scott Hanselman

Secure your spot today to be a part of this exclusive event that will equip you with the knowledge and tools to accelerate your development productivity. Register now and take advantage of this unique opportunity to boost your productivity and streamline your development process with the power of AI-assisted development tools and the comprehensive Microsoft development platform.

Date: 3 August 2023

Time: 8h00-12h00 GMT+2

Venue: Microsoft South Africa, 3012 William Nicol Drive, Bryanston, Johannesburg, South Africa, 2191

Note: Attendance is by registration only and no-walk-ins will be permitted entry.

We look forward to having you join us for this transformative experience!

Register Here Now

Azure Open AI – What to build first?

deBruinJJ — Tue, 11 Jul 2023 07:56:50 GMT

Introduction

Azure OpenAI is a powerful tool that can be used to automate processes, extract insights from data, and improve customer satisfaction across a variety of industry verticals. With Azure OpenAI, businesses can create chatbots, analyze customer interactions, detect patterns, generate descriptions, manage store scheduling, translate documents, and automate route and reduce resolution time of helpdesk tickets. Additionally, Azure OpenAI can be used to generate image models for advertisements, extract key information from call logs, suggest long item descriptions, and use intent classification, entity extraction, and sentiment analysis.

Purpose

The purpose of this document is to provide an overview of the similarities that exist across various industry sectors. It is important to understand these similarities as they can serve as a useful starting point when creating an Azure Open AI offering. The following sections will outline the commonalities observed in different industries and provide recommendations based on these findings.

Findings

The commonalities between the use cases across the different industry verticals are the use of Azure OpenAI to automate processes, extract insights from data, and improve customer satisfaction. The use of Azure OpenAI can be used to create chatbots, analyze customer interactions, detect patterns, generate descriptions, manage store scheduling, translate documents, and automate route and reduce resolution time of helpdesk tickets. Additionally, Azure OpenAI can be used to generate image models for advertisements, extract key information from call logs, suggest long item descriptions, and use intent classification, entity extraction, and sentiment analysis.

Suggestions

Azure Open AI Chatbot

The first generic use-case to solve would be to use Azure OpenAI to automate customer service processes. This could include using Azure OpenAI to create a chatbot that can assist customers with common questions and tasks. Additionally, Azure OpenAI could be used to analyze customer interactions and detect patterns that may indicate fraudulent activity. This could help to improve customer satisfaction and reduce the need for manual customer service processes.

A repeatable solution that could be marketed would be to use Azure OpenAI to create a customer service chatbot that can assist customers with common questions and tasks. This chatbot could be customized to the specific needs of the customer and could be used to improve customer satisfaction and reduce the need for manual customer service processes. Additionally, the chatbot could be used to detect patterns that may indicate fraudulent activity, helping to improve security and reduce the risk of fraud.

Semantic Search

One of the most powerful features of Azure Open AI is its semantic search capabilities. Semantic search is a type of search that uses natural language processing to understand the meaning of a query and return more relevant results. With Azure Open AI, developers can create applications that can understand the intent of a user’s query and return more accurate results. Semantic search can be incredibly useful across different industry verticals, as it allows for more accurate and efficient search results, for example:

Healthcare: Semantic search can be used to quickly and accurately search through medical records and research papers to find relevant information. It can also be used to identify potential drug interactions and to provide personalized medical advice.
Retail: Semantic search can be used to quickly and accurately search through product catalogs and customer reviews to find the best products for a given customer. It can also be used to identify related products and to provide personalized product recommendations.
Education: Semantic search can be used to quickly and accurately search through educational materials and research papers to find relevant information. It can also be used to identify potential learning opportunities and to provide personalized learning advice.
Financial Services: Semantic search can be used to quickly and accurately search through financial records and research papers to find relevant information. It can also be used to identify potential investment opportunities and to provide personalized financial advice.

A repeatable solution that could be marketed would be to use Azure OpenAI to create the basis for a sematic search solution to allow customers to query and return more relevant results based on their internal documentation etc.

Building

If you are looking to create a proof-of-concept (PoC) version of the above suggestion, the following links can provide you with the necessary resources to get started.

Chatbots

Sematic Search

Cookbook

OpenAI Cookbook - https://github.com/openai/openai-cookbook

Use Cases

Examples:

Description: Aircraft company using to convert natural language to SQL for aircraft telemetry data.

Example Architecture:

Description: Insurance companies extract information from volumes of unstructured data to automate claim handling processes.

Example Architecture:

[UPDATE] You are invited to The FY24 Partner Fast Start Sessions

MeganSmith — Fri, 21 Jul 2023 10:11:01 GMT

[UPDATE]

Please note that the FY24 Partner Fast Start Sessions have been temporarily postponed and will be rescheduled to a later date. Check back for new dates in the next few days.

The FY24 Partner Fast Start Sessions: Brought to you by the Africa Global Partner Solutions team.

With the beginning of the next financial year fast approaching, the Microsoft Africa Global Partner Solutions Team (GPS) has begun our FY24 Partner planning journey.

It is important for our Partner ecosystem to align with Microsoft’s current priorities, strategies, and targets. We want to use this opportunity to encourage accelerated growth, targeting of key customer segments and differentiation through innovation.

Please join us for a series of sessions with the Microsoft Africa GTM Leads, Sales Leads (Commercial Solution Area) and Consumption Leads (Customer Success Unit). Learn more about the FY24 Solution Area focuses that will be used across business planning and execution, sales enablement, customer engagement and capacity planning.

Simple and clear | One organization | One language

The Go-to-Market Leads will showcase key accomplishments in FY23 and outline their vision for the upcoming year. The Commercial Solution Area team will provide comprehensive updates to partner organizations regarding solution areas, solution plays and technical capabilities. Special emphasis will be placed on highlighting hero products and generating a strong pipeline. The Customer Success Unit will present strategies to enhance collaboration between Microsoft and the partner ecosystem, ensuring customers achieve maximum value from their investments. Additionally, the Global Partner Solutions team will offer insights on optimal co-selling practices with Microsoft, along with an overview of the available programs designed to support such collaborations.

Each of the six sessions will align to a different solution area and cover the following flow of agenda points:

• Introduction
• FY23 Highlights | Evolution to FY24
• Solution Area Deep Dive | Cross Solution Strategy
• Realising Customer Value with the CSU | Selling with Microsoft
• Pipeline Generation Activities
• Call To Action

Register now for the Microsoft PartnerCloud for Sustainability Webinar! | July 12 at 3pm CET, UTC+2)

madgray — Tue, 04 Jul 2023 06:25:48 GMT

The Microsoft PartnerCloud for Sustainability Webinar!

Sustainability is one of the most important topics on every company agenda. Microsoft is support its ecosystem in the transition to good ESG practices through the Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability which helps customers create their own operational efficiencies to reduce their environmental impact.

Webinar objective: Presenting to partners updates of the Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability and familiarizing them with the latest features.

Partners: Azure Data AI, Analytics; D365, Power Apps, Power Bi | System Integrators, Global , Regional and Local ones, Primary Services Partners (also Distributors, LSPs), ISVs (Global\local) interested in Sustainability.

When: July 12^th3:00 PM – 4:00 PM CEST (UTC +2) – VIRTUAL

Registration page (REGISTHER HERE manual page): https://msevents.microsoft.com/event?id=907438786

Why you should attend?

Seize customer interest: Leverage the growing customer interest and create new revenue opportunities by offering sustainability capabilities.
Stay ahead of regulations: Actively build the capabilities required to support your customers in meeting growing reporting requirements through advanced technological solutions.
Discover our competitive product roadmap: Become empowered to deploy Microsoft Sustainability Manager (MSM) effectively and become a top sustainability partner to both Microsoft and its customers.

Please join us for the webinar on July 12^th 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM CEST (UTC +2), to hear from MCfS Engineering Team “What’s new in MCfS – June release”.

Agenda

Speaker

Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability overview

What’s new? June release update

Harnessing the power of ESG data
Data calculation models updates
Addressing new CSRD regulations
Moving sustainability journey beyond carbon (water, waste)
…and more

Demo: Microsoft Sustainability Manager

Shelly Bakke

Principal Program Manager

Cloud for Sustainability

Microsoft

Once registered, you will get link to the webinar including all the details.

The webinar is dedicated to any partner who wants to understand Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability, CTO, CSO, CISO, cloud architects, data analyst, data engineers, anyone who embraces business opportunities with Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability.

PARTNER RESOURCES | Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability

Thank you and looking forward seeing you on the event!

AMMP (New! AMM) Partner Community Call on July 6th at 8 AM & 5 PM PST

madgray — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 11:45:24 GMT

AMMP (New! AMM) Partner Community Call

Please join this call for the changes to the Azure Analytics and AI Accelerate Program (AAAP) as well as the Azure Migration and Modernization Program (AMMP).

While we will announce this news at Inspire, we are giving Azure Specialized Partners with Advanced Specialization(s) a preview.

Please join our next AMMP Community Call, details below, to learn about these exciting changes.

It is scheduled on July 6th at 8 AM & 5 PM PST.

Agenda items will include:

What’s coming for AMMP (both Partner-led & Field-led) in FY24 starting July 1^st
How Microsoft will measure AMMP Partner-led Partner Performance
Open Q&A

Both sessions will be presenting the same content. So please register for one session first to allow space for others.

For questions reach reach out to AMMPpartner@microsoft.com