Announcing seamless integration of Apache Kafka with Azure Cosmos DB in Azure Native Confluent
Integrate Azure Cosmos DB with Kafka applications Confluent announced general availability (GA) of the fully managed V2 Kafka connector for Azure Cosmos DB, enabling users to seamlessly integrate their Azure Cosmos DB containers with Kafka-powered event streaming applications. without worrying about provisioning, scaling, or managing the connector infrastructure. The Confluent Cosmos DB v2 connector offers significant advantages as compared to the v1 connector in terms of higher throughput, enhanced security and observability, and increased reliability. Seamless Integration with Azure Native Confluent We are excited to announce a new capability in Azure Native Confluent service that enables users to create and configure Confluent-managed Cosmos DB Kafka connectors (v2) for Azure Cosmos DB containers through a direct, seamless experience in the Azure portal. Users can also provision and manage environments, Kafka clusters and Kafka topics from within the Azure Native Confluent service, creating a holistic end-to-end experience to integrate with Azure Cosmos DB. This eliminates the need for users to switch between the Azure and Confluent Cloud portal. Key Highlights Bi-directional Support: Allows users to create source connectors to stream data from Cosmos DB to Kafka topics, or sink connectors to move data from Kafka into Cosmos DB. Secure Authentication: Users can authenticate to Kafka cluster using service accounts, enabling least-privilege access controls to provision the connectors - aligned with Confluent’s recommended security guidelines. Create a Confluent Cosmos DB (v2) Kafka Connector from Azure portal The following section summarizes the key steps required to provision the connector from the Azure Native Confluent service. Navigate to the native Confluent resource in Azure. Navigate to Connectors -> Create new connector You can also create an environment, cluster and topic from within the Azure Portal. Choose the desired connector type Source: to stream data from Azure Cosmos DB Sink to move data into Azure Cosmos DB Select ‘Azure Cosmos DB V2’ as the connector plugin Enter the connector name. Then, select the required Kafka topics, Azure Cosmos DB account and database. Select Service Account authentication and provide a name for the service account. When the connector is created, this will create a new service account on Confluent Cloud. Optionally, you can also select the user-account based authentication by provisioning an API key on Confluent Cloud. Do the required connector configurations. Enter the topic container mapping in the form of ‘topic1#container1,topic2#container2…’ Review the configuration summary and click Create. Your connector will appear in the list with real-time status indicators. Other Resources Try out the Azure Native Confluent Service right away! Every new sign-up gets a free $1000 credit! To learn more, check out the Microsoft Docs If you would like to give us feedback on this feature, the overall product or have any suggestions for us to work on, please drop in your suggestions in the comments.Unlock growth with proactive renewals
The small and medium-sized business (SMB) cloud market continues to grow rapidly. Internal projections, informed by IDC market trends, estimate that the SMB cloud market will reach $777 billion 1 in FY26. A significant share of customer renewals occur in Microsoft Q3, making now a critical moment for Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) partners to prepare and act with intention. Renewals are integral to that growth because they protect recurring revenue, deepen account relationships, and create natural opportunities to expand service and solution offerings through upsell. When approached strategically, renewals allow partners to address customers’ evolving business needs while introducing modern security and AI capabilities that drive additional value across the account. Microsoft internal data shows that on-time renewals drive 20% more revenue than late renewals. When a subscription lapses, partners risk revenue contraction and missed opportunities to introduce new capabilities. Renewals are no longer routine; they are strategic, and the strongest outcomes result from starting conversations early and engaging customers well before a contract approaches its expiration date. The Partner Guidance Deck provides a clear framework for driving CSP renewals, including sales guidance for hero scenarios and key investments and levers available to maximize the moment. When you connect renewal cycles with the right mix of secure AI productivity solutions, you can create long-term account value and build momentum across your AI Business Solutions practice. Why timely renewals matter A proactive renewal motion offers several advantages. Continue reading herePartner Blog | What's new for Microsoft partners: January 2026 edition
Your voice continues to shape how the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program evolves. In this update, we’re bringing together the announcements, investments, and resources that matter most to partners right now. From the innovations unveiled at Microsoft Ignite to updates across benefits, Azure, AI business solutions, Marketplace, security, and skilling, this edition is designed to build capability, accelerate execution, and drive meaningful customer impact as AI becomes central to every workload. What follows highlights our focus and areas of partner opportunity, grounded in feedback from across the ecosystem and aligned to how customers are evolving their cloud and AI strategies. Spotlight Microsoft Ignite Microsoft Ignite marked an important evolution for the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program, introducing new investments for partners to lead as Frontier Firms, translating their own AI experience into customer impact. Read Nicole Dezen’s blog for a partner-focused recap of Microsoft Ignite 2025, bringing together the announcements that matter most across AI, cloud platforms, security, and developer tools. Continue reading herePartner Blog | Azure updates for partners: December 2025
At Microsoft Ignite 2025, we explored what it means for organizations to move into the era of Frontier transformation. This shift is focused on embedding AI across every part of the business to improve decision-making, increase speed, and create new value. Organizations leading in AI make it foundational. They rethink processes and integrate new technologies from the start to improve efficiency. For partners, this move toward Frontier represents a significant opportunity to lead customers into this new era. By building AI-powered solutions, connecting data for intelligent insights, and deploying Microsoft Azure’s cloud-ready platforms, partners can deliver value faster and scale confidently through the Microsoft ecosystem. Microsoft Ignite came with a significant number of announcements, so I’ve gathered the Azure updates that matter most for partners. These are the capabilities that can strengthen your ability to deliver intelligent solutions, drive operational efficiency, and differentiate your product or service in the market. You can also explore how partners are turning momentum into action, access highlights, and grab practical guidance from my Microsoft Ignite session. Continue reading herePartner Blog | Preparing for the next stage of partner skilling in 2026
As 2025 draws to a close, we are seeing the impact of focus and follow-through across the partner ecosystem. This year, partners made skilling a deliberate priority. Across solution areas, teams deepened technical capability, strengthened sales readiness, and brought innovation into real customer engagements. That intent is translating into more confident delivery, faster time to value, and practices built to operate in an AI-driven market. Our November skilling update outlined the latest resources, bootcamps, and learning paths available to partners. As we look ahead to 2026, this moment is about turning those investments into a scalable skilling foundation that supports consistent delivery, drives customer outcomes, and positions your organization to grow as demand for AI, cloud, security, and data solutions continues to accelerate. Continue reading herePartner Blog | Lead SMBs into the AI frontier with Microsoft 365 Copilot Business
In today’s fast-changing digital landscape, the Microsoft partner ecosystem is the catalyst for building Frontier Firms that lead with AI, embrace innovation, and deliver transformative outcomes for enterprise customers. To illustrate this, the Enterprise Partner Solutions (EPS) Asia Regional Leadership Team (RLT) has launched a new series called Frontier Forward: Asia Edition focused on how partners are creating impactful solutions across Asia. About the Frontier Forward series By interviewing executives from key partner organizations, we spotlight successful joint initiatives and tangible results that matter to enterprise customers. Follow along to learn how partners have developed strategies that accelerate transformation and create customer value. Continue reading herePartner Blog | Powering growth through benefits that drive real impact
Partner benefits packages sit at the center of the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program. These packages are bundled offerings designed for partners, and they include discounted licenses on the Microsoft products you already use to run your business, along with one-on-one personalized support, developer tools, and additional resources. The three-tiered packages feature increasingly robust offerings to meet your business in any stage of growth, whether you’re building new practices, scaling services, or expanding into AI-led opportunities. As customer needs evolve and AI continues to shape growth, we are expanding the package offerings in February 2026 with additional Microsoft Copilot licenses, expanded security benefits, and an on-demand AI partner marketing resource to drive demand together. Continue reading herePartner Blog | Building an AI app and agent factory with Microsoft Foundry
AI is shaping how we live and work. Its potential feels limitless, constrained only by what we can imagine. According to the Microsoft Work Trend Index, 82% of leaders say they’re confident that they’ll use digital labor to expand workforce capacity in the next 12–18 months. AI is emerging as a clear differentiator, fueling creativity, accelerating productivity, and unlocking breakthrough innovation. For organizations delivering AI-powered solutions and services, this is your moment to lead. The demand is shifting from pilot projects to AI transformations at scale, and Microsoft partners who can deliver AI apps and agents at scale will define the future of this dynamic market. According to a survey by IDC, partners with mature Microsoft AI practices outperform others in overall gross margin, 36% vs. 30%. Continue reading hereSecure migration starts with trusted cloud and AI expertise
Modernizing legacy IT environments and moving securely to the cloud are top priorities for customers today. With the cloud migration market projected to reach $1.03 trillion 1 by 2030, representing an approximate 28% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), 2 organizations everywhere seek to strengthen their digital foundations—and they expect migrations to be secure, efficient, and tied to business outcomes. This is where partners make the difference. Your expertise speeds transformation and empowers customers to realize the full value of Microsoft Azure. Why modernizing legacy IT environments is essential Modernization is critical across industries. As software and hardware reach end of support, the risk of disruption rises. Unsupported systems create security gaps and operational challenges because they no longer receive essential updates. Meanwhile, regulatory pressure is mounting. Regulations like the EU’s Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) and mandates in financial services and data management demand secure, up-to-date infrastructure to stay compliant and avoid costly penalties. Modernization isn’t just about reducing risk; it’s about seizing the moment of innovation. Modern platforms support AI, automation, and advanced data capabilities. Customers can move faster, operate more efficiently, and respond rapidly to new opportunities by updating legacy systems. Your expertise positions them competitively at the frontier of AI and intelligent operations. Continue reading hereThe Microsoft Marketplace opportunity for channel ecosystem
Microsoft estimates, based on IDC data, that the total addressable market (TAM) for small and medium enterprises will reach $777 billion by FY26—and is on track to surpass $1 trillion by 2030. This represents more than 400 million organizations worldwide with fewer than 3,000 employees. As organizations look to become AI-first, Microsoft partners play a critical role as trusted advisors in navigating this transformation. Microsoft Marketplace is the platform that scales AI-first transformation, connecting your solutions and offerings to millions of commercial customers. Building on the momentum from Microsoft Ignite and the recent announcement of the reimagined Microsoft Marketplace, we’re excited to introduce the general availability of resale enabled offers. Continue reading here
