Partner Blog | Partner-led momentum, broader availability for SMB: Microsoft 365 Business with Copilot
Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are entering a new phase of AI adoption. It is no longer defined by experimentation. It is about moving from individual use cases to everyday, scalable impact as organizations move toward Frontier Transformation. Recent findings from the 2026 Work Trend Index Annual Report reinforce what many partners are already seeing with customers. 58% of AI users say they are already producing work they couldn’t a year ago, and 66% report spending more time on higher-value work as AI takes on execution. For partners serving SMB customers, this marks a clear inflection point. The opportunity is to move beyond access to AI and focus on empowering SMBs to scale and operationalize it by simplifying buying conversations, driving more predictable renewals, and building on existing services around AI-powered productivity and secure operations. These trends are already starting to be reflected across our partner ecosystem. In December, we introduced Microsoft 365 Copilot Business to streamline AI adoption for SMBs and support a clearer partner-led motion. Partners who were early adopters validated strong and growing demand. This momentum signals a broader shift in how work is evolving. AI delivers the most value when it is embedded in the everyday flow of work and surrounded with the right security, governance, and business context built in from day one. SMB customers want a straightforward buying experience, predictable renewals, and a consistent way to deploy across users and locations without adding complexity. Building on that momentum, we are evolving our approach to unlock more partner-led opportunities with new SKUs built for the way SMB customers buy and renew. They give partners an always-on offer that can be standardized across accounts and carried confidently into renewal conversations. What is launching on July 1 Starting July 1, 2026, we are transitioning the promotional bundles into two durable SKUs, available at the current promotional price point, giving partners a more consistent and scalable way to drive adoption and renewal opportunities with customers. Microsoft 365 Business Standard with Copilot: $23.50/user/month 1 (1–300 seats, annual subscription with annual billing) Microsoft 365 Business Premium with Copilot: $32/user/month (1–300 seats, annual subscription with annual billing) We are also launching a new 25% promotional offer on Microsoft 365 Business Basic plus Microsoft 365 Copilot Business ($21/user/month, 1–300 seats, for annual subscription with annual billing), available through December 31, 2026. This provides a clear entry point for Business Basic customers who would like to get started with Copilot. In addition, the current 15% promotional offer on Microsoft 365 Copilot Business ($18/user/month, 1–300 seats, for annual subscription with annual billing) has also been extended through December 31, 2026, providing partners with more opportunities to scale AI adoption and build pipeline. We encourage partners to lead with Microsoft 365 Business Standard with Copilot or Business Premium with Copilot as integrated offerings for productivity, AI, and security, designed to support partner-led SMB conversations. Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Standard, and Premium also remain available as standalone plans for customers who prefer to purchase Copilot separately. This gives you flexibility to meet customers where they are. Continue reading hereThree Tiers, One Platform: Building Agents Together with the Build-Along Series
The Agentic Opportunity Every partner has agent ambition, but a single workshop format cannot serve every builder. Business makers want a fast win without writing code. Citizen developers want to orchestrate real processes across enterprise systems. Pro developers want a code-first surface with evaluations, tracing, and managed identity. Run the wrong session for the wrong audience, and engagement collapses - too abstract for one group, too constrained for another. The Agent Build-Along Series solves that by meeting builders exactly where they are, across three tiers of the Microsoft platform stack. Behind the series sits a self-serve GitHub repository - a curated library of build-along sessions with easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions, scoped to specific industry scenarios and business functions. Partners pick the scenario that fits the room, clone the assets, and run the session. No bespoke content build, no facilitator guesswork. A Self-Serve Repository for Build-Along Sessions Diagram illustrating three tiers of agent building The repo at Agent Build-Along Github is a self-serve catalog of ready-to-run workshops. Every session is curated for a specific industry and business function, with easy-to-follow instructions a facilitator can pick up and deliver. Pick the combination that matches the room and run the session - the content, scenario, and assets are already there. Sessions are organised across three axes so partners can find the right fit fast: Industry - Financial Services, Healthcare, Retail, Manufacturing, Public Sector, Energy, Professional Services Business function - Sales, Marketing, Finance, HR, Operations, IT, Customer Service Workload - Agent Builder, Copilot Studio and Azure AI Foundry Each session in the repo includes a real-world scenario, step-by-step build instructions, sample data, prompts and configuration, and a facilitator narrative. Clone, brief the room, build the agent - that is the loop. Three Tiers - Meet Builders Where They Are The pyramid is intentional. Builders start where their skills are today and move up as confidence grows. The tier defines platform, audience, duration, and approach - content stays consistent. Tier Platform Audience Duration Approach 1 - Foundation Microsoft 365 Copilot Agent Builder Business makers, end users, departmental teams 60 min No-code 2 - Extend Copilot Studio Citizen developers, power users, ops teams 90 min Low-code 3 - Pro-Code Azure AI Foundry Pro developers, architects, AI engineers 180+ min Code-first Tier 1 - M365 Copilot Agent Builder Author your first agent - no code required. Microsoft 365 Copilot Agent Builder virtual workshop overview, What your customers will build A custom agent scoped to a real workplace scenario Grounded with knowledge sources (SharePoint sites, files, web URLs) Configured with custom instructions and conversation starters Tested in the preview pane and shared with a team Session flow Define → Ground → Refine → Test & Share Prerequisites Microsoft 365 Copilot licence (or Copilot Chat free) Modern browser (Edge / Chrome) A workplace scenario in mind, or use our template Outcome Attendees leave with a working agent they can use immediately, plus a repeatable pattern for future use cases. This is the right entry point for departmental teams who want to operationalise Copilot without engineering involvement. Tier 2 - Copilot Studio Orchestrate multi-step agents across enterprise systems. Microsoft Copilot Studio virtual workshop overview What your customers will build A copilot with generative answers and authored topics Custom actions that call APIs and Power Platform connectors Knowledge sources spanning SharePoint, Dataverse, public web, and enterprise data Channel deployment to Microsoft Teams and a public web embed Session flow Design → Connect → Author → Publish Prerequisites M365 Copilot license with access to Copilot Studio Familiarity with Power Platform helpful, not required A multi-step workflow or process in mind Outcome Attendees leave with a published copilot running in Teams or on the web, plus a pattern for connecting copilots to enterprise systems. This is where citizen developers and ops teams turn manual processes into orchestrated, agent-driven workflows. Tier 3 - Azure AI Foundry Ship a code-first agent with evaluations and observability. What your customers will build A code-first agent with custom tools and function calling Grounding via Azure AI Search and the customer's own data Model selection from the Foundry catalog, with optional fine-tuning Evaluations, tracing, and managed-identity deployment Session flow Provision → Build → Evaluate → Deploy Prerequisites Azure subscription with Azure AI Foundry access VS Code, plus Python or .NET familiarity Sample data or a use case ready to ground on Outcome Attendees leave with a deployed agent - code, evaluations, and tracing in place - plus reusable SDK templates. This is the right tier for architects and AI engineers shipping agents into production with the governance bar enterprise customers expect. How the Repository Works The repo removes the heaviest lift in running these workshops: content creation. Every session is curated against the same three axes - industry, business function, tier - and shipped with step-by-step instructions a facilitator can follow with minimum prep. Industry/Business Function × Tier → Ready-to-run Build-Along Each session in the repo ships with: A real-world scenario grounded in the chosen industry and business function Step-by-step build instructions tuned to the selected tier Sample data the agent can ground against Prompts, conversation starters, and configuration snippets Facilitator narrative so anyone can run the session Need an enterprise agent that can handle integrate with CRM data? There is a curated Copilot Studio session with a deal-desk scenario and sample CRM data. Need a pro-code health care agent? Choose the Foundry session with a patient-flow scenario and a grounded dataset. Same repo, different curated paths - at the right depth for the room. What Attendees Walk Away With Agent-Builder - A working agent in Microsoft 365 Copilot, ready to share with colleagues. Copilot Studio - A published copilot running in Teams or on the web, connected to enterprise systems. Foundry - A deployed Foundry agent with evaluations, tracing, and SDK templates for the next build. In all cases attendees leave with assets - not slides - and the confidence to build the next one without facilitation. Next Steps - Host a Build-Along Pick your tier - Start where your skills are today. Move up the pyramid as confidence grows. Drive Registration – Socialise your Build-Along session to maximise attendance. Show up and build. Bring a real scenario. Customers leave with a working agent to share. Where to Next Browse the self-serve repository of Build-Along sessions - curated by industry and business function, with step-by-step instructions ready to run: Agent Build Along.Help Shape the Future of Microsoft Teams for Small and Medium Businesses
Have you ever wished Microsoft Teams worked just a little better for the way your SMB customers run their business? Maybe you've thought: “It would be great if Teams could do this…” “This workflow would be so much simpler if…” “Why isn’t there a feature for…?” Now’s your chance to directly influence what comes next. Microsoft is inviting Small and Medium Business (SMB) partners to join the Teams SMB Partner Advisory Council (PAC) — a simple, low-effort way to share real-world feedback with the product team and help shape the Teams roadmap for SMB customers. What is Teams SMB PAC? Our Teams SMB Partner Advisory Council (PAC) brings together a Microsoft partners who: Work with SMB customers implementing Teams Have insights into the challenges SMBs face when adopting collaboration tools Want to help improve the products they rely on Through monthly virtual sessions, participants get the opportunity to: ✅ Preview upcoming features and improvements ✅ Provide feedback during early stages of product development ✅ Share what’s working well — and what isn’t ✅ Highlight real-world business scenarios that should be better supported ✅ Influence priorities for SMB-focused innovation in Teams This isn’t a sales call or a support channel — it’s a direct line to the Teams product team. What’s the Commitment? We know you are busy. That’s why participation is designed to be: Flexible – Virtual meetings combined with async conversation Low effort – No prep required for most sessions Conversational – Small-group discussions, not presentations Most sessions are informal and focused on understanding how Microsoft can better support you and your SMB customers. Your input helps ensure we build features that reflect how SMBs actually work — not just how software assumes they do. Why Join? Participants often tell us that one of the biggest benefits of joining the PAC is the opportunity to: Get early visibility into what’s coming next Understand where Teams development is headed Provide feedback that directly reaches the team building the product Help shape experiences that impact SMB customers worldwide Your perspective matters — and it can directly shape the future of Teams for SMB. Trusted by partners across regions including EMEA, APAC, and North America. Interested in Participating? If you'd like to be considered for the Microsoft Teams SMB Partner Advisory Council, simply fill out this short interest form: 👉 Express your interest to join the Teams SMB Advisory Board Once submitted, our team will review your response and follow up with more information on next steps.Now generally available: Microsoft 365 E7 and Agent 365
We're excited to announce the general availability of Microsoft 365 E7 and Agent 365! Microsoft 365 E7 is the Frontier Suite powered by Work IQ, designed for a human-led, agent-operated enterprise—turning human intent into AI action that functions securely and at scale. Microsoft 365 E7 bundles Microsoft 365 E5, Copilot, Agent 365, and more into a single integrated offer built for customers’ Frontier Transformation. Designed for organizations to move from AI experimentation to scale, it includes Microsoft Entra Suite and advanced Defender, Intune, and Purview capabilities, delivering comprehensive security across agents and employees. Agent 365 is the control plane for customers to observe, govern, and secure both Microsoft and third-party AI agents, grounded in shared intelligence and built with trust to protect the organization. This marks a clear path for customers to upgrade to Microsoft 365 E7, unlocking access to Agent 365 for a setup built for secure agentic operations. Get more detailsPartner Blog | Introducing Microsoft 365 E7: The Frontier Suite
Frontier Firms—those who adopt an AI-first approach as a core part of their business strategy—are shaping the future of work, which is increasingly fueled by agentic AI. As customers move toward Frontier Transformation, you can help them seize the agentic moment with the premium Microsoft 365 E7 plan, generally available on May 1, 2026. Microsoft 365 E7 is the Frontier Suite, designed for a human-led, agent-operated enterprise, turning human intent into AI action that functions securely and at scale. To accomplish this, Microsoft 365 E7 includes access to Microsoft Agent 365—the control plane to govern and scale agents. Microsoft 365 E7 bundles Microsoft 365 E5, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Entra Suite, and Agent 365 to serve customers who are ready to scale AI with governance and security. This means your customers will have AI-powered productivity apps with advanced security and AI capabilities, grounded in intelligence and trust. You can help your customers make the most of the agentic AI opportunity and unlock new monetization streams with the premium Microsoft 365 E7 plan. Starting on April 1, 2026, to accelerate Microsoft 365 E5 to Microsoft 365 E7 upsell and Agent 365 adoption, Copilot + Power Accelerate will include Agent 365 across Immersion Briefings, Envisioning and proof of concept (PoC) engagements, and Deployment Accelerators. Microsoft 365 E7 and Agent 365 will also be included as eligible workloads for core tier one strategic product accelerators and growth levers in Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) incentives. The AI future is here. Encourage your customers to upgrade to Microsoft 365 E7 so they can move faster and deploy AI with confidence. Read more in our blog postFrom Copilot to Catalyst: How MSPs Turn AI Readiness Into Recurring Revenue
AI interest is surging—but most customers aren’t ready to scale it securely or successfully. Gaps in device management, identity hygiene, data governance, and operational consistency often stall AI initiatives before they deliver real value. For Managed Service Providers, this challenge creates a powerful opportunity. In this webinar, you’ll learn how MSPs are using Microsoft Intune as the foundation for helping manage and secure devices, and extending it with AvePoint Confidence Platform: Elements Edition to standardize, automate, and scale AI-ready environments across customer tenants. Together, they enable MSPs to move beyond one-off AI projects and deliver AI readiness as a repeatable, revenue-generating managed service. This session focuses on turning AI demand—starting with Copilot—into a long-term services motion that improves margins, reduces operational friction, and positions your MSP as a trusted AI partner. In this webinar, you will learn how to: Turn AI readiness into recurring revenue Learn how MSPs are packaging AI readiness—starting with Copilot—into repeatable, high-margin managed services customers renew and expand. Scale securely without adding overhead See how Microsoft Intune, extended with AvePoint Confidence Platform: Elements Edition, enables standardized, automated delivery across multiple customer tenants. Move from AI pilots to real outcomes Get a practical blueprint to replace one-off AI projects with scalable services that position your MSP as a trusted AI partner. Register now: From Copilot to Catalyst: How MSPs Turn AI Readiness Into Recurring RevenueAgentCon Hong Kong - Come One Come All for FREE
AgentCon is coming to Hong Kong! 🚀 The AI Agents Developer Conference lands on Saturday, 11 April 2026, at Hong Kong Institute of Information Technology (HKIIT) (VTC Tsing Yi Complex). If you're building with AI agents, automation, or intelligent systems, don't miss this gathering of developers, architects, and AI leaders for a full day of real-world sessions focused on designing, deploying, and scaling AI agents. Secure your spot ➡️ https://aka.ms/AgentconHongKong2026AgentCon Seoul - Come One Come All for FREE
AgentCon is coming to Seoul! 🚀 The AI Agents Developer Conference lands on Thursday, 16 April 2026, at Seoul National University. If you're building with AI agents, automation, or intelligent systems, don't miss this gathering of developers, architects, and AI leaders for a full day of real-world sessions focused on designing, deploying, and scaling AI agents. Secure your spot ➡️ https://aka.ms/agentconSeoul2026AgentCon New York - Come One Come All for FREE
On March 9, 2026, #AgentCon lands at Nasdaq, Times Square, bringing together developers, engineers, and innovators shaping the future of AI agents. Expect deep‑dive talks, hands‑on learning, practical demos and plenty of networking with the AI community. This isn’t just another AI event, it’s where builders meet to talk real code. ➡️ Register now!Key promotional offers in CSP extended through June 30, 2026
Microsoft is extending select Microsoft 365 suite promotional offers for Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) partners on new commerce through June 30, 2026: 10% discount on Microsoft 365 E3, Security add-on suites (Purview Suite and Defender Suite), and Microsoft 365 E5 three-year subscriptions 15% discount on Microsoft 365 E5 annual term (one year) These offers are only available to new-to-offer customers. With the extension, partners can continue to drive customer adoption of Microsoft 365 suites by offering advanced security, compliance, and productivity solutions at a reduced cost. Access partner readiness resources for details on eligibility, terms, and best practices.
