The Future of Microsoft Partnerships in the AI Era with Jay McBain
For decades, Microsoft partners have adapted to major technology shifts, from client-server computing to cloud transformation. Today, they face another pivotal moment: the rise of artificial intelligence. According to industry analyst Jay McBain, this is not simply another technology trend. AI marks the start of a new era that could reshape the technology industry for the next 20 years and create unprecedented growth opportunities for Microsoft partners. Yet despite the excitement surrounding AI, many partners remain uncertain about how to capitalize on it. Research cited by McBain found that 82% of Microsoft partners do not feel prepared for the AI opportunity ahead. So, what separates the partners who will thrive from those who struggle to keep up? The answer lies in changing buyer behavior, business outcomes, and ecosystem-led growth. Hear Jay’s insights as he shares with hosts Anthony Carrano and Rudy Rodriguez of Dunamis Marketing; you can listen to the full episode here:: IAMCP Profiles in Partnership | The Future of Microsoft Partnerships in the AI Era with Jay McBain. AI Is Creating the Largest Opportunity in Technology History The technology industry has experienced several defining eras over the last half-century. The mainframe era gave way to client-server computing. Client-server evolved into cloud computing. Now, AI is ushering in the next major transformation. What makes this shift different is its scale. The global technology market took more than 50 years to grow into a multi-trillion-dollar industry. AI is expected to accelerate growth dramatically over the next several years, creating significant opportunities across consulting, implementation, integration, managed services, training, governance, and business transformation. For Microsoft partners, the opportunity isn't just selling software licenses or AI tools. The real opportunity lies in helping customers adopt, operationalize, and realize business value from AI. Organizations need guidance. They need a strategy. They need trusted advisors who can help them navigate complexity. That creates a tremendous opening for partners willing to move beyond traditional technology sales. Why So Many Partners Feel Unprepared If the opportunity is so large, why do so many partners feel behind? The answer is simple: the pace of change. AI capabilities are advancing at a rate that most training programs, certifications, and traditional enablement efforts cannot keep up with. What was considered cutting-edge six months ago may already be outdated today. Many Microsoft partners understand the potential of AI, but they struggle with practical questions: How do I monetize AI services? What should I be selling? How do I build AI consulting offerings? What skills do my teams need? How do I guide customers through adoption? These are business challenges as much as technology challenges. The partners that succeed will not wait for perfect clarity. Instead, they will continuously learn, experiment, and develop repeatable customer outcomes around AI adoption. The Biggest Shift Isn't AI; It's Buyer Behavior One of the most important insights from the conversation was that customer buying behavior has changed dramatically. Today's buyers are more informed than ever. Before speaking with a salesperson, customers often spend significant time researching solutions, reading reviews, consuming content, consulting peers, and increasingly using AI tools like ChatGPT to gather information. As a result, many customers enter conversations already knowing what products exist, how they work, and what pricing looks like. This means partners can no longer rely solely on product knowledge to differentiate themselves. Instead, they must become trusted advisors. Successful Microsoft partners are learning to influence customers throughout the entire buying journey by providing expertise, guidance, and context that technology alone cannot. Stop Selling Technology. Start Selling Business Outcomes. One of the strongest themes from the discussion was the need to shift from technology-centric conversations to business-centric conversations. Customers rarely wake up wanting to buy AI. They wake up wanting to: Increase revenue Improve profitability Reduce operational costs Improve customer experiences Increase efficiency Gain competitive advantages The partner's role is to connect technology investments to these desired outcomes. Rather than leading with technical specifications, successful partners start with questions about growth, productivity, customer acquisition, retention, and operational performance. Technology becomes the enabler, not the centerpiece. This shift helps partners move from being vendors to becoming strategic advisors. Why Ecosystems Are Replacing Solo Selling Perhaps the most important lesson for Microsoft partners is that the future belongs to ecosystems. Historically, many partners aspired to become the single trusted advisor for their customers. Today's buyers think differently. Customers increasingly rely on multiple specialists to help solve different business challenges. Research discussed during the episode showed that the average Microsoft customer now trusts more than six partners. That reality changes everything. No partner can be an expert in every technology, industry, regulatory requirement, or business discipline. Instead, the most successful partners are building networks of complementary partners who can collaborate to deliver broader customer outcomes. This partner-to-partner collaboration creates several advantages: Access to larger opportunities Expanded expertise Faster problem solving Greater customer trust Increased deal velocity In many cases, the partner who orchestrates the ecosystem becomes one of the most valuable players in the entire engagement. Building Your Position Among the Trusted 6.3 McBain shared an insightful concept: becoming one of the 6.3 trusted partners customers rely on. For Microsoft partners, this means focusing on specialization and trust. Rather than trying to be everything to everyone, partners should become known for solving specific problems exceptionally well. The goal is not to own every customer conversation. The goal is to become indispensable within the conversations that matter most. That requires: Deep expertise Consistent thought leadership Strong customer outcomes Strategic partnerships Active participation in trusted communities Organizations like IAMCP play a critical role in helping partners build these relationships and expand their influence. Conclusion: The Future Belongs to Collaborative Partners The Microsoft partner ecosystem is entering one of the most transformative periods in its history. AI is creating enormous opportunities, but success will not come from technology expertise alone. Partners must adapt to changing buyer behavior, embrace digital-first engagement, focus on business outcomes, and build strong ecosystems of trusted collaborators. The future belongs to partners who can help customers navigate complexity, create measurable value, and work effectively within a broader network of specialists. In the AI era, winning isn't about doing everything yourself. It's about becoming an essential part of the team that helps customers succeed. Listen to the Full Episode On-Demand Want to hear Jay McBain's complete perspective on AI, buyer behavior, ecosystem-led growth, and the future of Microsoft partnerships? Listen to the full IAMCP Profiles in Partnership episode to see how leading Microsoft partners are positioning themselves to thrive in the AI era: IAMCP Profiles in Partnership | The Future of Microsoft Partnerships in the AI Era with Jay McBain. To learn more about IAMCP and the benefits of membership, visit the website at www.IAMCP.org.Improving Sales Communication with AI – Turning Execution into Clearer, Stronger Conversations
Execution creates momentum — refinement creates results. In this session, we focus on improving communication quality using AI. Learn how to refine messaging, tighten positioning, and adjust outreach based on real feedback. This session moves beyond activity into clarity, tone, and impact. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to use AI to refine outreach messaging Improving tone, clarity, and brevity Turning replies into communication insight Avoiding over-automation in conversations How to iterate messaging without losing authenticity WHY ATTEND? Strengthen real-world sales conversations Improve response quality, not just volume Learn practical refinement workflows Build communication confidence Designed for sales leaders, advisors, consultants, and IAMCP members — as well as non-members looking to improve practical AI-supported sales communication. Register for the event hereMicrosoft 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.Driving Global SMB Impact Through AI Powered, Partner Led Digital Sales
Join Siew Hoon Goh, General Manager of Microsoft’s Global Vendor Digital Sales (VDS) organization, as she shares how VDS is transforming SMB engagement through digitally‑scaled, partner‑centric sales motions that deliver impact worldwide. Under her leadership, VDS has become a core engine in Microsoft’s SMB strategy—driving significant YoY revenue growth, pioneering AI‑forward sales capabilities, and strengthening global alignment across Americas, EMEA, and Asia. In this session, Siew Hoon Goh will explore: How VDS empowers thousands of SMB customers by combining digital signals, AI innovation, and partner collaboration at scale. The evolving “digitally initiated, partner closed” model that accelerates customer acquisition, migration, and growth across global markets. FY26 priorities—including AI transformation, CSP growth acceleration, and deeper global‑regional orchestration—that strengthen partner execution and unlock new revenue opportunities. Attendees will gain insight into Microsoft’s fastest‑scaling SMB sales engine and learn how partners can amplify their impact by aligning with VDS’ global motion and leveraging shared best practices, joint planning frameworks, and AI‑powered customer engagement strategies. Register for this IAMCP Enlighten session here Driving Global SMB Impact Through AI Powered, Partner Led Digital SalesOpenAI’s open‑source model: gpt‑oss on Azure AI Foundry and Windows AI Foundry
Open-weight models give customer decision makers control and flexibility - no black boxes, fewer trade-offs, and more options across deployment, compliance, and cost. With OpenAI’s gpt-oss open-weight models on Azure AI Foundry, you can: Fine-tune and distill the models using your own data and deploy with confidence. Mix open and proprietary models to match task-specific needs. Spin up inference endpoints using gpt oss in the cloud with just a few CLI commands. And Foundry Local makes gpt‑oss-20b usable on a high-performance Windows PC – enabling use-cases in offline settings, buildings in a secure network, or running at the edge. Check out more here!New capabilities in Azure AI Foundry to build advanced agentic applications
Microsoft continues to evolve the technologies it offers to customers and partners so they can push the boundaries of innovation! Here is a summary of just a few announcements for Microsoft’s 50 th anniversary. Check out the blog for more! General availability of agent framework that you can use to simplify the orchestration of multi-agent systems for your customers. See how KPMG is using Semantic Kernel to orchestrate workflows among specialized agents, dramatically reducing development complexity. The advanced observability suite for evaluations, tracing, and A/B testing—giving developers unprecedented visibility into agent behaviors and outcomes. Use the observability suite to build more robust AI systems for your customers. AI Red Teaming Agent (public preview) helps uncover safety risks through comprehensive reports, tracking improvements over time. Mitigate risks in AI so your customers feel more comfortable in investing in AI and in your services. See what Accenture has to say about the AI Red Teaming Agent. With Azure AI Foundry extension for Visual Studio Code (public preview), developers can build, test, and deploy agent-based applications entirely within their Integrated Development Environment (IDE)—no context switching required. Improved developer experience leads to faster development times. And don’t forget to block out May 19-22 on your calendar to join us for Microsoft Build in Seattle!Dynamics 365 Blog | Accelerate your journey to AI-first selling with Microsoft AI Accelerator for Sales and new sales agents
AI transforms the way people work, the way every function operates, and the way businesses drive competition and growth. It’s also transforming the business application landscape as customers adopt Microsoft 365 Copilot as the UI for AI and agents for every business process. Nowhere is that more true than in sales. The combination of Copilot, agents, and human ambition can free time to focus on closing deals, help teams build a stronger pipeline, and drive new levels of profitability. That matters because in sales, time is money. We’re announcing a new program—Microsoft AI Accelerator for Sales—to help more customers rapidly transform their sales organization with Microsoft 365 Copilot and agents, as well as two new agents—Sales Agent and Sales Chat—to help scale the team’s ability to nurture and close deals. Read on for more information on each of these announcements on our full blog.Partner Blog | Capturing the marketplace opportunity: Part one of a series by selling path
Cloud marketplaces have become the fastest growing channel for B2B software sales, driven by continuous growth in IT spending that is projected to reach $5 trillion in 2024 1 . More customers are centralizing their cloud portfolios and making marketplaces their preferred buying platform. For software companies, adopting cloud marketplaces as a core go-to-market strategy helps close deals faster and increases deal sizes. At Microsoft, the marketplace is the center of gravity for how we go to market with our software partners to solve customers’ technology challenges. The Microsoft commercial marketplace promise The marketplace democratizes IT, helping empower any Microsoft partner to sell to any Microsoft customer worldwide. As a B2B global commerce engine, the marketplace adapts to how customers want to buy and how you want to sell, whether that is digital direct (always-on selling to help grow your pipeline), through partner (selling alongside the Microsoft global ecosystem of over 500,000 partners), or with Microsoft (unlocking enterprise deals alongside Microsoft sellers). This blog is the introduction, and first in a four-part series on maximizing your marketplace opportunity across these different selling paths. Our next edition will dive into always-on selling with digital direct. Continue reading here You can continue to stay connected to us through the Marketplace Community and follow our Marketplace Blog for important announcements.New opportunities for sales, services, and education partners
Today, we are excited to announce the expansion of Copilot for Microsoft 365 with the general availability of new offerings for sales, services, and education—providing new ways for customers and partners to embrace AI to achieve their goals and significantly enhance how they work.
