Microsoft Partner Summary for February 26th - March 1st 2024
Each week, John O'Donnell - Microsoft Sr. PDM, provides Partners with a Microsoft Partner Summary that compiles a lot of news and information from across the Microsoft Partner landscape. Enjoy the most recent summary copied here and attached below. Subscribe HERE via LinkedIn to receive this newsletter each week. Good Morning Microsoft Global Partner Community. Empowering Business innovation for modernizing Retailers and manufacturers with Copilot: Unleashing Dynamics 365 Commerce investments for 2024 Wave 1 Introduction: Dynamics 365 Commerce is a comprehensive omnichannel solution that empowers retailers to deliver personalized, seamless, and differentiated shopping experiences across physical and digital channels. In the 2024 release Wave 1, Dynamics 365 Commerce continues to innovate and enhance its capabilities to improve store associate productivity and meet the evolving needs of customers and businesses. Here are some of the highlights of the new features coming soon: Copilot in Site builder is going global and multi-lingual: · Strengthening our dedication to creating a comprehensive B2B solution for Digital Commerce by supporting B2B indirect commerce · Adyen Tap to Pay is coming to Store Commerce app on iOS · Speed up your checkout process with simplified and consistent payment workflows for different payment methods on Store Commerce app · Enabling retailers to effectively monitor and track inventory of Batch-controlled products via Store Commerce app · To learn more about Dynamics 365 Commerce: Learn more about additional investments and timeline for these investments here in release plans. Visit our website on commerce today. Learn more here Accelerating Revenue with AI-Powered Solutions: A Chief Revenue Officer’s Guide Chief Revenue Officers (CROs) have a new tool to help sellers increase sales, close more deals, and generate more revenue: the next generation of AI. Sales teams can use next-gen AI and analytics to significantly enhance sales performance through access to real-time customer insights, which enhances seller productivity and promotes collaboration. Read the e-book to learn how teams can use Copilot in Dynamics 365 Sales and Copilot in Dynamics 365 Customer Insights to: Increase the accuracy of revenue forecasting through AI and analytics. Personalize the buying journey with actionable, 360-degree customer insights. Improve seller performance with real-time, data-driven coaching. Learn more here Microsoft News: Accelerating telco transformation in the era of AI - Link Introducing Microsoft Copilot for Finance – the newest Copilot offering in Microsoft 365 designed to transform modern finance - Link Microsoft and Mistral AI announce new partnership to accelerate AI innovation and introduce Mistral Large first on Azure - Link Microsoft news from around the world: Microsoft Brazil : Microsoft makes products available to companies of different sizes and industries in the Azure regions for Brazil - Link Microsoft Brazil : Get to know B3's exclusive Artificial Intelligence tool for financial education - Link Microsoft New Zealand : Scripting a new era of healthcare: The rise of AI-enhanced Medicine - Link Microsoft Africa : Orange Middle East and Africa collaborates with Microsoft to accelerate the digital transformation of SMEs across the region - Link Microsoft South Africa : Transforming business communication and workflow management with Microsoft 365 Copilot - Link Microsoft Spain : Telefónica integrates Azure AI Studio into Kernel, the company's digital ecosystem - Link Microsoft UK : How global law firm Clifford Chance is innovating with generative AI and Copilot for Microsoft 365 - Link Microsoft Vietnam : Imagine Cup Junior 2024 officially kicks off in Vietnam - Link Microsoft Partner: Americas Partner Enablement News: February 2024 Issue - Link Top Stories: February 27, 2024 - Link February 2024 Hot Sheet – Partner Training Schedule - Link Seize the AI opportunity with Copilot for Microsoft 365 in CSP - Link 2024 Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards – nomination window is now open! - Link Microsoft Industry: Cross-Industry: Updated Microsoft 365 security and compliance guidance for the UK public sector - Link Healthcare: Microsoft at HIMSS24: Shaping a healthier future with data and AI - Link Government: Microsoft for Government: Changing the landscape with cloud and AI – Link Microsoft Copilot for Security: The great equalizer for government security - Link Telecommunications: Modernizing and monetizing telecom networks with AI-powered Azure for Operators - Link Microsoft Inside Track: Rolling out Microsoft Edge browser across Microsoft - Link Microsoft Marketplaces: Microsoft AppSource Marketplace: New on Microsoft AppSource: February 15-22, 2024 - Link Microsoft Azure Marketplace: New on Azure Marketplace: February 15-22, 2024 - Link Microsoft 365: What’s New in Copilot for Microsoft 365 - Link Introducing Microsoft Copilot for Finance: Transform finance with next-generation AI in Microsoft 365 - Link Microsoft Azure Quantum: Exploring space-time tradeoffs with Azure Quantum Resource Estimator - Link Microsoft Copilot: Copilot now available for the Microsoft 365 mobile app - Link What’s New in Copilot for Microsoft 365 - Link Microsoft Dynamics 365 Commerce: Empowering Business innovation for modernizing Retailers and manufacturers with Copilot: Unleashing Dynamics 365 Commerce investments for 2024 Wave 1 - Link Microsoft Education: Unleash creativity for engaged learning - Link 5 ways to celebrate Read Across America Day 2024 - Link Microsoft Learn: Real skills for real-time results with Microsoft Applied Skills credentials - Link Microsoft Credentials roundup: In-demand news for in-demand skills - Link Microsoft Open Source: ONNX Runtime Web unleashes generative AI in the browser using WebGPU - Link Microsoft Power Platform: What’s new: Power Apps February 2024 Feature Update - Link Microsoft Research: Abstracts: February 29, 2024 - Link Structured knowledge from LLMs improves prompt learning for visual language models - Link Microsoft Security: Microsoft boosts its Microsoft 365 Insider Builds on Windows Bounty Program with higher awards and an expanded scope - Link Microsoft Copilot for Security: The great equalizer for government security - Link Microsoft Startup: Helping small businesses grow with conversational AI assistants - Link Unlocking visual storytelling with AI - Link Microsoft Teams: Microsoft Teams Phone empowers frontline workers with smart and reliable communication - Link What’s New in Microsoft Teams | February 2024 - Link Microsoft Events: Microsoft Envision Paris, France – March 12 th 2024 - Register Microsoft Build Seattle and Online - May 21-23, 2024 PT https://build.microsoft.com/en-US/home Join the email list Microsoft Ignite In Chicago and online: November 18–22, 2024 https://ignite.microsoft.com/en-US/home Join the email list Microsoft Book Of News: Microsoft Ignite 2023 Book Of News - Link Microsoft Build 2023 Book Of News - Link Microsoft eBooks: · Accelerating Revenue with AI-Powered Solutions: A CRO’s Guide - Link Microsoft Cyber Signals - Link Digital Operations Signals Interest Form - Link Configure, Adapt, Innovate: Overcoming supply chain challenges with composable solutions – Link 5 Ways a Connected Seller Solution Improves Sales Performance - Link -- Advanced Support for Partners (ASfP) and Premier Support for Partners (PSfP) are paid partner offerings at Microsoft that provide unmatched value through a wide range of Partner benefits including account management, technical cloud enablement consultations, and an elevated technical support experience across the Microsoft Cloud (Azure, Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, Power Platform). Partners in ASfP have higher Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program Capability Scores, attain more Solutions Partner designations, and see uplifts across Azure, M365, and D365. View the data and learn more on the new ASfP Impact slide below. Please review these resources to learn more and consider booking a meeting to speak directly with our teams for a better understanding of the value-added benefits of ASfP and PSfP. Book a meeting with an ASfP Evangelist Book a meeting with a PSfP Specialist Visit the ASfP Website Visit the PSfP Website Download the ASfP Fact Sheet View the ASfP Impact Slide Stop by the ASfP Partner CommunityMicrosoft Cloud and Datacenter Management Newsletter - February 2024
Attached below is the latest Microsoft Cloud and Datacenter Management Newsletter for February 2024. This newsletter provides links to the latest news, blogs, and articles about Microsoft solutions for systems management. This includes Azure services and the System Center suite of products for configuration, management, and monitoring. Azure Automation 2023 Retrospective and Future Outlook by Nikita Bajaj, highlighting key developments and future plans in Azure Automation. Staged Patching Solution with Azure Update Manager by Helder Pinto, discussing a methodical approach to patching solutions. Moving to Azure Monitor SCOM Managed Instance by Aakash Basavaraj, exploring the benefits of transitioning to Azure Monitor for SCOM environments. Multi-tenant Solution Monitoring on Azure by Tom Claes, on how to use Azure Monitor for overseeing multi-tenant solutions. ExpressRoute Monitoring Workbook by Cassie Kays, providing insights into monitoring Azure ExpressRoute. Configuration Manager Technical Preview Version 2401 by Balasubramanian Delli, detailing the latest in Configuration Manager advancements. Improving Dynamic Group Processing Efficiency by the Intune Support Team, focusing on optimizing dynamic group management in Intune. Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management by Ayelet Artzi, offering strategies to excel in vulnerability management. Monitoring Kubernetes Clusters and Container Registries with Sentinel by Umesh Nagdev, discussing security monitoring with Microsoft Sentinel. Microsoft Entra License Utilization Insights introduced by Shobhit Sahay, providing analytics on license utilization. Tracking Object Deletions in Microsoft Entra ID by Alexander Zagranichnov, focusing on maintaining security and compliance. PKI Shifting to the Cloud with Intune Webcast by Charlize Cheesman, announcing an upcoming webcast on cloud-based PKI strategies. GPT Failover with Azure OpenAI and Azure API Management by Roman Mullier, detailing the integration for enhanced AI resilience. Enhancing Data Analysis in Power BI with Azure Open AI by Pascal Burume, showcasing how to leverage AI for data insights. 2023 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Container Management where Microsoft is named a leader, emphasizing its strong position in container management. Azure OpenAI Service Availability in Azure Government Cloud, announcing its availability to support government missions. Reflecting on 2023 - Azure Storage Growth, highlighting significant growth and achievements in Azure Storage capabilities. FastTrack for Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365, offering support to enhance productivity with AI integrations. Azure Storage Actions Public Preview, introducing automation in data management for Azure Storage. Modernizing Azure Automation: A 2023 Retrospective and Future Outlook, offering a comprehensive review and forward-looking insights into Azure Automation enhancements. -- This Newsletter is being shared by Advanced Support for Partners (ASfP). ASfP is one of two paid, partner offerings at Microsoft, the other being Premier Support for Partners. To learn more about these offerings, please review these resources: Book a meeting with an ASfP Evangelist Book a meeting with a PSfP Specialist Visit the ASfP Website Visit the PSfP Website Download the ASfP Fact Sheet View the ASfP Impact Slide Stop by the ASfP Partner Community
The new commerce platform documentation conflicts that caused extra charges
We are a Microsoft CSP and we have placed an order in December 2021 as one year annual commitment. At the time, we got charged for the whole order value which was fully paid upfront afterwards. By end of April, due to obeying the encouragement of Microsoft to migrate legacy clients to the new commerce experience, we did the migration from Legacy to NCE with same subscription terms and conditions and while we got the prorated refund based on Legacy old prices prevailing at the time order was submitted, the remaining duration of the subscription was charged at the new (higher) prices of NCE. Resulting in a difference of $ 35 K. Because of this confusion we are facing an inconvenient situation since our client won’t pay the difference between the two rates because he doesn’t request us to do the migration. When we did the migration, we didn’t have any kind of warring or consent that told us that we could pay for the new experience by its new price not by the same legacy’s price till the end of the subscription. All what we had as a reference at then, the below link that says the following: (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/partner-center/migrate-subscriptions-to-new-commerce#configuring-term-and-billing-frequency) Partners can change terms and billing frequencies when migrating. Migrate with the same term length and end date from legacy. An annual legacy subscription migrated at month seven have five remaining months of the new commerce term left. Which means that we should continue to pay for the remaining months left with the same rate of the legacy. Recently , the Microsoft’s tech team referred to a document New Commerce Experience Handbook that doesn’t inspire from its name and description that it should be considered as a reference before proceeding to migrate the legacy subscription into the new commerce experience. And based on its change log, it had many modifications and still has ones, and it is not clear to us its issue date. On top of that, section Understanding prorated refunds, has been added on May 6 2022 , after we did the migration process which the part of the billing and refund was confusable and not clear. https://teams.microsoft.com/l/message/19:email address removed for privacy reasons.spaces/1689774796567?context=%7B%22contextType%22%3A%22chat%22%7D So to summarize the case, this Order was placed in December 2021 as one year annual commitment. At the time, we got charged for the whole order value which was fully paid upfront afterwards. By end of April, we did the migration from Legacy to NCE with same subscription terms and conditions and while we got the prorated refund based on Legacy old prices prevailing at the time order was submitted, the remaining duration of the subscription was charged at the new higher prices of NCE. Resulting in a difference of USD 35 K. All what we are requesting here is that as a partner we expect Microsoft to understand the situation well and support us to skip this unexpected situation. we have ongoing support cases regarding this issue, but we have received a recommendation from the engineering team to post here on this channel as well to reach out for another channel of support.What is Microsoft Entra? Tune in to Learn More About this New Product Family
Microsoft Entra is our new product family that encompasses all of Microsoft’s identity and access capabilities. The Entra family includes Microsoft Azure Active Directory (Azure AD), as well as two new product categories: Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM) and decentralized identity. The products in the Entra family will help provide secure access to everything for everyone, by providing identity and access management, cloud infrastructure entitlement management, and identity verification. Microsoft Entra Tech Accelerator: Part 1 - June 27, 2023 (Available On Demand) Start time Session title 9:30 a.m. PT Advancements in Microsoft Entra ID Governance 10:30 a.m. PT Build secure and scalable apps: Microsoft Entra External ID Microsoft Entra Tech Accelerator: Part 2 - July 20th, 2023 Start time Session title 8:00 a.m. PT Innovations in Microsoft Entra 8:30 a.m. PT What’s next for Microsoft Entra 9:30 a.m. PT Ask Microsoft Anything: Updates to Microsoft Entra 10:00 a.m. PT Use machine learning to block identity takeover in real time Microsoft Entra - Reimagine Secure Access with Microsoft Entra Tuesday, July 11, 2023 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM Pacific Time (UTC-7) Register HERE Have questions for experts? Ask them during the live Q&A chat. Join Security, Compliance, and Identity on the Tech Community to continue technical product learning and join discussions led by Microsoft’s subject matter experts. Learn about new features and products. Connect with other members using Microsoft security products throughout the year.
