MAICPP Updates and Key Milestones

This month marks the end of the Legacy benefits and the introduction of new product benefits. Additionally, the Azure SMB paths will now soon be available to assist partners in earning an Azure Solutions Partner designation. Today’s topics:

• Farewell to Legacy Silver & Gold benefits – Last day is January 21, 2025
• Product benefits refreshed - Copilot benefits hit January 22
• It's Finally Coming - Azure SMB Paths
• Security SMB path details confirmed with CSP eligibility

Final Reminder: Farewell to Legacy Silver & Gold Benefits ??

???January 21, 2025,?at 11:59 PM IST is the last day to purchase or renew legacy Silver, Gold, and Action Pack benefits.

• After this date, partners will no longer be able to purchase or renew those offerings.
• This deadline is crucial for those who have not yet earned a Solutions Partner designation and wish to continue receiving their CSP incentives.
• Any benefits renewed will be active for the 12 months after their renewal date.
• Renewing benefits can only be done at your anniversary, not sooner.
• There are no upgrades between packages.
• Those with an eligible active legacy silver/gold purchase status as of January 21, 2025, will be eligible for the remainder of the FY25 CSP incentive term (January 22, 2025, to September 30, 2025).

Exciting New Benefits Arriving January 22, 2025??

Get ready! New benefits will be available for Partner Launch, Success Core, Success Expanded, and Solutions Partner designation and specialization packages. ?If you have one of these benefit packages, you should plan to log into Microsoft Partner Center to access and redeem your new internal use licenses (in the benefits workspace). The highly awaited licenses include:

• Entra ID P2
• Defender for Endpoint P2
• Microsoft 365 Copilot (2 users with Expanded and 5 users with Modern Work)
• Microsoft 365 Copilot for Sales, Copilot for Service, and Copilot for Finance (2 users with Expanded and 5 users with Bus Apps)
• Security Copilot (with Security specialization)
• GitHub Copilot Enterprise (with Azure specialization)

If you purchase benefits after January 22nd, you'll unlock even more products! And here's the thrilling part – the Partner Success packages can be stacked with Solutions Partner or legacy benefits. This enhancement ensures that you can boost your existing benefits while leveraging the new offerings for even greater value.

?? Download the benefits guide for a complete listing.

Azure SMB Paths Are Finally Coming ??

It’s been almost a year since Microsoft unveiled the Azure SMB paths, and the anticipation has been building. Well, the wait is almost over – it's arriving February 2025! Although the exact date remains under wraps, this early release is ahead of the last update which was scheduled for some time this spring.

Unlike the Modern Work SMB path, Azure partners will be assigned to either the SMB or Enterprise track – never both. Partners will not see both path calculations, and the path will be reflected on Partner center.

• Partners who are driving less than USD $1,000,000 and have 80% or more of their customers in the SMB/SMC segment will qualify on the SMB path.
• Partners who are driving more than USD $1,000,000 or driving less than USD $1,000,000 and have more than 20% of their customers in the enterprise segment will qualify on the Enterprise path.

The countdown begins! What’s so exciting about the Azure SMB path?

• The qualifying threshold for net customer adds has been lowered to $500, making it easier to achieve these points!
• You gain more skilling points! You will only need one prerequisite in intermediate and one in advanced and the first prerequisite earns points. Plus, the total number unique certified individuals are reduced to 4 in each skilling subcategory, intermediate & advanced.

?? Download the Azure SMB Guide here.

SMB Security Designation Anticipated for Spring 2025 ??

At Ignite, Microsoft unveiled the details of the new SMB path for the Solutions Partner Security designation. Highlights for the Security SMB path include:

• Partners can work toward either the SMB or Enterprise path – much like the Modern Work designation.
• Points earned will depend on the number of Microsoft 365 seats or total Azure Security spend.
• The CSP partner association will count in SMB and Enterprise.
• Reduced metrics in Net Customer Adds, Skilling, Deployments and Usage Growth.

The countdown to your Security SMB success starts now! The streamlined requirements make it easier than ever to achieve and excel in this path. Get ready to elevate your status and unlock the benefits.

?? Download the Security SMB guide here.

The Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program is your pathway to growth, empowering you to deliver innovative solutions that meet customer needs. Start your journey today to differentiate and excel in the evolving digital landscape.

Let us support you in navigating the next steps to success. Attend our MAICPP Clinics and/or request a coaching call. We're here to assist you in evaluating your status and scorecard, providing clarity, and guiding you towards a path filled with increased benefits and incentives.

?? Unlock Success Together with TD SYNNEX ??