Prepare for the retirement of the Microsoft 365 Fundamentals certification
To ensure our program offerings align with customer and market demand, we regularly review our applied skilling and certification requirements for Solutions Partner designations and retire certain certifications and skilling requirements. As part of that review, we're retiring the Microsoft 365 Fundamentals certification on March 31, 2026. As of this date, partners will no longer be able to obtain this certification. For partners who were certified before the retirement, the certification will continue to count toward skilling points for the Modern Work designation until March 31, 2027. We encourage you to plan for future renewals by reviewing other eligible certifications in place of Microsoft 365 Fundamentals. Microsoft will continue to provide resources and guidance to support a smooth transition as this change takes effect. Learn more about maintaining your Modern Work designation and eligible certifications to demonstrate your skills.AgentCon 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/agentconSeoul2026Microsoft Partners: Accelerate Your AI Journey at AgentCon 2026 (Free Community Event)
Recently, a customer asked me a question many Microsoft partners are hearing right now: “We have Copilot — how do we actually use AI to change the way we work?” That question captures where we are in the AI journey today. Organizations have moved past curiosity. Now they’re looking for trusted partners who can turn AI into real business outcomes. That’s why events like AgentCon 2026 matter. A free, community-led event built by practicioners AgentCon is not a traditional conference. It’s a free, community-driven global event organized by the Global AI Community together with Microsoft partners and ecosystem leaders. Simply put: it’s for the community, by the community. Across cities worldwide, developers, consultants, architects, and Microsoft partners come together to share practical experiences building with AI agents, Copilot, and the Microsoft platform. The focus isn’t theory — it’s implementation: What worked What didn’t What partners can apply immediately with customers This peer learning model reflects how many of us actually grow in the Microsoft ecosystem: by learning from other partners solving real problems. Why this matters for Microsoft partners The opportunity for partners is evolving quickly. Customers aren’t just asking about AI tools — they’re asking how to redesign processes, automate work, and unlock productivity using AI-powered solutions. The Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program emphasizes partner skilling and helping customers realize value from AI investments. Community events like AgentCon accelerate that learning by bringing partners together to exchange proven approaches and practical insights. When partners upskill faster, customers succeed faster. Why attend AgentCon is designed to help partners move from AI awareness to AI delivery. As an attendee, you can expect: Practical sessions and demos from practitioners Real-world AI and agent scenarios Direct conversations with builders and peers New collaboration and co-sell opportunities You’ll leave with ideas and approaches you can bring directly into customer engagements. Why speak AgentCon thrives because partners share openly with one another. If you’ve implemented Copilot, explored AI agents, or learned lessons from customer deployments, your experience can help others accelerate their journey. Speaking at AgentCon allows you to: Share your expertise with the global partner community Build credibility within the Microsoft ecosystem Create new partnerships and opportunities Contribute to collective partner success You don’t need a perfect story — just an honest one others can learn from. Join the global AgentCon community AgentCon 2026 events takes place around the world including these upcoming events: March 9 - New York: https://aka.ms/AgentconNYC2026 April 11 - Hong Kong: https://aka.ms/AgentconHongKong2026 April 16 - Seoul: https://aka.ms/agentconLondon2026 April 22 - London: https://aka.ms/agentconSeoul2026 Each event is locally organized, community-led, and free to attend. Help shape the next phase of AI adoption AI transformation is happening now — and Microsoft partners play a critical role in guiding customers forward. AgentCon is an opportunity to learn together, share experiences, and strengthen the partner ecosystem driving AI innovation. 👉 Register or apply to speak: https://aka.ms/agentcon2026 We hope you’ll join us — and be part of the community helping customers turn AI potential into real impact.AgentCon 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!Learn to maximize your productivity at the proMX Project Operations + AI Summit 2026
As organizations accelerate AI adoption across business applications, mastering how Microsoft Dynamics 365 solutions, Copilot, and agents work together is becoming a strategic priority. Fortunately, businesses no longer need to rely on speculation — they can gain practical insights with fellow industry professionals during a unique two-day event: On April 21-22, 2026, Microsoft and proMX will jointly host the fourth edition of proMX Project Operations Summit at the Microsoft office in Munich, but this time with an AI edge. The summit brings together Dynamics 365 customers and Microsoft and proMX experts to explore how AI is reshaping project delivery, resource management, and operational decision‑making across industries. On day one, participants will discover how Dynamics 365 Project Operations, Copilot, Project Online, proMX 365 PPM, and Contact Center can strategically transform business processes and drive organizational growth. On day two, they can explore the technical side of these solutions. Secure your spot! What to expect from the summit Expert-led, actionable insights Join interactive sessions led by Microsoft and proMX experts to learn practical AI and Dynamics 365 skills you can use right away. Inspiring keynotes Gain future-focused perspectives on Dynamics 365, Copilot, and AI to prepare your organization for what’s next. In between our special guests we have Microsoft's Rupa Mantravadi, Chief Product Officer, Dynamics 365 Project Operations, Rob Nehrbas, Head of AI Business Solutions​, Archana Prasad, Worldwide FastTrack Leader for Project Operations, and Mathias Klaas, Partner Development Manager. Hands-on AI workshops Take part in workshops where Sebastian Sieber, Global Technology Director (proMX) and Microsoft MVP will show the newest AI features in Dynamics 365, giving you real-world experience with innovative tools. Connect with industry leaders Engage with experts through Q&A sessions, round tables, and personalized Connect Meetings for tailored guidance on your business needs. Real customer success stories Hear case studies from proMX customers who are already using Dynamics 365 solutions and learn proven strategies for successful digital transformation. Who should attend? This summit is tailored for business and IT decision-makers that are using Dynamics 365 solutions and want to drive more business impact with AI, but also for those who might be planning to move away from other project management solutions such as Project Online and need practical guidance grounded in real-life implementations. Date: Apr 21 & 22, 2026 | 2 -Days event Location: Microsoft Munich, Walter-Gropius Straße 5, Munich, Bavaria, DE, 80807 Ready to maximize your productivity? Register here.proMX Project Operations + AI Summit 2026
Ready to learn how you can turn your project challenges into business success with Dynamics 365 AI solutions? Join Microsoft and proMX on April 21st and 22nd at Microsoft Munich for the in-person proMX Project Operations + AI Summit 2026 – Turning data into productivity assets with Copilot + Agents in Dynamics 365 solutions. On DAY 1, discover how Dynamics 365 Project Operations, Copilot, Project Online, proMX 365 PPM, and Contact Center can strategically transform business processes and drive organizational growth. On DAY 2, we’ll take a deep dive into the technical side of these solutions. ✅Book a one-to-one slot with proMX, proMX customers or our Microsoft guests ✅ Explore our booths to talk to Microsoft MVPs and proMX experts ✅ Exchange ideas, project expertise, and more! Register now to secure your spot at this exclusive and free event: proMX Project Operations + AI Summit 2026 You still have questions? Feel free to contact us! Jelena Yaruchyk (Global Marketing Director) - Jelena.Yaruchyk@promx.net Kateryna Marchak (Marketing and Content Lead) - Kateryna.Marchak@promx.netStand out as an authority on cloud sovereignty with the Digital Sovereignty specialization
The Digital Sovereignty specialization is designed to drive meaningful business outcomes. It differentiates your organization as a sovereign cloud leader, building trust with customers in compliance-heavy regions. It also opens access to high-value projects in regulated industries such as government, defense, banking, and healthcare. The Digital Sovereignty specialization supports business growth by highlighting value-added services capabilities with higher margins in digital sovereignty. Finally, it signals proven delivery capability on sensitive cloud deployments, fostering strong client relationships. To enroll, meet the five specialization prerequisite requirements across Security, Azure, and Modern Work. Once eligible, respond to Microsoft outreach and schedule a third-party audit, demonstrating recent sovereign cloud projects. Then, maintain the specialization by continuing to meet prerequisites annually and passing the audit every two years. Don't miss this opportunity to tap into incredible business value and access exciting opportunities based on the capabilities and knowledge you already have.Now Generally Available: Azure Native Pure Storage Cloud for Azure VMware Solution
Co authored by: vjirovsky Azure Native Integrations enable you to easily provision, manage, and tightly integrate Independent Software Vendors (ISV) SaaS with a unified billing on Azure. By leveraging the power of Azure, Pure Storage Cloud Service offers you the same trusted Pure Storage capabilities in the cloud, without the complexity of refactoring or rearchitecting your VMware environments. You can easily discover and sign up for this via the Azure Marketplace. Azure Native Integrations enable you to easily provision, manage, and tightly integrate Independent Software Vendors (ISV) SaaS with a unified billing on Azure. By leveraging the power of Azure, Pure Storage Cloud Service offers you the same trusted Pure Storage capabilities in the cloud, without the complexity of refactoring or rearchitecting your VMware environments. You can easily discover and sign up for this via the Azure Marketplace. “We’re excited to announce Microsoft’s strengthened partnership with Pure Storage through the Azure Native Integrations program. With the service now generally available, customers can seamlessly deploy enterprise-grade block storage on Pure directly from the Azure portal. This seamless integration with Azure VMware Solution enables elastic capacity, flexible performance, and instant resizing – all while unlocking the full power of Azure’s cloud and AI capabilities.” - Scott Hunter, Vice President Product Management, Microsoft Developer Division Key Benefits of Azure Native Pure Storage Cloud on AVS Enterprise customers migrating VMware workloads to the cloud have long faced challenges with storage scalability, cost inefficiencies, and operational overhead. With this GA release, Pure Storage removes those barriers and delivers: Decoupled Scalability & Flexibility: across Compute and Storage solutions, so you pay only for what you need. Seamless Native Azure Experience: Provision Pure Storage Cloud resources via the client of your choice - Azure portal, CLI, PowerShell or SDK. Multi-Region support: Enjoy the support for your Pure Storage resource across East US, East US 2, West US 2, Central US and Australia East regions, with many more coming in shortly! Cost Efficiency: Achieve up to 40% Total Cost of Operations (TCO) savings through best-in-class data reduction and compression solutions. Streamlined VMware Migration: Simplify the transition of VMware workloads from on-premises or hybrid and multi-cloud environments onto Azure with consistent storage performance, nearly zero downtime, and minimal business disruption. Easy management: Perform all daily operations on AVS from a single VMware vSphere client directly via built-in plugin for Pure Storage Cloud Robust performance and reliability for mission-critical workloads with enterprise-grade Data protection and Data resilience support, with solutions such as Pure Snapshots and Hybrid Disaster Recovery in the pipeline. Fig 1: Pure Storage benefits of decoupled storage scalability. Why Pure Storage? Gartner report from Sept 2025 states that by 2029, consumption-based storage as a service (STaaS) will replace 50% of on-premises enterprise storage and data services infrastructure capital expenditure (capex), an increase from 15% in early 2025. Pure Storage® is a pivotal storage player among the Enterprise customers in revolutionizing the storage, management and resiliency while ensuring flexibility. From AI to archive, Pure Storage delivers a seamless cloud migration experience with one unified Storage as-a-Service (STaaS) platform across on-premises, private and public cloud, and hybrid environments. Pure has been named a Leader in the Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Enterprise Storage Platforms, with highest rating in Execution & Vision. An enterprise-favorite, some key customers for Pure Storage include ServiceNow, NASA, Comcast and many more! Fig 2: Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Storage Platforms, Sep 2025, Gartner Inc. Get Started with Azure Native Pure Storage Cloud Getting started is simple and fully integrated into the Azure experience. You can now start your journey quick and easy, and you pay only for the storage you use. For a detailed step-by-step visual guide, check out this YouTube playlist. Search and Provisioning the Pure Storage Cloud Resource Look for “Pure Storage Cloud” in the Azure portal or Azure Marketplace and sign up to subscribe. Select the service and create a new Pure Storage resource. Follow the instructions in the QuickStart to easily spin up your Pure Storage resource. Fig 3: Searching for Azure Native Pure Storage via Azure portal Create Storage Pools Using your Vnet and a delegated subnet to PureStorage.Block/storagePools, use the Overview blade navigation or the Action tile in the bottom to create and configure your storage pools. Fig 4: Newly created Pure Storage resource Overview in Azure portal Fig 5: Create Storage pool blade in Azure portal Connect to an Azure VMware Solution (AVS) resource Once created, you can use the Connect button up top to link your storage pool to AVS. In a few minutes, your storage pool is coupled with your VMware resource and ready to use! Fig 6: Connect AVS button establishes connection between storage pool and AVS resource Also, it automatically installs the Pure Storage Cloud plugin into your VMware resource, so you can manage everything, including the storage, from a single place, vSphere Client. Fig 7: Creation of a Datastore within the vSphere Client – this maps to a Storage container on your Pure Storage Cloud resource We’re excited for you to try out our solution! If you have suggestions or questions, contact us at azurenative@purestorage.com Resources Sign up for the service via Azure marketplace here. For a detailed visual guide on the step-by-step process to create a Pure Storage resource on Azure, check out this YouTube playlist. To learn more about the service, FAQ, and how to create your resource, check out the Microsoft docs as well as the Pure docs. Learn about how to create datastores and volumes and manage your Pure Storage here. Check out Azure Storage's blog and Pure’s press release for more excitement around the Pure-Microsoft partnership.
