Microsoft Cloud Partner Program

What’s Changing or New? What’s in it for partners?

On March 16, 2022, Microsoft announced the evolution of the Microsoft Partner • Enablement to support innovation and growth
Network Program to the Microsoft Cloud Partner Program. The program is • Expanded capability to create value in market, connect with
effective October 3, 2022. customers and win new business
• Benefits specific to solutions partner designations
Introducing Solution Partner Designations: • Infrastructure (Azure) • Modern Work
• Data & AI (Azure) • Security
• Digital & App Innovation (Azure) • Business Applications

Call to Action
1. Learn about the Microsoft Cloud Partner Program
2. Familiarize yourself with your partner’s scores using the
Partner Capability Score Dashboard in the Partner Programs
Digest
… and Partner Capability Score (PCS): 3. Incorporate the conversation into your regular rhythm with
minimum of 70 points across 3 criteria your partners
AND
at least 1 point in each sub-category
100 points possible in total Performance Skilling Customer success Resources

What does success look like? • Partner Network Announcement Blog / Overview Videos

Partner
• Cloud Partner Program Landing Page
A partner ecosystem, enabled with solutions partner designations, • Cloud Partner Program Learning Path
that has the capability and expertise to meet customer demands and • Partner FAQ (download)
• Support
deliver robust customer outcomes.

Contacts:
When: October 3, 2022 Susan Vosper
Target personas & high-level needs

I’m a partner that provides services and want to learn about Microsoft’s ecosystem of programs,
Persona 1 services, and tools.

Persona 2 I’m a partner that provides services and want to deepen my capabilities and achieve faster growth.

I’m a partner that is interested in publishing software solutions and want to develop, publish, and
Persona 3 market my app.

I’m a partner that provides software solutions and want to gain scalability and agility through
Persona 4 enhanced Microsoft support.
 PERSONA 1:
I’m a partner who provides services
Ready to navigate the Microsoft’s ecosystem of programs, services, and tools? Here’s how.

Build effective solutions

Activate benefits Sell with confidence
and strategies
Attain solutions partner Explore Establish relations with Hone Leverage go-to-market Benefit from Grow with
Explore benefits Find customers
designation solution areas your indirect provider tech skills (GTM) resources incentives collaborations

Access resources, programs, tools, Reduce time to market, reach customers,

Bring together expertise, resources, programs, and offers
& connections access offers and rewards, and grow revenue
Discover partner Review the new Microsoft Develop and launch Go-To-Market faster Explore Access the 4 steps to Visit the Start your
benefits: Cloud Partner Program offerings: Solution and grow your cloud MS Learn Commercial understanding GTM investments partner-to-
Microsoft Partner announcement and get an Workspace business with efficiency Marketplace via Resources and benefits: and incentives partner journey
Network overview of the opportunities with indirect provider Explore your Partner Blog post homepage
Learn more about the partnerships: Cloud Microsoft Dashboard Get the latest
Explore what View your capability score new solutions partner Solution Provider Cloud Week Explore the Partner Learn more partner-to-
partnership can designations that are program for Partners Leverage GTM Toolbox about getting partner resources
Select a track, specific to
Next steps and resources

offer: Partner aligned with the marketing best started with

Dashboard SMB partners, that is aligned Get the help Find customized Connect with
Microsoft Cloud Search the list of practices on incentives
with your growth strategy you need to resources you need to other partners
official Microsoft Commercial (step by step)
Unlock additional Learn more about build your bring solutions to and stay on top of
Easily track progress toward indirect providers Marketplace
benefits: Action updated solution practice or market and generate new opportunities
Pack attaining any or all these
partner designation solution. Learn Understand leads* in the US Partner
designations in Partner benefits more about Marketplace Zone within the
Get connected at Center Develop your marketing
Technical rewards/benefits Microsoft Partner
local and virtual Find all frequently skills: Smart partner
Presales and Community
events asked questions about Deployment Register and marketing
the new solutions Services. watch US
Read our blogs, partner designation Commercial Generate demand:
starting with the Digital Marketing
Training and Marketplace
Partner Essentials Content on Demand
enablement recordings
series resources (DMC)
CloudAscent―buil
Connect with
d customers for
other SMB
life
partners
*eligibility requirements
 PERSONA 2:
I’m a partner who provides services
Ready to deepen your capabilities and achieve faster growth? Let’s go.
Know your customers
Gain a deep understanding of customer’s
goals, pain points, and the value they want to
deliver to their own customers
Read Marketing Foundations: 3 steps to
understanding your customer
Understand the problems your current
customers are trying to solve with the
Insights tab in Partner Center
Populate the “Customer Persona Lite”
Next steps and resources
worksheet
Refine your buyer personas: Buyer personas
and best clients from MS Partner
Provide better technical support to your
customers: Announcing the new Partner
Technical Success Channel
Lead customers through complex decisions:
Azure cloud adoption frameworks smooth the
path for customer migration
Differentiate your
unique value prop
Stand out among the millions of partners
offering technology projects
and services globally
Assess how competitive you are in your target
verticals and receive recommendations on how
to become more competitive.
Differentiate your practice with Microsoft
advanced specializations
Differentiate your business and acquire new
customers with the Cloud Enablement Desk
Start crafting your differentiated value
proposition using the information provided in
our new Value Proposition blog series
Learn how to tell my company’s best story:
Smart partner marketing
Use this how-to guide to discover what your
‘partner superpower’ is and how to use it to
boost your visibility in the Microsoft ecosystem
Align with Microsoft
Position your practice to take advantage of
the vast opportunities created within
the Microsoft ecosystem
Review the new Microsoft Cloud Partner
Program announcement and get an overview
of the opportunities
Learn more about updated solution partner
designation benefits
Find out what's new for partners: Partner
Center announcements
See where you are doing well and where you
can improve your Partner capability score
Read the blog post: Build your practice using
Plays-in-a-Box for SMB as your guide
Get the SMB Plays-in-a-Box assets
Leverage the ecosystem
Work with other partners to grow business,
expand capabilities, and solve real customer
problems.
4 ways to build a customer-first reputation
Start with customer outcomes: Upsell & cross-
sell smarter with new Recommended
Workloads (CloudAscent)
Get the latest partner-to-partner resources
Connect to partners in the partner-to-partner
community
Learn how to showcase your solution directly
to customers, build customer trust, and create
strategies for better-together selling.
Co-sell with Microsoft
Learn more: Partner Essentials: Expand your
business with existing customers
(CloudAscent)
Boost offer visibility and incentivize sales
through marketplace: Learn more about
getting started with incentives
 PERSONA 3:
I’m a partner who provides software solutions
Ready to publish your first app with Microsoft? See how.
Get started
Commit and connect
Modernize applications and grow business
Get started on your ISV
membership journey
Explore the benefits of
Microsoft for Startups
Founders Hub
Listen to: Ask the Experts:
Next steps and resources
Founders Hub
Find resources to develop or
migrate your app and get it in
front of customers:
ISV Hub
Connect with other partners
and stay on top of new
opportunities in the US Partner
Zone within the Microsoft
Partner Community
Help us whiteboard the next
generation of Microsoft
products: Home Page |
Microsoft Customer Co-
creation
Onboard
Enhance your partnership with
even more resources created
to help your organization
continue to build: Action Pack
Talk to a specialist to
accelerate your business
growth
Stay up-to-date with the latest
industry trends and
information to learn what’s
now and see what’s next.
Explore Independent Software
Vendor content, including
upcoming changes and new
program information
Build, migrate, and/or deploy Market and sell
Develop a roadmap Prepare your Promote your
Publish your app Co-brand
for your business marketplace offer solutions
Deploy ISV applications to modern storefronts & marketplaces
Reach millions of customers worldwide
to begin selling & engaging customers
Solution workspace: Quick ISV Hub: Build webpage Launch your Leverage the Share your solution
access to the best tools, solution faster: Microsoft brand and with 4 million active
resources, and expert guidance Visit Solution Workspace to Solution Workspace global footprint to monthly users
tailored specifically for your access curated resources to (microsoft.com) build customer trust
solution help you quickly migrate, build, and strengthen Create a profitable,
and go to market Sell and connect to existing results-driven
Work through the solution the right customers: relationships. selling strategy with
Keep more of your margin
workspace tutorial Geo Expansion Microsoft: Co-sell
with you Gain customers’ playbook
See how to take part in the Build your confidence with a
multibillion-dollar market with Get access to Microsoft knowledge base Discover three ways
technology, curated training, customized logo and
the software as a service (SaaS) and grow your certified letter that you can speed up
playbook: and 1:1 consultations, and company: growth with the
reach 145 million people denotes your
Get the SaaS Playbook Enablement Commercial
collaborating on Microsoft partnership with
resources Microsoft. Start Marketplace: Read
Use this streamlined Teams daily the blog post
assessment tool to quickly and Training and creating
accurately find the SaaS enablement Explore the Partner
applications and resources you resources GTM Toolbox
need: Azure SaaS Guide
Explore the tools to build the
next big thing: Develop or
Migrate Your App
(microsoft.com)
 PERSONA 4:
I’m a partner who provides software solutions
Ready to gain scalability and agility to reach more customers? Explore how.
Innovate and differentiate
Reach more customers
Discover the benefits of the ISV Success Program
Read the blog: Microsoft’s partner ecosystem:
Enabling innovation and business resilience - The
Official Microsoft Blog
Read Marketing Foundations:
3 steps to understanding your customer
Next steps and resources
Identify areas of unique expertise:
Industry competitiveness assessment
Differentiate your practice with Microsoft
advanced specializations
Differentiate your business and acquire new
customers with the Cloud Enablement Desk
Read the Go-To-Market overview
Automate your marketing with Digital Marketing
Content OnDemand
Join the Go-To-Market community
Use this how-to guide to discover what your
‘partner superpower’ is and how to use it to
boost your visibility in the Microsoft ecosystem
Refresh value prop
Accelerate adoption of your cloud solution
Start crafting your differentiated value
proposition using the information provided in
our new Value Proposition blog series.
Differentiate your business and acquire new
customers with the Cloud Enablement Desk
4 Smart Tools to Expand Customer Acquisition:
On-demand webinar
Read the Go-To-Market overview
Automate your marketing with Digital
Marketing Content OnDemand
Join the Go-To-Market community
This guide, workshop and templates are
intended to help ISV partners evaluate and
optimize their value propositions to accelerate
adoption of their cloud solution.
Create new touchpoints
Expand your business—fast
Marketing Foundations: Top social media
platforms for partner marketing
Partner Essentials: Expand your business with
existing customers: Blog post
Get co-sell ready: Co-sell overview
Unlock the co-sell playbook
How-to documents for managing referrals
Accelerate your business growth with a
dedicated cloud specialist:
Cloud Enablement Desk
Reach new customers and build a stronger
business with more successful partnerships.
Earn more
Tap into the full potential of your customers
Partner Sales Acceleration Program (PSAP)
Azure SMB Partner Sales Acceleration Program
Accelerate your cloud business in new markets
with Geo Expansion
Check your readiness: Geo-Expansion
Assessment
Speed your time to market: Go to market with
Microsoft
Partner Essentials: Expand your business with
existing customers
Boost offer visibility and incentivize sales
through marketplace
Get ready to transform and grow your business
with the SaaS playbook and app potential
calculator. Get the SaaS Playbook
(microsoft.com)