MSIgnite 2024 in Chicago
#MSIgnite 2024 in Chicago was an amazing event. Major investments by Microsoft are being made on AI, CoPilot and Data Center Infrastructure. If you were able to attend Microsoft Ignite 2024, I'm sure that you left inspired and ready to innovate. Satya Nadella highlighted several key advancements: AI Integration and CoPilot Enhancements Windows 365 Link Data Center Infrastructure Chips Security Initiatives Quantum Computing Milestone Looking forward to #MSIgnite 2025 in San Francisco. Save the date for the week of November 17, 2025 and sign up to get notified when more event details come out. https://ignite.microsoft.com/en-US/home?wt.mc_ID=ignite2024_esc_corp_soc_oo_li_MSE_SavethedateExecsComparing the Customer Payment Experience: Microsoft AppSource vs. Azure Marketplace
Microsoft AppSource: Audience: Primarily business users, decision-makers, and managers seeking SaaS solutions for productivity and business operations. Payment Process: Portal: Payments are made directly through the AppSource portal, integrated with the user’s Microsoft 365 or Dynamics 365 account. Payment Plans: Limited to simple monthly or annual subscription plans. Users can easily select a plan, enter billing information, and manage payments through the Microsoft 365 Admin Center. Billing: Users receive invoices via their Microsoft account, with transparent pricing shown before purchase. The straightforward subscription models make it easy for business users to manage recurring payments. Customization: There’s minimal need for customization, with AppSource focusing on ease and simplicity. Only monthly or annual options are available, and users can manage subscription renewals or cancellations through their Microsoft 365 portal. Azure Marketplace: Audience: IT professionals, developers, and large enterprises looking for technical solutions with greater control over payments and infrastructure. Payment Process: Portal: Payments are made through the Azure Portal, where users manage all subscriptions and billing under the Azure Cost Management + Billing section. Payment Plans: More flexible options, including pay-as-you-go, usage-based, and multi-year contracts (e.g., 2-year, 3-year pricing plans). Azure supports complex billing scenarios for long-term cloud solutions. Billing: Detailed billing and cost tracking through the Azure Portal. Customers can configure and monitor spending, allocate budgets, and review detailed invoices for SaaS, infrastructure, and other services. Customization: Azure Marketplace allows for more tailored payment solutions, enabling customers to mix and match SaaS and other cloud services into their payment plans. Enterprises can set up custom budgets, payment alerts, and detailed cost analysis. This tailored payment system makes AppSource ideal for business users wanting ease of use, while Azure Marketplace is suited for enterprises needing flexible, long-term payment options and detailed cost management.Marketplace Community - Upcoming AI Events
**Updated 11/14/24 ISV Success is now supporting a series of AI-focused events to help partners maximize the AI opportunity when building and publishing solutions to the commercial marketplace. These events are open to all partners on marketplace – participation in ISV Success is not required to attend. Stay updated on the latest offerings bysubscribing to this post, where we will be regularly updating our list of upcoming events and sharing links to recent events. Full instructions on how to subscribe are posted at the bottom of this post. Check out our upcoming AI events below and comment with any of your questions! _____________________________________________________________________________________________ ISV AI Envisioning Day Trainings We are excited to announce the launch of two new ISV AI Envisioning Day training courses introducing tools and frameworks to leverage in building AI applications that drive innovation and business value. Microsoft ISV AI Envisioning Day: Identify and Prioritize Use Cases for AI Solutions This session guides you through the process of identifying and prioritizing business use cases for AI solutions. You will learn how to structure each use case to assess its viability, differentiate its value, and explore learning opportunities. Practical advice and actionable steps will be provided to help you kickstart your AI projects and accelerate time-to-market. Microsoft ISV AI Envisioning Day: Get the Framework to Develop AI Solutions In this envisioning session, you will learn how to effectively plan, build, and deploy your AI solution. You will be empowered with tools and frameworks to guide you through the technical and business considerations to evaluate when determining the best approach to use in building your AI application. Whether you’re just beginning to identify and prioritize AI use cases or are ready to begin planning, building, and deploying solutions, you’ll learn the steps to make AI a reality in your organization. Both ISV AI Envisioning Day training courses will run monthly in multiple time zones and are delivered in English. Check back for upcoming session dates and times. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Copilot Developer Camp Join us for the Copilot Developer Camp—an immersive workshop designed for professional developers eager to expand their skills with Copilot for Microsoft 365 or create custom copilots. This free, one-day workshop, held right after the AI tour, aims to equip developers, ISVs, and tech enthusiasts with the knowledge and hands-on experience needed to enhance and extend Copilot’s capabilities for Microsoft 365. This is an in-person workshop offered in multiple locations. It is aimed at Developers, ISV partners, product centric companies, and enterprise developers. You will walk away with an understanding of the capabilities of Microsoft 365 Copilot and its extensibility AI models. See the different methods to develop Copilot agents utilizing Microsoft 365 Copilot's AI and orchestration on how to create a custom engine agent using Azure AI Studio and Teams AI library. How to develop a Declarative agent that includes a Build custom action for your agent via API plugins. Check here for upcoming dates and locations: Copilot Developer Camp Registration _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Microsoft Azure Virtual Training Day: AI Fundamentals Join us for Azure AI Fundamentals, a free virtual training designed to build your technical expertise in AI and machine learning on Microsoft Azure. This course will dive into core AI concepts and foundational workloads, offering hands-on insights into Azure AI services that power intelligent applications. You'll explore machine learning models, computer vision, and natural language processing (NLP) capabilities such as sentiment analysis, language detection, and key phrase extraction. With guidance from Microsoft experts, you’ll gain the skills needed to analyze and automate workflows, develop AI-driven solutions, and ensure responsible AI use across applications. Use the link below to see the full list of upcoming sessions available for registration. Multiple dates and time zones are available, and new sessions are added frequently. Microsoft Azure Virtual Training Day: AI Fundamentals _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Microsoft Azure: Building Generative Apps with Azure OpenAI Service Trainings Join us at Building Generative Apps with Azure OpenAI Service to learn how to work with powerful large language models, including GPT. You’ll gain deeper insight into the benefits of natural language processing, including its ability to generate transformative content. You’ll also discover how to provision Azure OpenAI, deploy models and effectively use language models in generative AI applications. Use the link below to see the full list of upcoming sessions available for registration. Multiple dates and time zones are available, and new sessions are added frequently. Building Generative Apps with Azure OpenAI Service Note that all sessions are delivered in English. Caption languages are available and noted in the session registration. Registration closes 2 days prior to scheduled date/time. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Microsoft Azure: Accelerate Development using Azure DevOps and GitHub Build the skills you need to create new opportunities and accelerate your understanding of Microsoft Cloud technologies at a free Microsoft Azure Virtual Training Day from Microsoft Learn. Join us at Accelerate Development Using Azure DevOps and GitHub to discover the right tools and processes to make your move to DevOps. We’ll walk you through real-world challenges and show you how to resolve them using Azure DevOps and GitHub—for both admins and end users. Use the link below to see the full list of upcoming sessions available for registration. Multiple dates and time zones are available, and new sessions are added frequently. Accelerate Development using Azure DevOps and GitHub Note that all sessions are delivered in English. Caption languages are available and noted in the session registration. Registration closes 2 days prior to scheduled date/time. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Azure AI Partner Council & AI Visionaries The Azure AI Partner Council & AI Visionaries is excited to deliver new AI webinars to enhance your learning and help you navigate the future of AI. New trainings to be posted soon! _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Subscribe to this post If you're not a member of the Tech Community already, create an account at techcommunity.microsoft.com Select "subscribe" from the 3-dot dropdown in the upper-right corner of this post. Under "Notification Settings," select "Notify me ofAny edits & commentson knowledge bases articles I subscribe to," thenselect to receive updates to this post either immediately, daily, or weekly (I recommend weekly). Manage your subscription settings so that you can receive email updates on new events. Manage these settings by selecting your profile icon in the top right corner of the community, selecting "My Settings," and selecting "Subscriptions & Notifications." You can also subscribe to the entire marketplace community which will provide you with regular updates on all marketplace discussion topics happening in this forum. To do this, click "subscribe" in the upper right corner of the marketplace community homepage.A story about our journey on the marketplace. I hope it will inspire and help on your journey
I would like to share my experience with publishing transactable apps on the Microsoft commercial marketplace, the Microsoft 365 App Certification Program, Marketplace Rewards, and certified software designations. Starting with publishing our apps on to the marketplace: We have several apps that operate within the context of Microsoft 365, including apps for Outlook, Microsoft Teams, Copilot Agent, Office, and SharePoint. We have been in AppSource for many years and have customers worldwide. We developed an in-house license application to manage our customers' licenses. Before the commercial marketplace, we managed all invoicing and license management manually. Now, everything has become much easier. We have published monetized SaaS apps connected to the AppSource apps. Using the SaaS Fulfillment API, we integrated the purchasing process with our in-house license application. We have gained numerous benefits, including: Significant time savings in the invoicing and billing process, as purchasing, adding, removing, or cancelling licenses is automated and managed by Microsoft Customers appreciate the ability to manage licenses themselves, finding it easier Improved market awareness due to promotion in the marketplace And new customers are joining regularly. It is also important to mention Marketplace Rewards, which offer various benefits. For example, customer case stories can be published through Marketplace Rewards on Microsoft customer case stories. Here is a link to our latest story: Microsoft Customer Story - Design for Leisure improves efficiency 30% with iGlobe solutions and Microsoft Planner. Additionally, the Transact & Grow Incentive Campaign has provided us with financial incentives through marketplace sales, as well as Azure sponsorship credits to offset deployment costs. Considering these advantages, there is potential to make the apps CSP Ready as well: https://aka.ms/P2PeBook. Equally important is obtaining the Microsoft 365 App Certification. Certification confirms that an app solution is compatible with Microsoft technologies, compliant with cloud app security best practices, and supported by Microsoft. This is significant because: It provides certification from Microsoft, confirming app security and compliance It saves time in the sales process, as security and compliance are already verified It makes the app easier to find on AppSource, the Commercial Marketplace, and in the Teams App admin portal, where it will be listed in a special category Achieving sales in the marketplace, having customer case stories, and obtaining the Microsoft 365 App Certification provides the foundation to obtain Certified Software Designations, which come with additional benefits and opportunities for co-selling with Microsoft. Today two of our apps have achieved the Certified Software Designation for Modern Work. Soon iPlanner Pro for Teams that includes a Copilot Agent will follow as well. I share this story not to boast but to inspire and motivate others. There is nothing exceptional about us or our experience here – it can be completely replicated by leveraging the resources that Microsoft provides.Was it all very easy…. No. Is it doable? Yes!Know before you go: marketplace at Microsoft Ignite 2024
The Microsoft commercial marketplace team is excited to have marketplace integrated as a core component of Microsoft Ignite, taking place in Chicago and online from November 19-22. We have tailored content to ensure that all our audiences can learn about the value of marketplace and find success. Check out these core sessions that are being offered at this year's Ignite: Activating the channel through the marketplace: Discover how to activate the ecosystem with partner-to-partner selling opportunities, including multiparty private offers and professional services. What's new is ISV Success - AI benefits for software companies and more: Learn about new benefits and cash incentives available now; understand how AI apps qualify you for accelerated awards. How to capture the marketplace opportunity: Reach more customers, simplify sales, and unlock growth. Get guidance on maximizing marketplace success, including how to sell through Microsoft sales channels. More than a storefront, unlocking value through the marketplace: Discover, try, purchase, and manage cloud and AI solutions so you can spend smarter and move faster. Learn new capabilities in the marketplace that help you buy vendor solutions with confidence and drive AI innovation. Step-by-step instructions to activate multiparty private offers: Learn about the benefits of multiparty private offers and how partners reselling software solutions can enroll. In-person only. 10 tips for marketplace success: Discover tips for success like lead sharing, renewals, MACC visibility in Partner Center, Marketplace Rewards, and more. In-person only. Will we be seeing you at Ignite (either in-person or virtually)? Let us know in the comments which sessions you are most looking forward to!Partner Opportunity to Contribute to the Copilot Roadmap
Microsoft Partners - We're sharing an opportunity with you to contribute to the Copilot roadmap. Voice your company's thoughts on what features and capabilities Microsoft should build to help ISVs build, deploy, and monitor Copilots. Complete this survey (5-10 mins) by EOD 11/22 to influence the Copilot roadmap: https://forms.office.com/r/nv6EPTfYFh
Get a Sneak Peak and Give Feedback on New Co-Sell Experience Concepts
I’m a UX researcher on the Commerce + Ecosystem team at Microsoft, and I'm looking for ISV partners who would like to help shape the future of Co-sell. I’m inviting you to participate in a 1:1, 45-minute research interview via Microsoft Teams. During this session, I will show you design concepts of proposed changes to Partner Center and the Co-sell process, including creating offers from the Marketplace. Your feedback on these concepts can help shape future improvements. If you're interested, please find a timeslot here: [Book time with Dane Andersen: New Concepts for Partner Center Feedback] Thank YouMarketplace at Microsoft Ignite 2024
Marketplace will be integrated as a core component at Microsoft Ignite—which takes place online and in Chicago, IL from November 19-22, 2024. Join us to learn what’s new in the marketplace, how to capture the marketplace and AI opportunity, and how toscale your business with partners. Don’t miss these marketplace breakout sessions available for digital and in-person attendees: BRK343: How to capture the marketplace opportunity BRK344: Activating the channel through the marketplace BRK350: What’s new in ISV Success – AI benefits for software companies and more Coming to Chicago? Check out our theater sessions (THR679: 10 tips for marketplace success and THR681: Step-by-step instructions to activate multiparty private offers) and get your questions answered by marketplace experts who will be stationed in the MAICPP area of the Hub expo space throughout the week. Register for Microsoft Ignite today!
