Updates to Teamwork Deployment specialization: View new name and requirements
Starting April 29, 2026, Microsoft is renaming the Teamwork Deployment specialization as the Secure AI Productivity specialization to reflect the increased focus on the secure foundations required for successful AI adoption. Additionally, the performance, skilling, and Solutions Partner designation requirements will be updated to better align with foundational workloads from Microsoft 365 E3 and the realities of modern AI adoption. These updates expand the workloads included in the specialization and refresh requirements to reflect the skills partners need to deploy, secure, and scale AI‑powered collaboration. Additionally, partners will be required to hold both the Modern Work designation and the Security designation to earn the Secure AI Productivity specialization. Partners currently enrolled in the specialization will need to meet these updated requirements at their next renewal if it occurs after April 29, 2026. Learn moreExplore curated Microsoft Partner Skilling Journeys
Partners like you understand that skilling isn't optional—it's foundational for success in an AI-first market. Keeping up with evolving technologies and capabilities will better position you with the skills needed to succeed in an ever-changing market. Explore Microsoft Partner Skilling Journeys (PDJs), curated presales, sales, and tech skilling experiences designed to enhance your knowledge aligned with partner strategic wins. Curated journeys include: Microsoft Security Copilot Drive Business Transformation with Microsoft Copilot 365 Innovate with Azure AI Platform Drive Windows in the Cloud with Windows 365 Cloud Endpoints Modern Security Operations Data Security for AI Migrate to Azure Drive Business Collaboration and Teamwork with Microsoft Teams Accelerate Data Analytics Journey with Microsoft Fabric Cloud Security These journeys are tailored to your interests, needs, and role within your organization. Select the link relevant to the journey you're interested in, register today on the Skilling Hub, then answer a few questions, and you'll receive tech and sales-ready skilling experiences customized to your interests and goals. Register nowEarn certifications and accelerate deal velocity at the Sales Certification Week event
Join a no-cost, three-day virtual Sales Certification Week event designed to help partner sellers build practical AI fluency, activate real-world use cases, and validate AI readiness by earning Microsoft credentials—without taking extended time away from selling. Sales Certification Week is part one of a two-part skilling initiative called Skills2Win and will be followed by Microsoft Presales Cloud Week. Skills2Win empowers partners to earn the latest business certifications while strengthening presales expertise to accelerate customer value. This new, no-cost event runs in a half-day virtual format with multiple session options. Space is limited—register today on the Microsoft Partner Skilling Hub, or find the language that fits your needs from the schedule below: May 5–7 (EMEA: German) May 12–14 (Americas: Spanish) May 13–15 (Asia: Chinese, Japanese, Korean) May 18–20 (EMEA: French) May 19–21 (Americas: Portuguese) Register nowPartner Blog | April skilling update: Preparing for what’s next
Move your customers from AI interest to execution by tapping into skilling opportunities designed to strengthen delivery readiness and sharpen sales execution. This month's skilling focus is about going beyond AI pilots to deliver real outcomes, securely and across teams. In May and June, Microsoft is delivering high-impact, in-person learning opportunities that can scale readiness across your broader team through role-based learning journeys, equipping you to drive AI-powered solutions and exceed customer expectations. The in-person skilling difference In-person skilling creates a different kind of readiness. You get face-to-face time with experts, hands-on practice, and peer-to-peer pattern sharing that is hard to replicate through self-paced content alone. The result is faster capability build, clearer delivery expectations, and better alignment between technical teams and sellers. For many partners, the winning approach is a blend: In-person learning to build depth, practice real scenarios, and tighten delivery quality in Agentic AI in Copilot Studio, app modernization, sovereign cloud conversations, and AI-powered analytics in Microsoft Fabric. On-demand skilling to scale knowledge across your broader team and reinforce learning over time across topics like Microsoft Fabric IQ, agentic AI, Microsoft Defender XDR, and Microsoft Agent 365. Continue reading herePartner Blog | March skilling update: The pathway to capability
Partners are moving fast this year. New workloads. New buyer expectations. More roles involved in every AI deal and delivery. The common friction point isn’t motivation. It’s navigation. March’s skilling update focuses on simplifying how you discover the right learning and progress through it with confidence. Our model is simple: discover the right pathway, then build capability through role-aligned learning, labs, and readiness experiences. This month, the Microsoft Partner Skilling Catalog is the discovery layer. LevelUp is where you go deeper with on-demand learning that supports certification prep, Project Ready execution, and pathways focused on small and medium-sized business (SMB) opportunities. Together, they create a connected skilling ecosystem designed to accelerate readiness across sales, presales, and technical roles. Continue reading hereExplore curated Microsoft Partner Digital Skilling Journeys
Partners like you understand that skilling isn't optional—it's foundational for success in an AI-first market. Keeping up with evolving technologies and capabilities will better position you with the skills needed to succeed in an ever-changing market. Explore Microsoft Partner Digital Skilling Journeys (PDJs), curated presales, sales, and tech skilling experiences designed to enhance your knowledge aligned with partner strategic wins. First-time users may need to register—use your work email credentials to sign up. Curated journeys include: Microsoft Security Copilot Drive Business Transformation with Microsoft Copilot 365 Innovate with Azure AI Platform Drive Windows in the Cloud with Windows 365 Cloud Endpoints Modern Security Operations Data Security for AI Migrate to Azure Drive Business Collaboration and Teamwork with Microsoft Teams Accelerate Data Analytics Journey with Microsoft Fabric Cloud Security These journeys are tailored to your interests, needs, and role within your organization. Select the link relevant to the journey you're interested in, register today on the Skilling Hub using your organizational login, answer a few questions, and you'll receive tech and sales-ready skilling experiences customized to your interests and goals. Register nowJoin a Partner Project Ready Workshop to turn your expertise into impact
With a new year just beginning, now is the time to build the skills that power key roles across your organization. Make skilling a priority to turn expertise into real business impact across AI, cloud, and security skill sets. Check out the upcoming Project Ready Workshops for AI Business Solutions, Cloud & AI Platforms, and Security. These role-based sessions focus on real-world delivery scenarios and empower teams to implement solutions with confidence. Check out the Partner Skilling HubMicrosoft 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.Partner Blog | Build customer trust at scale with role-based certifications
As AI moves from experimentation to production, customers are raising the standard for what “ready” looks like. They want partners who can design and deliver solutions with security and responsible AI in mind, scope work accurately, and execute reliably across geographies and teams. In this environment, certifications are no longer a nice-to-have. They are a signal of capability and a practical way to build consistency at scale. A December 2025 Forrester Total Economic Impact™ study indicates that participating in Microsoft skilling and enablement initiatives can realize 217% ROI and $67.9M USD net present value over three years for a composite partner. For many partners, that maps to what customers are asking for right now: Prove you can deliver. Reduce risk. Do it consistently, even as technology and expectations keep moving. Continue reading herePartner Blog | January 2026 skilling kickoff: Turn readiness into growth
A new year is a natural planning moment. Partners are navigating various pressures and opportunities, including fast-moving AI, shifting cloud workloads, rising security expectations, and data becoming a bigger part of every solution motion. In that environment, skilling can’t be treated as an optional add-on. It’s a core business priority that supports what partners care about most: winning work and delivering it with confidence. That’s the lens I’d encourage you to bring into 2026 planning. Not what courses should we take, but what technical and sales capabilities do we need to build so we can execute more consistently across sales and delivery. How data makes the case for readiness and enablement In December 2025, Forrester Consulting published a Total Economic Impact study, commissioned by Microsoft, on the partner opportunity for the Microsoft skilling and enablement offerings. The study modeled a composite organization based on interviews with partners who experienced the offerings. Continue reading here
