Build, invest, and win together at MCAPS Start for Partners!
We are excited to invite our global partner ecosystem to MCAPS Start for Partners, a digital event broadcast on July 15, 2025, at 8:00 AM PT. This exclusive experience marks the start of our new fiscal year, a pivotal moment to share new investments and capability and equip you with the data, insights and resources needed to drive mutual growth and success. Register now. At the start of our fiscal year, Microsoft hosts a sales readiness event, MCAPS Start. This is designed to enable, energize and focus our global Microsoft Customer and Partner Solutions (MCAPS) sales organization, with the tools and skills to have a fast start to success in the new fiscal year. Our partners are an extension of our salesforce, and so, we are inviting you, our partners, to participate in the momentum through a dedicated digital experience designed for your business. MCAPS Start for Partners will enable you to engage, build, and sell with Microsoft, by providing you with the information you need to grow your business with us in the year ahead. Why attend? MCAPS Start for Partners is your front-row seat to learn about our fiscal year priorities, Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program investments and updates, and our shared opportunity with AI transformation. You will hear directly from Microsoft’s senior leaders about what is next, where we are investing, and how we’ll go to market together. You will also get an early look at upcoming changes, strategic investments, and updates across co-sell, marketplace, incentives, and skilling. As a digital-first experience, MCAPS Start for Partners ensures worldwide accessibility, delivering essential readiness content and celebrating community, while setting the stage for what is next. What to expect We’ve designed the event with flexibility in mind, so you can engage at your own pace and revisit content when it is most convenient. Continue reading herePartner Blog | Build in-demand capabilities with Microsoft Titan Skilling Academy
Continuous learning is essential for organizations using cloud and AI technologies to maintain a competitive edge. To help Microsoft partners stay at the forefront of their industries, we are pleased to share the latest updates to our partner skilling initiatives. These changes are part of an ongoing effort to simplify and enhance the skilling process, ensuring that partners like you continue to deliver the innovative solutions customers need. Microsoft Titan Skilling Academy went worldwide June 1 As announced in March, Microsoft Titan Skilling Academy is a new, centralized skilling portal designed to help sales professionals in partner organizations boost their skills and position themselves as industry leaders. We built Microsoft Titan Skilling Academy as a unified hub that delivers a learning framework for partner skilling—simplifying the experience and providing clear, structured guidance across sales, pre-sales, and customer deployment cycles to help you close deals and drive revenue. Microsoft Titan Skilling Academy launched globally on June 1, 2025, with a learning journey for Security called "Microsoft Sales Titan: Threat Protection." Designed to promote Microsoft Threat Protection SKUs, this offering provides sales teams with on-demand training sessions focused on understanding and articulating the value of Microsoft 365 E5 Security licenses. With Sales Titan: Threat Protection, members of your sales team can improve their ability to close deals and earn Microsoft accredited badges—which demonstrate their learnings to both clients and Microsoft. You can also gain access to supporting resources that help drive confident, informed customer conversations. This self-serve learning journey is now available to partners globally. Sales Titan, the first module in the Microsoft Titan Skilling Academy, will eventually integrate into our new skilling platform, launching this July. This unified environment consolidates each of our skilling platforms into a single, easy-to-access location. Continue reading herePartner Center Technical Corner: June 2025 edition
Welcome to the June edition of Partner Center Technical Corner. This month, we’re spotlighting new AI assistant capabilities for enhanced partner support, tools to optimize small and medium enterprises, and a summary of recent releases. As always, at the end of the blog you can find the most up-to-date essential Partner Center resources. Empowering partners: The evolution of the Partner Center AI assistant Partner Center AI assistant (preview) is built to enhance your Partner Center experience with generative AI, offering tailored insights and intelligent suggestions to transform everyday tasks in Partner Center into opportunities for growth and innovation. As we continue to equip the AI assistant to offer better, more tailored results, we have steadily expanded its capabilities to make your daily operations more efficient, and insight driven. Currently available in preview to partners using the English version of Partner Center, the AI assistant can be accessed via the sparkle icon in the upper-right corner of the page. This will be expanded to other languages soon. As needed, partners can initiate the support ticket creation process through the AI assistant panel. AI assistant now provides comprehensive support for the partner incentives co-op questions in the Earnings and Incentives workspaces. Partners can now quickly access vital information about co-op policies, deadlines, qualifying activities, and proof of execution requirements—information that previously required referencing lengthy documentation. You can ask the AI assistant questions like: "What is the claim deadline for FY25H1 co-op?" or "What are the qualifying activities for partner skilling?" and get quick answers. In January, we introduced the AI assistant Anywhere scenarios in the Earnings workspace, empowering partners to view their detailed earnings trends (by program, engagement, or lever); analyze payment details for their specific customers; and gain deeper insights into revenue streams. Partners can access these capabilities by choosing a specific record in the Payments summary tab or Earnings summary tab and choosing the option from the sparkle icon on the page. The AI assistant quickly generates the right prompt and provides a customized response in the AI assistant chat. Continue reading herePartner Blog | Microsoft Build 2025: Transforming software development for partners
As technology continues to evolve at a remarkable pace, Microsoft partners are presented with both the challenge and the opportunity to modernize. From transitioning to cloud environments to harnessing advancements in data and AI, the drive for innovation is strong. AI is becoming central to application development, deployment, and user experience. For software development companies—technology-led companies that build, operate, and sell their own software or apps—this transformation paves the way for creating smarter solutions, optimizing workflows, and delivering enhanced value to their customers. At Microsoft Build, we introduced a new wave of AI capabilities designed to accelerate agentic AI app development and empower developers to become AI developers. From GitHub-native workflows to agent-based models, the focus is on enabling innovation at scale—supporting startups bringing new ideas to market and established companies building enterprise-grade applications. “We are participating in a $6.5 trillion opportunity that is going to be addressable across our partner ecosystem.” - Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO and Chairman A unified opportunity for partners Whether you are building software products, delivering services, implementing solutions, or advising customers on transformation strategies, the announcements at Build reflect an integrated approach to empowering the Microsoft partner ecosystem. From software companies to systems integrators, managed services providers, resellers, and startups—partners across the ecosystem have roles to play in bringing agentic AI to life. Our tools, platforms, and opportunities are designed to support diverse business models and partner types, providing practical paths to innovate, differentiate, and grow. No matter where you are in your journey, there is an opportunity to engage and deliver impact with the Microsoft vision for agentic AI. You can dive into the full slate of announcements in the Azure Build blog and catch the keynote on demand. In addition, recorded breakout sessions are now available, providing in-depth insights tailored to software companies. Accelerate GTM and customer adoption of agents with new cost management features We also announced a variety of features that will give partners and customers increased ability to manage cost and consumption of agents. With agent management in the Microsoft 365 admin center, partners and customers will be able to view, monitor, and manage all agents in their inventory. Cost management and usage are also improving, with customers having the ability to set budget limits and monitor usage and consumption. Finally, partners and customers can use the Copilot Studio Agent Consumption Estimator to estimate their consumption costs, bringing peace of mind and helping drive further adoption. Continue reading herePartner Blog | Unlock AI innovation with PostgreSQL on Azure
In a previous blog post, we highlighted the immense potential for our partners to drive significant business transformations with Linux on Microsoft Azure. We shared valuable resources designed to help our partners expand their practices and accelerate go-to-market strategies. This opportunity was echoed at last week’s Microsoft Build conference, where key announcements included advancements in AI, cloud computing, and developer tools. Today, we want to focus on the power of data and how PostgreSQL on Azure can be a game-changer for engaging with customers eager to modernize and innovate. As businesses look to optimize operations, enhance security, and reduce costs, PostgreSQL has emerged as a go-to solution for building data management and AI solutions. Its scalability, data integrity, extensibility, and strong security features make it ideal for modern workloads. According to Timescale’s State of PostgreSQL 2024 report, PostgreSQL usage grew 20% in 2024. The report also showed that 55.3% of developers now use AI tools––up from 36.9% in 2023. Further, in the Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2024, PostgreSQL ranked as the top database among professional developers. For Azure partners, this growth presents a compelling opportunity. Together, we can lead PostgreSQL migrations and support customers as they build AI and analytics solutions on a secure and scalable platform. With Azure Migrate and Modernize, we offer funding and expert support to help accelerate migrations and drive impact faster. Real-world momentum with PostgreSQL on Azure We’re hearing from partners that Azure Database for PostgreSQL is playing a critical role in driving modernization and enabling enterprise-scale AI innovation. Continue reading hereOn Global Accessibility Day, we are committing to change powered by AI
Today, as we observe Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), we are reminded of the transformative power of technology in creating a more accessible world. This year, we also celebrate Microsoft's 50th anniversary, a milestone that underscores our unwavering commitment to innovation. An integral component of this milestone is our dedication to supporting accessibility transformation for and with our partners and customers. The evolution of AI for accessibility Our dedication to accessibility is a cornerstone of our mission. The evolution of AI for accessibility has empowered us to break barriers faster than ever before, providing accessible technology options for individuals with disabilities and supporting the global neurodiverse community. As Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella shared in his 50th Anniversary keynote: “Today, it’s not just about the past 50 years, it’s about the next 50.” He added, “Our future will not be defined by what we have built, but what we empower others to build.” 2025 also marks 30 years of our company-wide accessibility policy at Microsoft. This is also a great opportunity to recognize and thank our partners for their commitment to embracing innovation and accessibility paths with Microsoft, providing access for their workforce and customers, and encouraging others to achieve the same. We are humbled by and proud of our journey together. Key moments in our accessibility journey Over the past year, Microsoft has committed to changing our accessibility journey and joined our partners to evolve accessible technology with Microsoft AI solutions. Continue reading herePartner Blog | Mark your calendars: Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards nominations open June 18!
Each year, the Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards recognize the groundbreaking work our partner ecosystem drives across the globe. The 2025 awards promise to continue this tradition—highlighting the innovation, customer success, and impact our partners deliver across industries and regions. The nominations for the 2025 Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards will open on June 18, 2025. Start preparing now by reviewing the 2025 award guidelines and resources and join our upcoming Ask Me Anything (AMA) session. Celebrating innovation and impact The Microsoft partner ecosystem continues to play a pivotal role in helping customers embrace new technologies—particularly as AI reshapes the way we work, build, and grow. The Partner of the Year Awards are our way of recognizing and honoring this extraordinary community for their achievements. With categories that include AI, cloud innovation, industry solutions, and social impact, these awards highlight the diverse global achievements of our partners. In addition to the category-specific awards, we also honor partners worldwide through our Country/Region Partner of the Year Awards—a testament to the exceptional commitment to innovation within the Microsoft ecosystem. Recognition that goes further If you have delivered transformative solutions on Microsoft platforms over the past year, this is your chance to gain global recognition. Finalists and winners receive global recognition from Microsoft, visibility within the partner ecosystem and Microsoft field teams, opportunities to build credibility with customers, enhanced market presence, and business momentum. Winners will also receive a Microsoft Ignite exclusive Partner of the Year Award winners’ experience, including: Complimentary Microsoft Ignite event pass—1 per award Reserved seating for the keynote address Complimentary hotel room—up to four nights in the winners’ block Invite to the exclusive winners’ reception Guided Hub tours This year we are also excited to partner with the Microsoft Partner Success Stories initiative to offer our winners an opportunity to showcase their company and solutions with a published case study and video. Get ready to nominate The nomination window is just around the corner. Use this time to get a head start on crafting a standout nomination: Review the 2025 award guidelines and resources. Join us for an AMA on May 21: Have questions about the nomination process? Join our AMA session on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at 9:00 AM PDT. This is your chance to connect with our team, get your questions answered live, and gain insights into what makes a strong submission. Register for the AMA here. Be inspired: Need a little motivation? Explore the incredible stories of the 2024 Partner of the Year Award winners and finalists to see how peers across the world are pushing the boundaries of innovation and impact. Let’s celebrate the remarkable achievements of the Microsoft partner community. Start planning your submission now and get ready to put your best work forward when nominations open on June 18! Read this blog on Partner.Microsoft.comCapturing the marketplace opportunity, part four: Co-sell with Microsoft to accelerate your growth
Welcome to the final blog in our four-part series on maximizing the marketplace partner opportunity. If you haven't yet, check out parts one, two, and three. This blog focuses on strategic co-selling with Microsoft field sellers to accelerate enterprise-grade deals through the Microsoft marketplace. As the worlds of Software as a Service (SaaS), cloud go-to-market (GTM), and AI converge, software companies have a unique opportunity to capture billions in projected cloud and SaaS spending through B2B marketplaces. 1 The marketplace has become a clear center of gravity for how enterprises manage their cloud portfolios, with many organizations having cloud budget set aside for B2B transactions as they look to adopt new technologies while reducing sprawl and reassessing their SaaS spending. For software companies, the Microsoft marketplace is how we democratize IT and cloud GTM. It’s also how you go to market and co-sell alongside our global sales force of 35,000 sellers, enabling you to accelerate growth by accessing our broad customer base, including over one billion global customers and 95% of the Fortune 500 that use the Microsoft Cloud. Co-selling with Microsoft through the marketplace can remove the guesswork of identifying customers with pre-committed Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitments (MACCs), turning customers’ committed budgets into larger deals that close faster. Continue reading herePartner Blog | Powering partner success: New benefits, events, and opportunities
For 50 years, Microsoft has believed in the power of technology to create positive, lasting change. That belief fuels our mission: to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As a partner-first organization, we know this mission means investing in the success of our partners. When our partners grow, their customers succeed—and together, we create meaningful impact. Over the past six months, we have introduced new benefits and incentives designed to support our partners at every growth stage. From updated benefits offerings to expanded small and medium-sized business (SMB) paths for attaining Solutions Partner designations, our goal is to help you grow your business with confidence. As we continue to invest in offerings that empower our partners, we also create chances to learn from one another, explore tools and opportunities for differentiation, and lead through innovation. Microsoft events bring partners together to share ideas, make connections, and display innovation on a global stage. Microsoft Build kicks off May 19, 2025, in Seattle and online. As our premier developer conference, Build provides interactive learning and previews of the latest development tools and technologies. Continue reading hereAzure AI Foundry: Your GPS for the changing AI landscape
As you build services and software for your customers, Azure AI Foundry is your trusted guide, simplifying complex processes and empowering your team to achieve more. We released a host of new updates in Azure AI Foundry. Read the full blog for the details. Here are the highlights: Evaluate models quickly and easily: 1,917 models in Azure AI Foundry Model Catalog gives you choice, but evaluating the right model to use based on quality, cost, and throughput, or filter by industry, inference tasks like translation or text generation is important, and Azure AI Foundry makes this easy for your developers. But there's more! Find out how Evaluations API and Stored Completions API help in evaluating and refining models. New models from Meta Llama 4, eight new models from Azure OpenAI Service, Cohere, and more, including a Deep Seek R1 variant developed by the Microsoft AI team that outperforms Deep Seek R1 on responses to blocked topics and reducing harmful content while maintaining the same reasoning capabilities. You can find this model - MAI-DS-R1 - in Azure AI Foundry today. Azure AI Services to help you reduce time to market! Faster customer satisfaction! With Azure AI Agent Service in Azure AI Foundry, what originally took hundreds of lines of code can now be done in just a few lines of code. Find out how Fujitsu and NTT Data are using it! Similarly, Azure AI Search connects corporate knowledge into AI applications. New features make Azure AI Search one of the most cost-effective options on the market, delivering an enterprise-ready, full-featured retrieval system with advanced search technology without sacrificing cost or performance. Again, find out all the details in the full blog and make sure you share it all with your teams! Also, keep an eye out for the AI Show videos for a developer's take on all the cool updates!
