April update: What’s new for partners in AI Business Solutions
Navigate to News and Announcements | Incentives and Offers | Skilling and Events | Go-To-Market | Customer Success News and Announcements Introducing Microsoft 365 E7, the Frontier Suite built to empower customers to seize the agentic moment and drive Frontier Transformation. Microsoft 365 E7 and Microsoft Agent 365 will be generally available as of May 1, 2026. Read more in our blog post and explore Frontier Transformation resources for tools and strategies to move AI from experiment to enterprise-wide impact. You can also build capabilities for Microsoft 365 E7 and Agent 365 with our development guide, launch kit, and partner incentives. The new Dynamics 365 Blog from Mike Morton, VP of Microsoft Dynamics Business Central, highlights findings from a Forrester Total Economic Impact™ (TEI) study, providing third-party validation you can use in customer conversations. Expanded Immersion Briefings and assessment updates reinforce partners’ role in driving hands‑on adoption, not just selling. Discover the Expanded Scope + Copilot Studio for Customer Relationship Management (CRM) & Employee Resource Planning (ERP) Envisioning Workshops, with updated eligibility and refreshed assets for CRM, ERP, and Business Central. Stay informed with the AI Business Processes Partner Activities (ABPA) partner blog. Access the ready-to-deliver Business Central Immersion Briefings Kit. Explore AI Business Solutions & Security Partner eXperience (ASPX), a new Partner Center experience that brings Microsoft-aligned insights into partner workflows. ASPX provides a unified view of customer usage, licensing, renewals, security readiness, and incentive eligibility—aligned with the same models used by the Microsoft global sales force. Explore ASPX in Partner Center and identify priority customers and opportunities. Bring ASPX data directly to your sellers via API to reduce manual work. Learn more and level up by joining us for the Making ASPX real: Partner showcase community call on April 28, 2026. The M365 Copilot, Copilot Chat, and Agents Activation Kits are purpose-built for sellers to confidently lead customer conversations and accelerate opportunities with corporate and small and medium-sized business (SMB) customers. Each kit includes a one-page seller guide and ready-to-send customer engagement resources, including a customer summary, IT readiness mini-guide, and pitch deck for each solution. Download the kits, use them in your next customer meeting or workshop, and bookmark the links for quick access to this content and future refreshes. Microsoft is expanding in-market offers and investments to accelerate Copilot adoption throughout each part of customer organizations. Increase license coverage, build momentum beyond pilots, and position Microsoft 365 Copilot as the foundation for scalable AI productivity with a limited-time 30% Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) promotion that’s complementary to the existing 15% and 20% promotions. Month-to-month CSP billing flexibility is now available for Microsoft 365 Copilot Business and respective bundles. We’re increasing the maximum license cap for eligible CSP promotions from 2,400 to 9,999 licenses to support high-volume deals and reduce friction. This update aligns guidance across Core, Security, and Copilot to accelerate upsell momentum. The new, digital Microsoft Commercial Partner Incentives Guide delivers clear navigation, direct paths to engagement, and faster access to the most up-to-date guidance—all in one place. Now, you can search incentives by category, quickly confirm eligibility, and act swiftly on opportunities with live links that connect you to the next action. Sign in to access the new incentives guide. Incentives and Offers Accelerate Microsoft 365 E7 adoption with three-year and annual offers. Offer your customers a discounted rate for the new Frontier Suite. From May 1, 2026, to December 31, 2026, Small, Medium, Enterprise, and Corporate (SME&C) CSP customers worldwide can receive up to 15% off their Microsoft 365 E7 subscription. Offers vary by subscription length and seat purchase. Check out the offer FAQ for more details and next actions. Save up to 35% with Microsoft 365 Copilot Business promotional offers, available to all CSP partners on annual commitments (monthly or annual billing) through June 30. Explore offer details and learn how to activate using the Microsoft 365 Copilot Business Launch Kit. Tap into Microsoft 365 opportunities and deliver Secure AI Productivity Envisioning and Proof of Concept (PoC) engagements. These funded engagements help customers move forward with Microsoft 365 adoption—while positioning partners to drive incremental revenue ahead of upcoming pricing and packaging changes. Strengthen data security for Copilot at a lower cost with Microsoft Purview Suite for Microsoft 365 Copilot, which is available at 50% off through June 30, 2026. Explore new promotions for three-year CSP subscriptions. Transition customers from on-premises solutions or upgrade from Microsoft Office 365 with 10% discount promotions for new-to-E3 or new-to-E5 customers or Defender and Purview Suites on CSP three-year subscription terms through June 30, 2026. Lead a 90-minute interactive Security Immersion Briefing on Microsoft Defender for Business Premium and Microsoft Purview for Business Premium (50–300 licenses). Serve as a trusted security advisor and empower customers to tackle rising cybersecurity threats. We’ve removed execution caps, so partners can now run unlimited briefings with up to 20 open at a time. With new delivery options, distributors and resellers can collaborate or deliver directly—creating more flexibility and scale. Skilling and Events Explore AI Business Solutions Partner Events for curated virtual experiences focused on empowering partners with the insights, frameworks, and go-to-market strategies needed to drive AI adoption, deliver measurable customer outcomes, and accelerate revenue growth. Each event is tailored to specific partner audiences and designed to bridge vision and execution—equipping you with the knowledge and tools to confidently guide customers through their AI transformation journey. Visit the Partner Skilling Hub for the latest training resources to attain Solutions Partner designations and earn specializations. Join us for the Making ASPX real: Partner showcase community call on April 28, 2026. Through real‑world examples, hear how partners are accelerating insights, improving execution, and realizing tangible business benefits using ASPX. This session is designed to inspire practical adoption and highlight proven best practices from the field. Register now (8:00 AM–9:00 AM PST [Americas/EMEA], 7:00 PM–8:00 PM PST [Asia]) Register for the LevelUp CSP technical bootcamp: Building secure, cost-controlled agent solutions on May 5, 2026. Learn how to assess customer readiness for intelligent agents, design secure and cost-controlled agent architectures, and confidently prepare customer environments for enterprise deployment. Gain clear guidance on positioning Agent 365 and first-party agents as scalable, repeatable solutions that meet customer security, governance, and financial expectations. Register now (8:00 AM–12:00 PM CET [EMEA], 8:00 AM–12:00 PM PST [Americas]) Watch Digital Airlift: Leading Frontier Transformation for CSP and SI Partners. Alex Zagury and Jeremy Welch hosted a special airlift digital partner event focused on leading Frontier Transformation. This session shows how to move beyond AI pilots and guide customers from AI experimentation to secure, governed, organization-wide adoption using Microsoft 365 E7—shifting the conversation from capabilities to consistent governance and measurable business outcomes that enable Frontier Transformation. Watch the session on demand. Go-To-Market Explore a curated portfolio of partner-ready, customizable marketing campaigns designed for partners to showcase how Microsoft AI can transform productivity, streamline processes, and drive measurable business outcomes. These campaigns provide ready-to-use messaging, assets, and guidance tailored to accelerate adoption of Microsoft 365, Microsoft 365 Copilot, and Dynamics 365—all grounded in secure, responsible AI principles. Visit Partner Marketing Center to explore AI Business Solutions campaigns, align to customer needs, and activate your next go-to-market motion. The Partner Center AI assistant now highlights which Microsoft 365 Business customers are approaching renewal—and which are strong candidates for Copilot Business—so your team can prioritize high-potential accounts, quickly identify eligible promotions, and turn renewals into targeted upsell opportunities with less manual effort. Sign in to Partner Center to access the AI assistant and request your Microsoft 365 Business renewal recommendations. The ASPX (AI Business Solutions and Security Partner eXperience) partner page equips you with ASPX guidance, including the walking deck and playbook, to drive AI Business Solutions plays across Copilot, Agents at Work, and Secure AI Productivity. Customer Success IDC Technologies revolutionizes higher education with Microsoft 365 Copilot: With strategic implementation and tailored workshops, IDC Technologies equipped a government education institution in the UAE to adopt, embrace, and thrive with Copilot. ITCG boosts an accounting firm’s precision with Microsoft 365 Copilot: ITCG created an integrated experience with Microsoft 365 Copilot that resulted in precision, streamlined workflows, and impactful business decisions for G K Choksi & Co, a well-known Chartered Accountant Firm based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. Insight Canada empowers clients to maximize Microsoft 365 Copilot value: With a robust readiness assessment and customizable adoption pilot program, Insight Canada teaches clients how to customize Copilot and create value across industries. RSM reimagines the future of work: Leading professional services firm RSM acted as Customer Zero by globally scaling Microsoft 365 Copilot to transform operations, upskill teams, and act as a knowledge repository. Click "follow" in the top right of the tag AI Business Solutions to stay updated on monthly AI Business Solutions partner news.May update: What’s new for partners in AI Business Solutions
This month’s AI Business Solutions partner update spotlights the general availability of Microsoft 365 E7 and Agent 365, expanded model choice in Microsoft 365 Copilot with Anthropic Claude Opus 4.7, and new agentic ERP momentum in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. It also features refreshed incentives and promotions across Microsoft 365, Copilot, Windows 365, and the Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) offering, alongside critical pricing and end-of-support reminders that create near‑term renewal and upgrade opportunities. Partners will find robust skilling and go‑to‑market support—from MCAPS Start for Partners and Agent 365 bootcamps to Power Platform and Copilot Studio wave 1 updates—designed to help scale AI practices, accelerate pipeline, and deliver measurable customer value in the era of agentic AI. Navigate to News and Announcements | Incentives and Offers | Skilling and Events | Go-To-Market | Customer Success News and Announcements Microsoft 365 E7 and Agent 365 now generally available: Microsoft 365 E7 is the Frontier Suite powered by Work IQ, bundling Microsoft 365 E5, Microsoft Copilot, and Agent 365 into a single solution integrated with the apps and security stakes customers already rely on. Microsoft 365 E7 and Agent 365 are designed to equip partners to build and scale agentic AI practices—bringing together skilling resources, seller readiness, and scenario‑based guidance aligned to consistent customer engagement across the CSP lifecycle. View the blog post for more details. Available today: Anthropic Claude Opus 4.7 in Microsoft 365 Copilot: As part of our Frontier Transformation investments, we’ve expanded model choice in Microsoft 365 Copilot with the addition of Anthropic’s latest model, Claude Opus 4.7, in Copilot Cowork (Frontier) and Copilot Studio early release cycle environments, and we are rolling it out in Copilot in Excel. Opus 4.7 in Copilot is faster, more precise, and better at choosing the right tool for the task, following instructions more closely and routing requests to the right capabilities and Work IQ data. Exciting updates on Microsoft Business Central: Three new updates are live, including a new Forrester Total Economic Impact™ study that projects strong ROI for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central,* a refreshed Business Central Immersion Briefing, and the new Expense Agent for Business Central that simplifies receipt capture, expense categorization, and approvals. View the Business Central Expense Agent demo, explore the pitch deck, and read the IT Pro blog for more info. Shape the future of Microsoft AI Business Solutions: Consider participating in a Forrester Total Economic Impact™ study on how partners drive business value with solutions like Microsoft 365 Copilot and Agents, Microsoft 365, Windows 365, Power Platform, and Dynamics 365. Complete a brief 15-minute survey to share your insights. New, flexible billing for GitHub Copilot: GitHub Copilot is transitioning to usage-based billing, replacing premium request limits with a monthly allocation of GitHub AI Credits per plan, with the option to purchase additional usage. Billing will be based on token consumption—including input, output, and cached tokens—aligned to each model’s API rates. This shift better reflects actual usage and supports a more sustainable, reliable Copilot experience. Learn more and drive growth with partner resources. Microsoft Office LTSC 2021 and Visio LTSC 2021 nearing end of support: Support for Microsoft Office LTSC 2021, Project LTSC 2021, and Visio LTSC 2021 ends on October 13, 2026. After this date, customers will no longer receive updates, security fixes, or technical support—introducing increased security, compliance, and reliability risks. This milestone creates a clear opportunity for partners to help customers modernize by moving to cloud‑based productivity solutions. Review the Partner Center announcement for details. Incentives and Offers Drive Microsoft 365 E3 and Microsoft 365 E5 adoption: Microsoft continues to offer various one-year and three-year promotions on Microsoft 365 E3 and E5 suites. Existing promotions include a 20% off one-year Microsoft 365 E3 targeted offer for select customers (250+ seats), a 15% off one-year Microsoft 365 E5 new-to-offer promotion (1+ seats), and a three-year 10% off NTO promotion on both Microsoft 365 E3 and E5 (100+ seats). Win customers with Microsoft 365 E7 promotions: Drive Microsoft 365 E7 adoption with one-year and three-year promotions. While most promotions went live on May 1, 2026, note that some may be released later. One-year Microsoft 365 E7 promotional offers: 10% off Microsoft 365 E7 annual terms (1-yr) Seat minimum 10 | Seat maximum 9,999 15% off Microsoft 365 E7 annual terms (1-yr) Seat minimum 100 | Seat maximum 9,999 Three-year Microsoft 365 E7 promotional offer: 15% off Microsoft 365 E7 triennial terms (3-yr) Seat minimum 300 | Seat maximum 9,999 Please note that three-year Microsoft 365 E7 promotional offers will only be available with an upfront billing option. Three-year paid annually is currently not supported on Microsoft 365 E7 three-year offers. Microsoft Windows 365 promotion and price decrease: Windows 365 continues to lower the barrier to entry for customers looking to adopt Cloud PCs. To further support partners in accelerating Windows 365 sales, Microsoft is introducing two important pricing updates. 20% off all Windows 365 plans extended till June 30, 2026: Microsoft has extended the 20% discount for customers new to Windows 365 through June 30, 2026, giving partners more time to land new customers and reengage deals delayed by budget constraints. The offer applies to all Windows 365 Cloud PC configurations across Enterprise, Frontline, Government, and Business editions, empowering partners to accelerate first-time purchases with a compelling, time-bound incentive. Windows 365 Business 20% price decrease: Microsoft has introduced a 20% list price decrease for Windows 365 Business. Paired with a new on-demand start experience, this update lowers the entry point for small and medium-sized business (SMB) customers while preserving the full Windows 365 Business value and capabilities partners and customers expect. Microsoft Commercial Partner Incentives Guide: Find and activate incentives in one place with the digital incentives guide. Now delivered through an online experience, the Microsoft Commercial Partner Incentives Guide gives you clear navigation, direct paths to engagement, and faster access to up‑to‑date guidance. Explore the guide and share feedback in our upcoming partner community calls, which you can register for in the Americas/EMEA or in Asia. Reduced Dragon Copilot pricing: Partners can expand Dragon Copilot adoption more easily with a simplified per‑user license type offered at a reduced list price across all supported geographies. View the Partner Center announcement for details. Reminder: Microsoft 365 price increase: Microsoft is expanding security and management capabilities across commercial Microsoft 365 suites this year, with a global pricing update taking effect across all purchasing channels on July 1, 2026. This creates a critical window for partners to accelerate renewals and upgrades—and for Scale Solution Provider (SSP) partners to drive Enterprise Agreement upgrade decisions—ahead of the price change. Customers who renew before July 1 can keep current pricing and maintain continuity, while partners can help SMBs lock in affordable, secure AI productivity with Microsoft 365 Copilot Business bundles. The updated pricing and packaging also unlock strong upsell opportunities to Microsoft 365 E3/E5 and Microsoft 365 Business plus Microsoft 365 Copilot at renewal. Be sure to activate available incentives and offers—as well as key promotions—to help customers adopt AI and realize value faster. Skilling and Events Strengthen your Agent 365 capabilities: Build AI agent expertise fast with a range of sales and technical skilling options—from Transform your business with AI Agents in Microsoft 365 sales training series (including the Agent 365 licensing deep dive) to the Implement Agent 365 to observe, govern, and secure AI Apps, Copilot & Agents three‑day technical bootcamp. You can also view the Leading Frontier Firm Transformation Digital Airlift recording with the accompanying SI deck and CSP deck, refreshed vision and solution decks, as well as the Frontier Transformation Partner Opportunity Deck. Power Platform and updates to Microsoft Copilot Studio 2026 release wave 1: See what’s coming in Power Platform and Microsoft Copilot Studio with the 2026 release wave one. The release plan outlines new and updated features, delivery timelines, and scenarios for how organizations are using the latest capabilities. Start FY27 ready to execute and scale Copilot and agents: Join us at MCAPS Start for Partners for a deep dive into how product-led growth and Frontier Transformation are empowering partners to design, build, and deploy agents tailored to real customer scenarios—and how you can expand into high-growth workloads like business processes and Cloud PC. Save the date, stay tuned for registration details, and get ready to maximize growth in the era of agentic AI. Get ready for the Partner of the Year Awards: It's almost that time of year again: the Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards are quickly approaching. Nominations open on June 1 and close on July 7. Learn more about the awards, start preparing your organization’s submissions, and be on the lookout for more details coming in mid-May. Sharpen your AI workforce and process skills: Browse the events below and visit the Partner Skilling Hub to discover the latest skilling event calendars, playbooks, and updates. ERP Transformation with AI and agents in Dynamics 365: Join this 11-episode series designed for sellers and technical sellers to learn how Microsoft Dynamics 365 Agentic ERP can empower companies to boost productivity, cost efficiency, and agility across business processes. Explore Part 1 (now on demand) and Part 2. MCP & AI agents across Dynamics 365 Sales & Service: Solution architects, technical leads, and developers will learn how to design, build, and scale secure AI-powered solutions leveraging first-party agents and MCP servers for Sales, Customer Service, and Contact Center. Check out the latest on-demand skilling opportunities: Across AI Business Solutions you'll find opportunities for members in your organization to expand the presales, sales, and technical skills that can grow your practice. Check out some of the recent on-demand skilling opportunities below: CSP & SI Partner Airlift: Leading Frontier Transformation with Copilot, Agents and M365 Suites Accelerate your AI transformation with Microsoft 365 Copilot Unlocking the Business Value of Copilot & AI Agents Next-Gen Productivity: Copilot + Agents for the Modern Enterprise From Work IQ to the Frontier Firm: AI Workforce Power Hours Scale with Cloud and AI Endpoints Partner skilling resources Secure AI Productivity Partners Sales Bootcamp CRM Modernization: Migration Assessment Copilot Agentic Migration Tool for Dynamics 365 Sales & Service Dynamics 365 Solution Architect bootcamp (AI CRM) Dynamics 365 Solution Architect bootcamp (AI ERP) Copilot Studio: Low Code App Maker & Agent Builder (learning journey) Build enterprise-ready agents with Copilot Studio (short series) Build enterprise-ready agents with Copilot Studio Build, Orchestrate, and Govern AI Agents with Copilot Studio Capture new SMB business opportunities with agent-powered Dynamics 365 Business Central Transform AI with Business Central - Sales Ready Titan (learning journey) Scale SMB operations with the power of AI in Dynamics 365 Business Central Supercharge SMB business operations with AI and agents in Dynamics 365 Business Central Stay ahead with the new Partner Skilling Community discussion board: a dedicated hub where Microsoft partners can discover skilling resources, ask questions, and accelerate growth across solution areas. Connect with peers and subject matter experts to get timely guidance, build capabilities, and stay informed on the latest opportunities. Click “Follow” in the top right corner to receive email notifications when new content is posted. Go-To-Market Explore a curated portfolio of partner-ready, customizable marketing campaigns designed so partners can showcase how Microsoft AI transforms productivity, streamlines processes, and drives measurable business outcomes. These campaigns provide ready-to-use messaging, assets, and partner guidance tailored to accelerate adoption of Microsoft 365, Microsoft 365 Copilot, and Dynamics 365—all grounded in secure, responsible AI principles. Partners with Partner Marketing Center Pro access (via a partner benefits package, Solutions Partner designation, or ISV Success enrollment) can explore and run the full campaign end-to-end, while those using Partner Marketing Center can download a limited set of assets to support execution. Customer Success TD SYNNEX: “Better Together” AI motions at scale: TD SYNNEX brings devices, cloud, security, and AI together into cohesive Microsoft motions—giving partners a repeatable way to position Copilot and AI‑ready solutions with customers navigating Windows refresh cycles and early AI adoption. DeepJudge: AI-powered legal search on Microsoft Azure: Swiss legal tech firm DeepJudge built an AI‑driven legal search platform on Azure, allowing law firms to surface relevant case knowledge faster while maintaining strict data privacy and compliance requirements. Banco Bradesco: Generative AI on Azure Red Hat OpenShift: Banco Bradesco is scaling enterprise AI innovation on Microsoft Azure—leveraging Microsoft Foundry, Azure API Management, and Azure Red Hat OpenShift. By standardizing on Azure Red Hat OpenShift, Bradesco is running 200+ generative AI projects with improved governance, security, and operational control—accelerating development while meeting the stringent requirements of a leading financial institution. Click "follow" in the top right of the tag AI Business Solutions to stay updated on monthly AI Business Solutions partner news.Pitch Maker Agent: Turn Copilot Chat Signals into Microsoft 365 Copilot Deals
Executive Summary Customers are already using free Copilot Chat at scale, but adoption is often ungoverned and disconnected from the Microsoft 365 workloads where measurable productivity and risk controls live. The Pitch Maker Agent (BETA) helps partners convert Partner Center Copilot growth opportunity signals into customer-ready narratives—reducing pitch preparation from days to minutes and improving consistency across stakeholders (replace with your measured baseline). What it enables (partner outcomes) Turn raw usage signals into an executive business case with clear opportunity, risk, and next steps. Standardize value conversations across IT and business buyers while keeping customer context specific. Accelerate conversion from exploration to governed deployment by anchoring on Microsoft 365 workloads. Why it’s different Evidence-led: uses Partner Center Copilot growth opportunities (ASPX) signals rather than generic prompts. Buyer-ready: outputs a structured narrative (not a feature list) designed for executive alignment and action. Inputs required Partner Center Copilot growth opportunities export (all columns) for the target customer. The Opportunity: From AI Exploration to Enterprise Direction The move from free Copilot Chat to Microsoft 365 Copilot is a timing advantage: customers have intent and familiarity, but need a governed path that ties AI to real work in Teams, Outlook, Excel, and beyond. Advisory gap: translate usage metrics into business insight executives can fund. Governance gap: balance opportunity with security, compliance, and lifecycle controls. Workflow gap: connect AI usage to measurable outcomes inside Microsoft 365 workloads. How the Agent Works (BETA) The Agent follows a simple, repeatable flow to generate an executive-ready pitch narrative from Partner Center Copilot growth opportunity signals. In three steps Upload the Partner Center Copilot growth opportunities export (all columns). Run the Agent to translate usage signals into a customer-specific executive narrative. Use the generated business case, recommendations, and next steps in the customer conversation. What the Output Enables Translate Partner Center signals into a fundable business case, faster. Improve executive alignment by presenting opportunity, risk, and plan in one narrative. Increase repeatability across accounts with a consistent structure and messaging. The figure below illustrates how the Agent turns usage signals into a concise, executive-ready pitch narrative and action plan. Figure 1. From Copilot Chat signals to an executive pitch narrative and next-step plan. For customers, the conversation shifts from features to outcomes—clear productivity impact, role-based change, and risk-aware governance. Deployment and Execution The Agent is delivered as a solution package and deployed through Copilot Studio with a straightforward publish-and-run flow. Prepare Partner Center ASPX export (all columns) and validate sensitivity labels. Import the solution package into Copilot Studio. Verify dependencies, publish the Agent, and enable access in Microsoft 365 Copilot and Teams. Run the guided pitch flow by uploading customer data and capturing the narrative output. The run guide provides step-by-step visuals for data preparation, import, publication, and how to use the output in customer conversations. Why This Matters for Partner Practices The Pitch Maker Agent (BETA) supports a repeatable value motion: identify opportunity, align stakeholders, and move customers from experimentation to governed Microsoft 365 Copilot adoption. Higher conversion: clearer executive rationale anchored in evidence and outcomes. Lower effort: less time drafting, more time on discovery and delivery. Better governance: built-in prompts to address risk, readiness, and controls early. Call to Action This week: 15-minute start Locate the solution package and run guide in the Agent folder. Deploy the Agent in Copilot Studio and publish to Microsoft 365 Copilot/Teams. Export Partner Center Copilot growth opportunities data and validate sensitivity labels. Upload the dataset and generate a customer-specific executive pitch narrative. Resources Helpful links to learn more and access supporting materials: Walkthrough video (2–3 minutes): Copilot Chat to M365 Copilot Pitch Maker Agent (BETA) Video Partner Center Copilot growth opportunities data GitHub repository Overview: Run guide
