Get all the important Microsoft details for May.
To stay current on the latest updates from Microsoft and how those updates will impact your MSP business, we’ve launched a monthly Microsoft webcast series.
Missed this month’s webcast? Register for our next one on June 1, and reach out to your Pax8 rep if you have any questions. Here’s our summary from May.
Program updates
Update to Azure Reserved Instances (RIs)
Azure Reserved Instance (RI) is an excellent purchasing option for customers who are looking to reduce their costs while running workloads in the Azure cloud computing platform. The benefits of using an Azure RI include cost savings, better predictability of costs, and capacity assurance.
In May, Pax8 is shifting to a self-service model for Azure RIs and savings plans which will allow our partners to purchase these on behalf of their customers within the Azure Management Portal, helping them simplify their cloud resources, gain efficiencies, and grow their businesses.
Audio conferencing
Audio conferencing in Microsoft 365 can help businesses improve communication, collaboration, and productivity while reducing costs and increasing flexibility. As of March 2022, Microsoft released Teams audio conferencing and included audio conferencing in Microsoft 365 suites.
To learn more about the key differences and licensing requirements between Teams audio conferencing and audio conferencing in Microsoft 365, tune into our monthly webcast.
Microsoft to apply FX rates in EMEA
Microsoft announced they will align the pricing of Microsoft cloud products globally. In the future, Microsoft will assess pricing in local currency as part of a regular, twice-a-year cadence. They will take into consideration currency fluctuations relative to the US dollar, resulting in increased transparency and predictability for customers globally as they move to a common pricing model.
To adjust for this change, Pax8 Marketplace is automatically calibrating FX rates for all regions globally. Microsoft’s pricing changes will affect new NCE orders as well as legacy subscriptions.
MSRP
The MSRP is the price suggested by the manufacturer of a product. At Pax8, every partner owns their margin and controls the pricing presented to their customer base. Pax8 strongly suggests reviewing the MSRP for each of your Microsoft subscriptions at your NCE renewal to ensure you’re earning the proper margin. The NCE commitment locks pricing at time of purchase for the duration of the commitment term and is subject to a price increase by the vendor during the renewal period.
Common products that saw, or could see, a price increase at renewal are:
- Business Basic
- Business Standard
- Business Premium
- Office 365 E1
- Office 365 E3
- Microsoft 365 E3
- Microsoft 365 Audio Conferencing
Microsoft Cloud Partner Program
Solutions Partner designation
The Microsoft Solutions Partner designation is a program designed to recognize companies that have demonstrated expertise in delivering Microsoft solutions to customers. The designation can provide a range of benefits to partners, including enhanced credibility, access to resources, increased visibility, sales opportunities, and competitive differentiation.
Microsoft Cloud Partner Program offerings
The Microsoft Partner Cloud Program is a program designed to help Microsoft partners build, deploy, and manage their solutions on Microsoft Azure. The program provides technical and business resources to help partners develop their cloud solutions, accelerate their go-to-market strategies, and drive customer engagement and adoption.
Microsoft’s Cloud Partner Program has several benefits to reward partners:
- Product benefits and firsthand knowledge of features and capabilities (internal use rights, Azure credits, cloud licenses)
- Incentives and rebate eligibility
- Go-to-market services and digital marketing resources
- Technical support and advisory for one-on-one sessions
- Cloud Solutions Provider Indirect Reseller and Microsoft Commerce Incentive
- Two of the most common incentives that partners participate in are the Cloud Solutions Provider Indirect Reseller and the Microsoft Commerce Incentive.
The CSP Indirect Reseller Legacy rewards cloud service providers for driving revenue and selling strategic products under the CSP Legacy Licensing Program. The Microsoft Commerce Incentive rewards partners who create a direct impact by delivering value-added services and influencing decisions across the customer lifecycle.
Microsoft Intune and Nerdio Manager for MSPs
Microsoft Intune is a cloud-based suite of tools providing IT admins granular control of physical devices like laptops, mobile devices, tablets, and virtual desktops. When partners utilize Nerdio Manager, a multi-tenant, workflow-powered cloud management platform, with Intune, they can save up to seven hours per week on user management.
Pax8 and Nerdio invest in programs, resources, and services to help MSPs take advantage of the tremendous market potential of Nerdio Manager for MSPs when used with Azure Virtual Desktop, Windows 365, and Intune. Nerdio’s services include training and certification, architecture and costing, GoLive engineering, procurement automation, and technical support.
Dynamics with Pax8 and Bam Boom Cloud
Introducing Dynamics 365 Copilot
Microsoft has announced new AI product updates across its business applications portfolio, including the new Microsoft Dynamics 365 Copilot, which provides interactive, AI-powered assistance across business functions. Copilot helps sellers dramatically reduce the time spent on clerical tasks, empowers agents to deliver exceptional customer care, and streamlines the creation of product listings for online commerce.
Defender for Business and Mobile Threat Defense
Hybrid work is here to stay. While some companies will go back, the hybrid work experience has proven a success and there is much less of a reason to go back to the ball and chain. Hybrid work demands a modern workplace, cloud-centric solutions, and a tight security posture.
What are Zero Trust principles?
A Zero Trust model is a proactive, integrated approach to security across all layers of the cloud that explicitly and continuously verifies every transaction, asserts least-privilege access, and relies on intelligence, advanced detection, and real-time response to threats.
When you adopt a Zero Trust approach, you can support remote and hybrid work, prevent or reduce business damage from a breach, identify and protect sensitive business data and identities, proactively meet regulatory requirements, and build confidence in your security posture and programs across your leadership team, employees, partners, stakeholders, and customers.
Don’t miss out on new security updates from Microsoft by attending the June Pax8 and Microsoft monthly update.
Sessions and labs
May
Modern Work Partner Enablement Sessions
May 10: Azure Active Directory Config
Azure Partner Enablement Sessions
May 18: Hybrid Management Azure Arc and Lighthouse
Azure Hands-on Labs
May 4: Defender for Cloud
May 25: Azure Migrate
