New To The Community
Hello ISV Success Community, As a new member to the community, I decided to start with an introduction. I’m Aubin Bakana, Founder and CTIO (Chief Technology & Innovation Officer) of Baobab Logix LTD, now based in Leeds, UK. I lead technology and innovation, driving solutions that are secure, ethical, and intelligent. At Baobab Logix, we’re building future-ready platforms that empower businesses to thrive. One of our flagship innovations is KeepComm Intel, a next-generation contact center solution that combines AI-driven automation with human-in-the-loop architecture for speed, accuracy, and trust. As a Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Expert, Harvard CS50 certified, and full-stack developer, I bring deep technical expertise and a vision for sustainable innovation. I’m here to connect, collaborate, and share insights with fellow innovators who believe in shaping technology for good. Looking forward to engaging with this amazing community and exploring opportunities to build impactful solutions together! thank you.Announcing the new and reimagined Microsoft Marketplace
Today, Microsoft launched the reimagined Microsoft Marketplace—your trusted destination for cloud solutions, AI apps, and agents. By unifying AppSource and Azure Marketplace, the new experience accelerates business transformation for customers and unlocks fresh growth opportunities for partners. The Microsoft Marketplace is now a single place to discover, try, buy, and deploy cloud-based innovations. Learn how these updates can help you expand your reach, differentiate your solutions, and deliver trusted outcomes by reading this blog.The Marketplace Partner Digest | May 2025
Welcome to the monthly partner release notes for the Microsoft marketplace! The marketplace is central to how we help you reach more customers, simplify sales, and drive growth. Dive into this month’s roundup of announcements and updates to stay informed about the latest marketplace developments. Don’t miss an update! Subscribe to the “Partner Digest” label to get notified whenever a new Marketplace Partner Digest hits the community blog. Check out this community post for how-to guidance on configuring your settings. 🚀 Noteworthy Highlights Flexible billing improvements now available in the marketplace We're excited to announce improvements to flexible billing for private offers are now generally available. With supported scenarios for quarterly, semiannual, bimonthly billing, and much more, flexible billing for private offers makes it easier to align customer payments to unique budget cycles. The value for you and your customers: With flexible billing schedules, customers can buy with confidence knowing that private offers can be customized for virtually any contract value and billing timeline to align with their requirements. For partners, you can tailor customers’ private offers and multiparty private offers to meet unique business requirements, helping you to unlock larger deals by aligning with customer billing expectations, while streamlining sales and accelerating deal velocity. Resources: For more on how to build a flexible billing schedule, check out the documentation at aka.ms/flexbill-docs. Learn more by checking out these demo videos for examples of how partners and customers are using flexible billing. 🌟 ️Partner Resources Discover exclusive resources designed to help you maximize your success in the marketplace! Explore our latest resources, blogs, and much more below: Partner blog series: Capturing the marketplace opportunity by selling path Dive into our four-part blog series to explore how you can grow your business across different marketplace selling paths. Whether you're just getting started or refining your marketplace strategy, these blogs are a great place to find guidance. Part one: Explores how adopting the marketplace as a core go-to-market strategy can help you close deals faster and increase deal sizes. Part two: Delves into the power of always-on selling with the digital self-serve motion to help you grow your pipeline. Part three: Offers tips and insights to maximize success when selling with channel partners through multiparty private offers. Part four: Focuses on strategic co-selling with Microsoft field sellers to accelerate enterprise-grade deals through the Microsoft marketplace. Co-sell Coaching Series Hosted in the Marketplace Community, Co-sell Coaching features Microsoft partners walking you through their best practices on how to effectively co-sell through the Microsoft marketplace. These sessions also include live Q&A with Microsoft subject-matter experts. The next session is scheduled for June 18 th featuring Contentsquare. Stay tuned for this session and catch up on past sessions on-demand: Episode 1: Carve Partners Episode 2: Abnormal Security Episode 3: Silverfort Mastering the Marketplace webinars Whether you’re new to the marketplace or focused on growing sales, our Mastering the Marketplace webinars cover a broad range of business and technical session topics to help accelerate your marketplace success. Check out these upcoming webinars, register, and mark your calendars. All times are listed in Pacific Time. June 3 at 9 AM: Learn how to use the multiparty private offers campaign in a box June 9 at 9 AM: ISV to CSP private offers - experience walkthrough June 11 at 9 AM: Unlocking sales through the marketplace Access the full library of webinars, including live and on-demand options at aka.ms/MTMwebinars. 🔮 Marketplace Events Marketplace Office Hours June 12, 2025, 8:30 am PST: Customer office hours Q&A: what we learned at FinOpsX Get a recap of insights from the FinOpsX 2025 event on what we learned from practitioners on best practices to manage cloud, SaaS, and AI investments. Discover strategies we shared on how to unlock faster time-to-value by using the marketplace to source thousands of pre-vetted solutions that accelerate AI transformation while better managing technology spend. Invite your customers to register and view previous sessions office hours session on-demand here. Prepare for the 2025 Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards The Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards (POTYA) are driven by a self-nominating process and acknowledge outstanding successes and innovations by partners across our global ecosystem. We especially encourage nominations for the Marketplace Partner of the Year Award, which recognizes partners that have embraced the Microsoft marketplace as core to their GTM strategy. The nomination window for this year’s program is June 18 – July 18, 2025, but you can prepare now by reviewing the guidelines for all awards. Partners can contact potyasup@microsoft.com with any questions. 💬 Share Your Feedback! We truly appreciate your feedback and want to ensure these Partner Release Notes deliver the information you need to succeed in the marketplace. If you have any feedback or suggestions on how we can continue to improve the content to best support you, we’d love to hear from you in the comments below! Thank you!
Modifying Plan Minimum Number of Users for Private Offers
Hi, I’m curious to know if there are any plans to allow ISVs to modify the Minimum Users/Seats when creating a private offer, even if that value differs from the limits defined in the corresponding public plan. At present, it appears private offers must stay within the min/max seat range configured in the public plan. However, there are strategic opportunities where we may need to override the minimum user count (e.g., to accommodate a smaller pilot or proof of concept for a large customer). Thanks, TimThe Marketplace Partner Digest | April 2025
Welcome to the monthly partner release notes for the Microsoft marketplace! The marketplace is central to how we help you reach more customers, simplify sales, and unlock growth. Dive into this month’s roundup of announcements and updates to stay informed about the latest marketplace developments. Don’t miss an update! Subscribe to the “Partner Digest” label to get notified whenever a new Marketplace Partner Digest hits the community blog. Check out this community post for how-to guidance on configuring your settings. 🚀 Noteworthy Highlights New private offer enhancements As part of our ongoing commitment to improving your Microsoft marketplace experience, we recently rolled out new updates to streamline the private offer purchase process. Here’s what’s changed: Clearer terminology: We’ve changed "recurring billing" to "auto-renew" across private offers, private plans, and public offers to better reflect this functionality. New settings: Auto-renew is now set to “off” by default for SaaS private offers and private plans, preventing unwanted renewals and reducing refunds and cancellations. Simpler interface: The auto-renew option now uses a toggle button to improve its on/off functionality. Customer notifications: Customers will now receive email notifications about their upcoming renewals or expirations, helping them stay informed and take action when needed. The value for you and your customers: These enhancements will further streamline the private offer purchase experience, reducing friction and giving customers more confidence when transacting through the marketplace. For you, this means more seamless marketplace sales and higher customer satisfaction. Resources: For more details, explore the technical documentation to learn about these private offer improvements. 🌟 ️Partner Resources Discover exclusive resources designed to help you maximize your success in the marketplace! Explore our latest resources, blogs, and much more below: Partner blog series: Capturing the marketplace opportunity by selling path Check out our ongoing four-part blog series on how you can make the most of the Microsoft marketplace across different selling motions. Part one: Learn how adopting the marketplace as a core go-to-market strategy can help you close deals faster and increase deal sizes. Part two: Discover the power of always-on selling with digital self-service to help you grow your pipeline. Part three: Published this month, get tips and insights to maximize success when selling with channel partners through multiparty private offers. If you're looking to optimize your marketplace strategy, these blogs are a great place to start. Catch up on parts one to three now and stay tuned for the final blog in May, which will cover how to drive successful joint sales opportunities when co-selling with Microsoft. Co-sell Coaching Series Hosted in the Marketplace Community, Co-sell Coaching is where your peer Microsoft partners will walk you through their best practices on how to effectively co-sell through the Microsoft marketplace. These sessions also include live Q&A with Microsoft subject-matter experts. Episode 2: Abnormal AI, On Wednesday, April 23 Brett Ferancy, Global Alliance Leader at Abnormal AI will share: The value of co-selling with Microsoft Proven best practices for effective co-sell execution Scaling through the marketplace and multiparty private offers (MPOs) Episode 3: Silverfort, On Wednesday, May 14 Jonathan Nativ, Senior Director of Strategic Alliances at Silverfort will talk about how Silverfort: Went from $0 to over $10M in marketplace billed sales (MBS) in two years Used the Microsoft marketplace to help close deals faster and with minimal friction Closed a recent marketplace deal with a large UK oil and gas company Take action: Register for Episode 2 | Register for Episode 3. You can also view all past and future sessions here. Check out the updated marketplace playbook on Microsoft Learn Access a new comprehensive guide with best practices and step-by-step instructions to streamline your marketplace onboarding and enhance your selling experience. Check out the playbook here. Mastering the Marketplace webinars Whether you’re new to the marketplace or focused on growing sales, our Mastering the Marketplace webinars cover a broad range of business and technical session topics to help accelerate your marketplace success. Visit aka.ms/MTMwebinars to find upcoming webinars, register, and mark your calendars. 🔮 Marketplace Events Marketplace Office Hours April 24, 2025, 8:30 am PST: Channel partner office hours Q&A During this channel partner office hours session, the team will provide updates on the marketplace roadmap, including upcoming features like flexible billing to support enterprise deals. We will also discuss strategies for closing end of year deals. Join to learn: Insights on the roadmap with a deep dive on enhancements to flexible billing How to close the year by getting your deals to land in May What you can expect in FY26 with Marketplace Rewards and new marketplace features Please note, this office hours will prioritize channel partner questions, please submit questions in advance when registering. Pre-submitted questions will be discussed during the Q&A portion at the end of the event. Register here! April 30, 2025, 8:30 am PST: Customer office hours Q&A with a preview into new marketplace functionality In our next customer office hours, the team will walk through new marketplace functionality that helps further streamline financial operations to help your organization be more efficient. Customers will get a deep dive into our private offer with new enhancements in flexible billing and more that will help safeguard the customer’s organization from shadow IT while fuelling innovation. Invite your customers to register and join us for a preview into new marketplace functionality and view previous sessions office hours session on-demand here. Marketplace at Catalyst 2025 The Microsoft marketplace team will be at the Catalyst conference, hosted by Partnership Leaders in Seattle from May 13–15, 2025. Microsoft Chief Partner Office Nicole Dezen will deliver the keynote, and Jason Rook, Sr. Director of Marketplace Product Marketing, will host a mainstage session on "Activating the channel and co-sell opportunity through the Microsoft marketplace," which will dive deep into partner-to-partner selling opportunities and how to co-sell with the Microsoft field. Plus, receive guidance on how to boost marketplace success with benefits and incentives. Take action: Register for Catalyst! Microsoft Build 2025 Mark your calendars! Microsoft Build returns to Seattle and online from May 19 – 22, 2025. Register now to receive the most up-to-date information about the event. Opportunity for 1:1 meetings the week of Microsoft Build 2025 During the week of Microsoft Build (May 19-22), executives from software development companies can request meetings with Microsoft leaders from Azure Marketing, Engineering, and Marketplace. This is a unique chance to engage directly with key decision-makers at Microsoft, as we work together to build the future. Whether you’re driving innovation, scaling your business, or exploring strategic partnerships, these conversations can help unlock new possibilities. Complete this form by Apr. 30 to submit your request. The Microsoft team will reach out to confirm availability and the next steps. Please note: These meetings will take place offsite and are not part of the official Microsoft Build agenda, so event passes are not required or provided. Also, due to high interest and limited availability, submitting a request does not guarantee a meeting slot. Take action: Register to attend for Build and complete the form by April 30 th to submit a request for a 1:1 executive meeting (if you plan on attending in person). 💬 Share Your Feedback! We truly appreciate your feedback and want to ensure these Partner Release Notes deliver the information you need to succeed in the marketplace. If you have any feedback or suggestions on how we can continue to improve the content to best support you, we’d love to hear from you in the comments below! Thank you!Looking for ISVs with managed app experience
Hi dear ISVs! Together with an ISV in the Netherlands we are planning a commercial marketplace managed app deployment. We are looking for ISVs out there who are willing to share their experiences with us. In particular we would like to learn how you are taking care of lifecycle management of your stateful deployments. How to provide a new version of your software without losing the customer's data.Exploring Azure AI Agent Service: A developer's guide
The world of AI is evolving rapidly, and at a recent TechConnect at the Azure AI Foundry Partner Council, we explored the game-changing potential of Azure AI Agent Service. This session was packed with insights for AI developers, cloud solution architects, and technical decision-makers eager to push the boundaries of agentic AI. If you're looking to simplify development, deployment, and scaling of enterprise-grade AI agents, this service is a must-know. In this blog post, we’ll summarize key topics covered during the session and provide insights into how Azure AI Agent Service can streamline your AI development process. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting, this is an exciting opportunity to learn how AI agents can autonomously execute business processes with minimal human intervention. Introduction to AI Agents The session kicked off by defining AI agents and their capabilities. Unlike traditional chatbots, AI agents are goal-driven and can autonomously execute business processes. They can reason over provided business logic, integrate with external data sources, and orchestrate actions to achieve specific goals. This marks a significant shift from simple conversational AI to intelligent, task-driven agents capable of decision-making and execution. Simplifying Development with Azure AI Agent Service Building AI agents traditionally involve working with frameworks like LangChain and Semantic Kernel and AutoGen which require developers to manage state, context, orchestration, and scaling. Azure AI Agent Service eliminates these complexities by offering a fully managed service with: Out-of-the-box tools for faster development Flexible model selection to fit diverse use cases Enterprise readiness with built-in security and scalability This means developers can focus on business logic rather than infrastructure concerns, accelerating the development cycle significantly. Function Calling and Code Interpreter Tools One of the standouts features of Azure AI Agent Service is function calling, which allows agents to interact with external systems by executing predefined functions. The session showcased how developers can: Define and use function calling to connect AI agents to other systems Utilize the code interpreter tool to enable AI agents to generate data visualizations and perform analysis These tools empower developers to create more dynamic and responsive AI agents that can process and present insights effectively. Extending Agent Knowledge with File Search AI agents are only as good as the information they can access. Azure AI Agent Service includes a file search tool that allows agents to tap into external data sources such as product catalogs, knowledge bases, or proprietary documents. This significantly enhances an agent’s ability to answer complex queries and perform in-depth analysis. Real-Time Information with Bing Search For scenarios that require real-time, up-to-date data, the Bing Search tool is a game-changer. The session demonstrated how this tool enables agents to fetch and analyze current web data for use cases like competitive analysis, market research, and trend monitoring. With seamless Bing Search integration, AI agents can stay relevant and informed in an ever-changing world. The training session wasn’t just about concepts, it was packed with practical demonstrations, live coding examples, and troubleshooting tips. You can watch the full session to help you: Understand the core capabilities of Azure AI Agent Service See live implementation of function calling, file search, and Bing Search tools Learn best practices for deploying scalable and secure AI agents Ready to Explore Further? Don’t miss out on the chance to deep-dive into agentic AI to enhance your AI development skills and streamline agent deployment. Check out the recording of the session to take your AI projects to the next level and unlock the full potential of Azure AI Agent Service! About the Azure AI Foundry Partner Council: The Azure AI Foundry Partner Council is a dynamic and collaborative initiative designed to foster innovation and drive advancements in artificial intelligence. This council brings together a diverse group of industry leaders, technology experts, and strategic partners who are committed to leveraging the power of Azure AI to solve complex business challenges. Through the Azure AI Foundry Partner Council, members are empowered to push the boundaries of what is possible with AI, ultimately driving progress and delivering value to their organizations and customers. Call to Action Learn more about how Azure AI Agent Service: Revolutionizing AI Agent Development and Deployment Start trying Azure AI Agent services in Azure AI Foundry or Start building with the SDK documentation Dive deep into enterprise knowledge extensibility in Azure AI Agent Service Learn how to design, customize and manage AI applications with Azure AI Foundry Learn how to empower data-driven decision making with Microsoft Fabric Watch this recorded breakout session from Ignite 2024 to learn more about how companies are automating key business processes with Azure AI Agent Service Watch this live demo at Ignite 2024 to learn how customers are going beyond chat-based interactions Nominate to join the Azure AI Foundry Council via aipartnerteam@microsoft.comBuilding your first AI Agent with Azure AI Agent Service
AI agents are transforming the way developers create intelligent AI applications, and Azure AI Agent Service is leading the charge. At a recent hands-on workshop at the Azure AI Foundry Partner Council, we explored how to build an agent application using Azure AI Agent Service, leveraging its powerful tools and SDKs to simplify AI development. Whether you're an experienced developer or just starting, this blog provides key insights into streamlining AI agent creation and integrating with enterprise systems. In this blog post, we’ll summarize the key topics covered during the workshop and highlight how Azure AI Agent Service empowers developers to create scalable, intelligent agents with minimal complexity. Introduction to Azure AI Agent Service The workshop kicked off with an overview of Azure AI Agent Service, explaining how it enables developers to create goal-driven AI agents with advanced reasoning and execution capabilities. Unlike simple chatbots, these agents can integrate with external data sources, automate workflows, and execute complex business processes autonomously. Creating Your First AI Agent Developers were guided through the step-by-step process of building an AI agent using Python and the Azure AI Agent Service SDK. Key concepts covered included: Setting up the development environment Defining tools for the agent Managing conversations with threads Using system prompts to guide AI behavior Function Calling and SQL Queries One of the most exciting demonstrations involved function calling, where AI agents interact with external systems. The session showcased how agents can: Generate and execute SQL queries Retrieve, analyze, and manipulate real-time data Seamlessly integrate with databases for enterprise applications Code Interpreter for Data Visualization To enhance user interactions, the workshop highlighted the code interpreter tool, allowing AI agents to: Write and execute Python code Generate visual representations like pie charts Process CSV files for advanced data analysis Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) Developers were introduced to Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG), a technique that improves AI responses by leveraging external documents. The session covered: Setting up a simple vector store Using file search to provide context-aware responses This technique is valuable for applications where AI agents need to reference structured data to provide accurate, informed answers. Bing Grounding for Competitive Insights A standout feature discussed was Bing Search grounding, which enables AI agents to: Retrieve up-to-date web data Perform competitive product analysis Deliver real-time business insights By integrating Bing Search, AI agents can stay informed with the latest industry trends, making them highly relevant in business environments. About the Azure AI Foundry Partner Council: The Azure AI Foundry Partner Council is a dynamic and collaborative initiative designed to foster innovation and drive advancements in artificial intelligence. This council brings together a diverse group of industry leaders, technology experts, and strategic partners who are committed to leveraging the power of Azure AI to solve complex business challenges. Through the Azure AI Foundry Partner Council, members are empowered to push the boundaries of what is possible with AI, ultimately driving progress and delivering value to their organizations and customers. Call to Action and Resources Leverage this GitHub Repo with Presenter and Proctor Resources Azure AI Agent Service Documentation Fundamentals of AI Agents on Azure Introducing Azure AI Agent Service Blog Post Python Library Workshop Repository Export and Import Agents using Solutions How to use Grounding with Bing Search in Azure AI Agent Service Sample Code for Custom Functions If you’re looking to take your AI development skills to the next level, don’t miss this opportunity. Watch the recording today and start building intelligent AI agents with Azure AI Agent Service!The Marketplace Partner Digest | February 2025
Welcome to the monthly partner release notes for the Microsoft commercial marketplace! The marketplace is central to how we help you reach more customers, simplify sales, and unlock growth. Dive into this month’s roundup of announcements and updates to stay informed about the latest marketplace developments. Don’t miss an update! Subscribe to the “Partner Digest” label to get notified whenever a new Marketplace Partner Digest hits the community blog. Check out this community post for how-to guidance on configuring your settings. 🌟Partner Resources We’ve curated best-in-class resources to help you get the most out of the Microsoft commercial marketplace. Explore helpful resources, blogs, and much more below: The latest marketplace announcements, blogs, on-demand webinars, and more Capturing the marketplace opportunity: part one of a series by selling path – This is the first in a four-part monthly blog series offering tips and strategies to maximize your marketplace go-to-market success. ISVs: Maximize your momentum with the new, improved App Advisor – We recently launched an improved experience of App Advisor to the US market. Check out what’s new and use App Advisor today. Designing secure and resilient ISV applications – Explore key security strategies to help you build trusted, resilient applications that protect customers and drive long-term success. Replicate your apps to Azure: A multicloud advantage for ISVs – This blog, the first in a series, outlines the advantages of replicating your existing AWS apps to Azure, helping you reach more customers and expand your business through the marketplace. Embracing the multicloud advantage: a guide to replicating your app from AWS to Azure – Once you understand the advantages, use this technical guide to understand how to move your app to Azure and ensure a smooth transition. New GitHub Copilot benefit for ISV Success Expanded Package – Announcing a new ISV Success Expanded Package benefit that can take your development projects to the next level. Not part of ISV Success yet? Join now! Mastering the Marketplace (MTM) webinars Whether you’re new to the marketplace or focused on growing sales, our Mastering the Marketplace webinars cover a broad range of business and technical session topics to help accelerate your marketplace success. Check out these upcoming webinars, register, and mark your calendars. All times are listed in Pacific Time. March 4 at 9 am: ISVs – Learn how to use the multiparty private offers campaign in a box March 5 at 9 am: Creating your first offer in Partner Center March 10 at 9 am: ISV to CSP private offers – experience walkthrough March 12 at 9 am: Unlocking sales through the marketplace For the complete MTM schedule, visit aka.ms/MTMwebinars. Customer office hours Strategic cloud planning with the marketplace: Invite your customers to office hours on March 13 at 8:30 AM PST. This session will focus on maximizing tech investments with the marketplace, offering strategies on how to holistically plan your Microsoft Cloud investments, and your software vendors need to get a consumption-based view of your portfolio for smarter decision-making. We'll also provide an overview of Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitments (MACCs) and the opportunities for the marketplace to help you make the most out of your contract. Register here. Channel partner office hours Multiparty private offer adoption framework: During our channel partner office hours on February 27 at 8:30 am PST, Marketplace Services Partner Lead Darren Sharpe will walk through the four steps to build a successful practice, remove friction, and grow your sales. Register here. New marketplace assets and ask the experts Q&A: Join us on March 27 at 8:30 am PST as we explore new marketing and product assets designed to help influencers and decision-makers better understand the Microsoft commercial marketplace. We’ll also discuss how to use the Modern Procurement Playbook to navigate the procurement process when closing your marketplace deals. Register here and submit your questions in advance when registering. Pre-submitted questions will be addressed in the Q&A portion at the end of the event. Co-Sell with confidence: A two-part webinar series Guest speakers from Rubrik and Tackle have teamed up for a two-part webinar series to help you build, operationalize, and scale a strong co-sell strategy with Microsoft. During these sessions, you’ll learn strategies, best practices, and practical steps to operationalize and scale your co-sell efforts. Click here to register to watch the session recordings. ⏰Recent & Upcoming Events Azure Marketplace Primer – What is it, why should I use it, and is it secure? Invite your customers to discover how Azure Marketplace can transform your business by providing access to a vast array of cloud solutions and services. This event will offer valuable insights into leveraging Azure Marketplace to accelerate your digital transformation, drive innovation, and save costs. We will deep dive into the benefits from a procurement, Azure commitment and cloud engineering team standpoint while having complete access and management control. Share with your customers and register here for the next session on Thursday, February 27 from 10:00 to 11:00 am PST. Microsoft ISV AI Envisioning Day Register for the Microsoft ISV AI Envisioning Day on March 5 from 10:00 to 11:00 am PST to learn how to identify and prioritize use cases for AI solutions. Gain insights from industry-related use cases on envisioning frameworks and learn how to incorporate them into your application development planning process. Microsoft Build 2025 Mark your calendars! Microsoft Build returns to Seattle on May 19 – 22, 2025. Visit the event page to sign up for registration notifications and to receive the most up-to-date information about the event. 💭 Share Your Feedback! We truly appreciate your feedback and want to ensure these Partner Release Notes deliver the information you need to succeed in the marketplace. If you have any feedback or suggestions on how we can continue to improve the content to best support you, we’d love to hear from you in the comments below! Thank you!
