As we shared in our key insights from MCAPS Start for Partners 2024, we've experienced tremendous growth, with thousands of projects delivered through Azure Innovate and Azure Migrate and Modernize. In fiscal year (FY) 25, we're increasing our Azure Innovate investments to more than $150 million. For Azure Migrate and Modernize, we're adding new scenarios and increasing our investments by 50%.
In this blog post, we'll give a brief overview of how these offerings work together, share what's new for Azure partner-led offerings effective October 1, and recap the updates we introduced in July. When new scenarios and workloads are added each quarter of FY25, you'll find the key updates here on the partner blog.
Overview of Azure partner-led offerings
Azure partner-led offerings are built to work together to simplify the adoption of Microsoft Azure—the foundation of the Microsoft Cloud. With comprehensive resources, extensive coverage across scenarios, and tailored incentives in one easy-to-navigate hub, partners with Azure specializations and certified software designations can drive more value, deliver better customer experiences, and win more business.
- Azure Innovate infuses AI into applications and experiences, advances analytics capabilities, and helps you build custom cloud-native intelligent applications to accelerate business growth at every stage—from planning to deployment.
- Azure Migrate and Modernize helps businesses transition their existing applications, data, and infrastructure to Azure. This offering provides extensive resources, including assessments and deployment assistance, for a seamless migration process.
To underpin these offerings, we've introduced Azure Essentials, resources that includes foundational guidance, best practices, and dedicated skilling to help you elevate security, reliability, and ongoing performance for cloud and AI workloads. Partners can use Azure Essentials to access content and enablement to deliver differentiated solutions on core scenarios across the Azure solution plays.
What's new in Q2 for Azure Innovate and Azure Migrate and Modernize
According to SAPInsider, more than one-third of customers chose Azure as their cloud platform to run SAP—making Azure a preferred option. To help partners build top-of-funnel demand for SAP RISE projects and stay competitive in engaging prospects, we're launching a new SAP RISE assessment. For partners with an SAP specialization, Azure Migrate and Modernize partner-led offerings now include new pre-sales assessments as well as increased payouts for deployments.
- A new "Large" SAP RISE assessment allows customers to evaluate a migration path for their SAP workloads and comes with a $15,000 payout to help fund pre-sales engagements.
- Increased payouts for XS, S, M, and L SAP RISE deployments will help reduce the cost of migrating SAP workloads of every size.
- Expanded XL and XXL project sizes for SAP RISE will provide additional opportunities for customers with large data estates.
Recap of Q1 updates
In case you missed it, in Q1 we introduced new investments to partner-led offerings for partners developing software—often referred to as independent software vendors (ISVs)—and systems integrator (SI) partners.
In July, we announced expanded scenarios:
- The new Innovate with Azure AI Platform scenario is designed to unlock Azure's end-to-end capabilities for AI-based innovation, including model development, tuning, and AI-ready infrastructure.
- We're also expanding support for Build and Modernize AI Apps to combine Apps, Databases, and AI scenarios, with an expanded focus on modernization.
- As part of our Build and Modernize AI Apps scenario, we also introduced AI Envisioning and Proof of Value (PoV) support for ISVs as end customers. This provides a path for SI partners to directly nominate ISVs for AI envisioning and POV support. AI envisioning sessions will help ISVs define AI use cases, understand best practices, and develop optimal technical approaches with a POV/pilot to build AI-powered apps.
- Finally, more partners can tap into the value of the Azure offerings with expanded eligibility through certified software designations for Azure, Security, and Industry AI.
Empowering partners to drive transformation
At Microsoft, we're committed to helping organizations prepare for a rapidly changing world and drive innovation with the Microsoft Cloud. While we lay the foundation for transformation, our partners bring the solutions and expertise customers need to move forward and thrive. With rich investments at every stage, our partner-led offerings make it easier for you to accelerate engagements with resources, lead transformation across scenarios, and maximize earning opportunities with incentives.
Learn more about systems integrator and ISV partner-led scenarios and visit the Azure offerings webpage to start your nomination process.