Expanded partner benefits are now available across the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program. These updates reflect continued investment in the tools, resources, and support partners rely on to build, differentiate, and grow, and they incorporate feedback we hear consistently across the ecosystem.
If you read our January post about planning ahead for the February refresh, this is the follow-up: the new benefits are now rolling out, and partners with eligible offers will find them in Partner Center as they become available.
What’s new
You’ll find a range of meaningful additions designed to empower you to move faster with AI, support security needs, and improve go-to-market execution. Highlights include:
- Copilot additions in select offers: The FY26 refresh introduces new Copilot-related benefits across parts of the program, including Microsoft 365 Copilot, Copilot Studio, and Microsoft Dragon Copilot (per user) in select partner offers where available.
- Security benefits expansion: Security-focused benefits have been broadened, including additions such as Microsoft Defender Suite, Microsoft Entra Suite, and Microsoft Intune Suite in select offerings.
- Azure credit updates: Azure benefits are being updated across multiple offers, including new additions and increases in value for certain cloud benefits. These credits are designed to support solution development, testing, and expansion of your practice.
- Go-to-market resources: As partners continue to access marketing benefits and resources through the program, Microsoft is simplifying discovery and execution—so you can bring campaigns to market with less friction.
Developer tools and Azure credit delivery updates
Beginning February 13, 2026, Microsoft is updating how developer tools and Azure credits are delivered as part of the AI Cloud Partner Program. These updates are designed to help partners better utilize Azure credits across teams, promote compliant and intended use of program benefits, simplify benefit management, and preserve access to core developer tools. These changes apply only to partner program benefits and do not affect paid Visual Studio subscriptions or SKUs.
As part of this update, Azure credits are now delivered at the organizational level through active benefits offerings and are accessible through the Partner Center dashboard. This pooled model gives partners greater flexibility to allocate credits across teams and projects, helping to reduce unused credits and better align Azure usage with real development and testing needs.
To support clearer entitlement boundaries and modern, cloud-first development workflows, access to some legacy on-premises software downloads and transferable product keys is no longer included with partner program developer benefits. These entitlements remain available through appropriate licensing channels.
Importantly, the Visual Studio Enterprise IDE license remains available as part of the partner program benefits package and is unchanged. Partners can continue to activate IDE licenses for eligible team members via email-based sign-in and manage all benefits through Partner Center. Existing benefits remain in place until renewal, and the updated model applies only at your next renewal or for new purchases made on or after February 13, 2026.
For full details on partner program benefits and eligibility, please refer to the Microsoft Learn guidance.
Dragon Copilot availability
Microsoft Dragon Copilot availability varies by role and region. For example, Dragon Copilot is available to physicians in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany, and Austria, with different availability details for nurses. As availability expands, benefits will appear for eligible partners in those locations.
Partner Marketing Center Pro
Partners will soon have access to the next-generation Partner Marketing Center, an AI-powered hub designed to make campaign discovery, customization, and execution easier than ever. Parter Marketing Center Pro will be available to all partners with an active partner benefits package or a Solutions Partner designation, as well as those enrolled in ISV Success.
Pricing update reminder
As previously announced, these enhancements come with a modest price adjustment beginning in February 2026. Pricing impact varies by offer, and Microsoft continues to subsidize benefits to deliver strong value while keeping offerings modern and aligned to market needs.
Designations, specializations, and badges to support partner differentiation
Alongside the FY26 benefits refresh, Microsoft is also expanding recognition options that support partner differentiation in-market and align to high-demand customer priorities, including sovereign cloud requirements, AI transformation leadership, modern distribution, and exceptional support delivery.
Digital Sovereignty specialization: This new specialization recognizes partners with proven capabilities in delivering sovereign cloud solutions—including data, operational, technical, and AI sovereignty—using Microsoft security, compliance, and data residency capabilities. Partners who attain it can increase differentiation for sovereignty-focused opportunities and gain benefits aligned to the specialization, including specialized badging and enhanced discoverability.
Frontier Partner badge: Introduced at Microsoft Ignite, the Frontier Partner badge recognizes organizations leading AI transformation through an AI-first, human-led approach that combines AI agents and human ingenuity to scale innovation and impact. It is designed to spotlight partners who are setting the pace for what’s next, making it easier for customers and Microsoft sellers to identify partners delivering advanced AI outcomes.
Frontier Distributor designation: Now globally available, this designation recognizes distributors that meet high standards of performance and enablement, with a focus on supporting the small and medium-sized business (SMB) segment to scale with consistency. It is designed to create differentiation and improve reseller visibility into trusted distributors who can accelerate cloud and AI growth.
Support Services designation: This designation recognizes partners that deliver exceptional customer experiences across Microsoft Cloud, backed by rigorous standards for satisfaction, resolution, and service excellence. Earning it provides public badging that signals support capabilities and allows partners to differentiate while strengthening long-term customer relationships.
Learn more and take the next step
If you already have an active benefits package, no action is needed. As new benefits are introduced and retrofitted, they will automatically appear in Partner Center based on your eligibility, and you can activate them as they become available. This is one of the advantages of benefits packages: once you’re enrolled, updates are included so you can stay current as offerings evolve.
If you do not currently have a package, this is a good moment to evaluate which option aligns to your business priorities, then purchase through Partner Center—so you can start using the updated benefits.
For full details on the FY26 benefits refresh and what’s included across offers:
Partner benefits packages remain an effective way to access product capabilities, Azure credits, marketing resources, and support that can strengthen your practice and support your growth across the customer lifecycle.