Welcome to the September edition of Partner Center Technical Corner. This month, we’re highlighting new investments in partner enablement, essential security enhancements, and a recap of recent releases. As always, you’ll find the latest roadmap and key Partner Center resources at the end of this post.
Advancing partner success: SMB growth and AI transformation
Empowering SMB growth through Azure and Security designations: The introduction of dedicated small and medium-sized business (SMB) paths for Solutions Partner designations in Azure and Security marks a pivotal shift for smaller partners. Instead of being measured against enterprise-scale benchmarks, partners now have access to thresholds and scoring models that reflect the realities of SMB operations. Progress is visible in the Insights Workspace, and expanded incentives, like Azure Migrate & Modernize and Azure Innovate, are now directly tied to designation attainment. For partners, this means that innovation and customer impact are recognized at every scale, and the path to growth is clearer than ever. For more information, visit:
Accelerating AI transformation with Copilot specialization: At the same time, the Copilot specialization is opening new doors for partners leading the charge in AI transformation. Partners who demonstrate expertise in deploying and scaling Microsoft 365 Copilot, Copilot Studio, and role-based agents can now earn a dedicated badge in Partner Center and AppSource. The specialization rewards growth in Copilot usage, team certifications, and customer success stories, offering enhanced visibility and access to Modern Work specialization benefits. For partners focused on AI, this is a strategic opportunity to align with FY26 priorities and scale Copilot adoption—while showcasing real business transformation. To learn more, visit:
Enhanced AI experience in the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program: Partner Center AI assistant now streamlines the experience for partners by providing instant insights on program status, Solutions Partner designation eligibility, skilling scores, and transition plans from legacy offers, all in one place. Partners can quickly identify gaps, get actionable recommendations, and stay on track for program success. These updates make it easier to stay informed, take action, and maximize program benefits.
Together, these advancements signal a new era for partners: one where every organization, regardless of size, can unlock new opportunities, drive innovation, and deliver transformative outcomes for customers.
Securing the channel
Multifactor authentication (MFA) enforcement is rolling out across Partner Center, reflecting Microsoft’s Zero Trust principles and the ongoing effort to reduce the risk of unauthorized access. Enforcement for the Partner Center began September 8, 2025, and will continue rolling out in phases. MFA for Partner Center APIs is targeted for April 1, 2026. MFA is now a key component of the Partner Center security score. All user accounts, including guest users, must complete MFA verification to maintain compliance and ensure a strong security posture. MFA adoption is required for all users accessing Partner Center, including those using authentication methods and features - Microsoft Entra ID or internalDomainFederation resource type - Microsoft Graph v1.0. For API access, requests must include the MFA value in the Authentication Method Reference (AMR) claim. For more information, see:
Take action now to stay secure and ahead:
- Review the updated documentation for all upcoming changes to Security requirements for Partner Center.
- Prepare your internal teams for new Security requirements.
- Adopt MFA early and ensure every user, including every guest account, is protected.
- Stay proactive—secure your business today and stay ahead with Microsoft. Stay tuned for more updates and best practices to help you maximize your Microsoft partnership.
New commerce experience for Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) partners
The new commerce experience in CSP continues to evolve, bringing together a suite of enhancements designed to drive partner growth, simplify compliance, and improve operational efficiency.
- A streamlined CSP incentive model is live as of July 1, 2025, rewarding partners for acquiring new customers, expanding workloads, and growing seat counts for existing customers. With the new customer growth lever, earning opportunities are more accessible. Starting October 1, 2025, these incentives will be available directly in Partner Center. For details, reference the FY26 CSP Incentive Overview and the Incentives Guide.
- Managing subscriptions and transactions is becoming more seamless. The recently released partner of record (POR) validation API enables distributors to verify POR status before submitting updates to reduce errors and streamline Marketplace management. This API can be integrated into partner workflows, ensuring a smoother purchase experience and fewer interruptions.
- Compliance processes are being modernized as well. Beginning January 5, 2026, partners will need to use a new API with an embeddable component for MCA attestation, as the Partner Center UI and legacy APIs are being deprecated. The new API, currently available in sandbox and production, enables secure and compliant attestations. Starting October 7, 2025, partners who accepted the MCA for their customers via partner attestation before April 1, 2023, but have not re-attested, will be restricted from key transact actions. The MCA Bulk Attestation Tool will also shift to read-only status. Direct customer acceptance remains unchanged. Learn more about MCA changes and API details.
- Billing operations are getting a significant boost in speed and reliability. The legacy synchronous billing API (v1) has been replaced by a new asynchronous API (v2) via Microsoft Graph for unbilled invoice reconciliation. This marks the final phase of billing API migrations, following three prior upgrades. This upgrade reduces data retrieval times from hours to minutes, and partners must transition to API v2 by March 15, 2026, to avoid service disruption. More information is available here.
And finally, to further support partners, Partner Center AI assistant now covers more scenarios across workspaces, delivering instant, AI-generated answers to common questions about payments, reconciliation, and refunds; AI-generated pricing insights and updates (across license-based, software, and Marketplace products); and the ability to independently clean up duplicate licenses or sandbox subscriptions after upgrades. With robust duplicate detection and instant answers for promotion and partner of record validation, partners can save time and reduce support friction. Explore ongoing updates and documentation here.
Just released
Partner Center AI assistant now available in eight languages: Partner Center AI assistant is now available in Chinese (simplified), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese (Portugal), and Spanish, in addition to English. AI assistant capabilities continue to evolve to help simplify daily tasks and enable self-service before creating a support ticket. Learn more here.
New capabilities for co-sell: Partners can now benefit from the expanded Solutions Partner with certified software designation program, which includes six new Industry AI certifications tailored to key sectors. Also, the introduction of Partner Reported Azure Consumed Revenue (PRACR) enhancements modernizes Azure consumption reporting by eliminating manual submissions and providing configurable EAC%, updated reporting templates, and an Eligible Deals view.
Partner Center Technical Roadmap and resources
Stay tuned to our blog for more updates and tips to make the most out of your partnership with Microsoft.