The cloud, we believe, is the foundation of AI, and we’re committed to helping our Azure partners fully capitalize on the end-to-end value of AI transformation across the Microsoft Cloud, migrate and modernize their customers’ digital estates, and build and offer Azure-based practices and solutions.
As part of our commitment, we strive to continually update and improve the partner experience and add key benefits designed to further your growth. In this blog post, you’ll find the latest updates to our Azure offerings—Azure Migrate and Modernize and Azure Innovate—available within the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program to help you succeed.
Azure Migrate and Modernize and Azure Innovate
Azure Migrate and Modernize and Azure Innovate work together to accelerate cloud and AI transformation. These two offerings are underpinned by Azure Essentials, which offers foundational guidance, best practices, and dedicated skilling to help support your customer projects. We’re excited to share several enhancements that broaden the value and opportunities available through Azure partner-led offerings.
This quarter, we’re introducing three benefits within Azure Migrate and Modernize and Azure Innovate:
- Cloud Accelerate Factory: Formerly Cloud Migration Factory, this benefit can jump-start your Azure projects with no-cost deployment assistance from Microsoft experts.
- Azure SMB pathway: A small and medium-sized business (SMB) pathway to earn Solutions Partner designations and specializations for Azure, this pathway creates more accessible ways for a broader range of partners to showcase their capabilities. Partners who use this SMB pathway can additionally unlock access to smaller engagement sizes for Azure Migrate and Modernize and Azure Innovate.
- Increased partner payments for Microsoft Azure VMware Solution (AVS) scenarios: We have increased incentives for SMB partners with Azure specializations and Solutions Partner designations, creating meaningful opportunities to engage customers and grow their cloud businesses.
Read more below about how these offerings can help your organization.
Cloud Accelerate Factory
Cloud Accelerate Factory can jump-start your Azure projects with no-cost deployment assistance from Microsoft experts. Tapping into the Factory’s deployment assistance comes with several distinct benefits:
- Get zero-cost assistance from Microsoft to deploy 30+ Azure services via joint delivery with an Azure partner no matter the project size. (While the Factory aims to support projects of all sizes globally, availability may vary depending on region and language support.)
- Accelerate with industry best practices and complete deployments in weeks, using proven strategies developed over thousands of customer engagements. Expert support is based on proven best practices and may vary depending on the specific needs and circumstances of each project.
- Maximize your investments by prioritizing funding and skilled resources for the more advanced components of projects to boost business impact.
Now available for partners with Azure designations and specializations, the Factory will offer simplified partner access directly in the Microsoft Commercial Incentives (MCI) portal in Partner Center. This MCI integration will deliver the same frictionless, partner-led experience you're used to.
Partners know the extensive effort required for a successful project, including the necessity of comprehensive technical expertise, meticulous planning, and coordinated execution across many moving parts. When you engage the Factory, you still own the project end-to-end—Factory experts support the engagement in select areas like discovery, assessment, migration, and landing zone setup.
Our partners and customers note the immediate value of our investments in the Factory. As one global strategic customer in the US shared, “[We’re] looking forward to our next collaborative engagement with the Factory team. Their methodical approach has significantly contributed to our overall strategy for the migration and modernization.”
When you tap into the expertise provided by the Factory, you are still in the driver’s seat, leading your customer through the process from discovery to post-migration services. While working across advanced systems that require careful sequencing and deep technical expertise, Factory experts can help you offload repeatable tasks, increase capacity to take on more projects, extend your reach with global delivery assistance in markets where you may not have a deep bench, and empower you to prioritize your expert talent where you need it most. You can focus on what you do best: solving complex challenges, delivering custom solutions, and guiding your long-term cloud strategy.
Zero-cost deployment assistance is subject to eligibility requirements and may not be available for all projects or in all regions. Learn more about how the nomination process works by visiting the collection page.
SMB paths for Solutions Partner designations
You asked and we listened: we understand that partners who serve SMBs and small, medium, and corporate accounts have been seeking ways to earn Solutions Partner designations, so we’ve made it easier to validate your skills and differentiate your organization by introducing a new SMB pathway for Solutions Partner designations for Azure, which includes Data & AI, Digital & App Innovation, and Infrastructure. These updated requirements are designed for organizations that serve SMBs—and better position us to address SMB needs. Both the SMB and enterprise paths offer the same badging and benefits, providing equal outcomes regardless of the path you choose.
As part of these designation benefits, we’re expanding the Azure Migrate and Modernize and Azure Innovate offerings to help partners drive business in SMB segments; you can unlock these offerings when you earn an Azure designation. Incentives for small and extra small engagement sizes give you more ways to grow your SMB-facing business and deliver added value through Azure partner-led offerings.
Azure VMware Solution (AVS) increased payout
While VMware has long been a go-to for customers interested in their virtualization technologies, the recent Broadcom changes to VMware Cloud Foundation licensing has pushed customers to reevaluate their options. With 75% of on-premises Windows Servers and SQL Servers running on VMware according to Microsoft internal data, Microsoft partners have a significant opportunity to maximize earnings with AVS. AVS offers a VMware environment within Azure that’s fully managed by Microsoft, making it easier for customers to seamlessly migrate or extend VMware workloads to the cloud.
So that you can take advantage of the massive market opportunity for partners with VMware, we’re increasing our investments to help you stay competitive and meet growing customer demand. For AVS partner-led engagements, you can maximize your earning opportunities with increased incentives up to $175,000* in an easy-to-navigate hub, designed to empower frictionless experiences at scale.
Additional resources to get started
As we continue to build out and improve Azure partner-led offerings, we encourage you to take time to access resources that will help you continue to transform your customers’ operations:
Empowering partners to drive transformation
Partners are already seeing firsthand how these offerings enhance their value to customers. As one Microsoft partner serving small and medium enterprises said, “Working closely with Microsoft and their Factory further demonstrates our credentials and enhances our service offering to our clients.”
These offerings are focused on helping 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. As part of our commitment to our partners, we will continue to invest in partner-led offerings and other essential benefits—built to help you grow.
*Throughout this document, $ refers to US dollar (USD).