We launched the Microsoft Cloud Companion Program final October to satisfy the altering wants of shoppers and assist our companions succeed. With its strong set of devoted accomplice choices, together with new Options Companion designations that align to our six industrial answer areas throughout Azure, Fashionable Work, Safety and Enterprise Functions, we created a spot the place companions can proceed to thrive.
Immediately, I wish to element a few of the new investments we’re making to proceed to assist extra of our companions as they make investments with Microsoft, develop their companies and ship buyer success. These investments, just like the Cloud Companion Program itself, are designed to not solely assist clients navigate new methods of working but additionally allow companions to distinguish themselves and ship distinctive worth to the market.
Empowering companions with AI
Companions have lengthy tapped into the ability of machine studying and AI utilizing Microsoft’s developer instruments and cloud applied sciences. Because the AI panorama continues to evolve, we’re dedicated to bringing the most recent instruments and sources — all guided by our AI rules, Accountable AI Customary and many years of analysis — to our companions in order that they will proceed to ship revolutionary options for his or her shoppers.
Current AI integrations throughout Microsoft’s suite of instruments current an actual alternative for companions to supply distinctive innovation, differentiated worth and AI experience to clients.
- With Bing, higher search, extra full solutions, and the power to generate content material imply that customers can higher harness the world’s information.
- Microsoft Dynamics 365 Copilot offers interactive, AI-powered help throughout enterprise capabilities, relieving the burden of mundane duties.
- Microsoft 365 Copilot combines the ability of huge language fashions (LLMs) together with your knowledge within the Microsoft Graph and the Microsoft 365 apps to show your phrases into essentially the most highly effective productiveness device on the planet.
- Immediately, ChatGPT in Azure Open AI Service allows companions to construct predictive fashions, automate processes and enhance decision-making for themselves and their clients. By making use of for preview entry to GPT-4 in Azure OpenAI Service, companions can begin constructing with OpenAI’s most superior mannequin but.
- The AI and Machine Studying in Microsoft Azure Specialization empowers companions to showcase their experience on this rapidly evolving space of the Microsoft enterprise.
We consider AI will essentially change each software program class, unlocking a brand new wave of productiveness progress. We’re dedicated to empowering companions to harness the ability of this innovation on behalf of shoppers all over the world, whereas serving to them navigate this new period of know-how.
Introducing designations for ISV options
To assist clients determine which accomplice organizations are greatest suited to their wants, Microsoft created Options Companion designations inside the Microsoft Cloud Companion Program. The primary obtainable Options Companion designations are anchored on the Microsoft Cloud in six answer areas aligned to how Microsoft goes to market. By attaining designations, companions reveal their group’s capabilities in delivering buyer success within the answer areas.
Immediately, we’re increasing Options Companion designations to incorporate choices that differentiate our companions that develop software program: our impartial software program vendor (ISV) companions.
Designations for ISV options are aligned to how Microsoft goes to market and the way clients are shopping for: by business (e.g., finance, retail); by use instances throughout industries (e.g., safety); and by particular imperatives of line-of-business leaders (e.g., advertising and gross sales). These designations distinguish an software’s particular capabilities and assist clients determine confirmed options for his or her enterprise wants.
To study extra, please go to the Microsoft Cloud Companion Program FAQ and the ISV progress web page on our accomplice web site.
Asserting new Enterprise Functions specializations
Specializations proceed to supply companions with methods to additional differentiate their group and reveal their experience and expertise in particular technical situations aligned to the answer areas for project-based companies.
Final week, we launched 4 Enterprise Software specializations. These new choices are aligned to the Enterprise Functions answer space for Microsoft Dynamics 365 and make it simpler for purchasers to search out companions that possess the experience they want. The brand new specializations embrace:
- Finance: Designed for companions with demonstrated information, substantive expertise and documented success in Dynamics 365 Finance, and that innovate options throughout the monetary spectrum.
- Gross sales: Out there to companions with confirmed abilities in buyer expertise (CX) transformation and supporting clients’ progress.
- Service: Developed for companions with expertise delivering personalised service, high-quality interactions and seamless, related experiences at scale.
- Provide Chain: Open to companions with demonstrated information, substantive expertise and documented success in Dynamics 365 Provide Chain Administration, and that innovate options throughout the provision chain spectrum.
With these additions, we now supply a complete of 28 specializations, offering companions with flexibility and alignment on the place they select to speculate for his or her enterprise and serve their buyer wants. Study extra about these specializations on the Dynamics 365 for Companions weblog.
Introducing multiparty non-public gives
The Microsoft industrial market is essentially the most partner-focused enterprise platform within the business and is devoted to serving to companions attain extra clients, simplify gross sales and unlock progress.
To assist companions unlock the ability of the industrial market, we are going to quickly offer multiparty non-public gives. Multiparty non-public gives empower companions to return collectively, create personalised gives with customized payouts and promote on to Microsoft clients with simplified promoting via {the marketplace}. And for purchasers with a cloud consumption dedication, each greenback of the sale will rely towards their dedication after they buy options which might be Azure IP co-sell eligible. Multiparty non-public gives will enter non-public preview this spring and be made publicly obtainable within the close to future. As well as, we’re persevering with to increase the ways in which companions can bundle and promote their options. Within the coming months, we are going to give companions the power to transact containers and VM software program reservations via our industrial market.
Coming quickly: Designations for coaching and assist companies
Set to launch later this yr, Options Companion designations for coaching companies and assist companies will allow clients to rapidly determine companions which have met the necessities, together with demonstrating their buyer success.
The Options Companion designation for coaching companies will acknowledge a accomplice’s capabilities aligned to efficiency, high quality of coaching and a minimal of 1 answer space. The Options Companion designation for assist companies will construct on the answer space designations and spotlight a accomplice’s breadth of and excellence in assist capabilities.
Badging for each designations will assist companions differentiate their organizations with clients and within the Microsoft industrial market.
Highlighting diverse-led and social good companies within the market
Inclusion fosters innovation, and many shoppers need to discover companions that align to their enterprise values. This is the reason we’re enabling companions to submit related range and social good enterprise classifications in Companion Heart, which is able to seem of their enterprise profile within the market. By constructing this data into our system, it’s simple for purchasers to find diverse-led companies and their answer choices within the industrial market and thru our co-sell channels.
On April 19, Microsoft may even maintain a digital Business Market Influence Occasion for various and minority-owned companions, in addition to companions with social influence options (e.g., sustainability, accessibility, nonprofit) centered on educating these companions on alternatives to speed up their progress via the Microsoft industrial market.
Extra on the horizon
Microsoft, companions are basic to our success. We’re dedicated to investing in our ecosystem to allow companions to additional differentiate their experience, collaborate on offers via the industrial market, and place themselves to satisfy an increasing vary of buyer and business wants.
This dedication to our companions’ success is unwavering. With our wealthy product and platform highway map, Microsoft will proceed to assist our companions do much more to allow digital transformation and drive enterprise progress and profitability.
As we glance forward, we’re centered on making certain companions have the abilities, instruments, and sources they should compete — and win — in delivering revolutionary options that drive buyer success.
