Microsoft has outlined how it is aiming to make matters easier for its partners amid the ongoing pandemic. The company says it will allow companies to concentrate on generating new business rather than trying to meet impending competency deadlines, and is extending the deadline to sign the main partner agreement indefinitely. Gavriella Schuster, (pictured) corporate vice president for One Commercial Partner, said in a blog: “We have been carefully considering how our partner programmes can serve our partners best as the situation evolves. We understand that some partners may want to accelerate their pace, while others may want to slow things down.”
She said that if partners' competency anniversary date is between 1 January and 30 June 2020, their deadlines are being extended through to their next anniversary date in 2021 instead. They will need to take action in the Partner Center portal to take advantage of the extension.
And if providers are a renewing Azure Expert MSP partner with an audit date before 30 June, their programme anniversary date will be extended and they will be audited against the Spring 2020 Progress Audit Checklist and their audit will be due on or before 31 December 2020 instead. Those with different auditing dates will also have their audit deadlines extended, and they can check full details in the Partner Center.
Among other changes, the published programme requirement increases in Azure Consumed Revenue (ACR), planned for 1 July, will now take effect on 1 January 2021.
In addition, if partners are currently enrolled in any of the Azure advanced specialisations and have a renewal date on or before 31 December 2020, their programme anniversary date will be extended to 30 June 2021.
The company has also set a new date of 1 April 2021 for its Partner Contribution Indicators (PCI) scoring for the Cloud Business Applications competency.
The Microsoft Partner Agreement enforcement date was planned for April 2020, meaning partners that had not accepted the agreement would no longer be able to transact. “To help prevent disruption to partner and customer businesses, we are postponing the enforcement date until later this year,” said Schuster. “We will update you when we have set a new date,” she added.
Schuster also confirmed that the annual Microsoft Inspire partner conference will be virtual this year, but didn't reveal the dates just yet.
HP Inc also recently chipped in its effort to make partners' operations easier during the pandemic.
The printer and PC firm said it has implemented a “more predictable, flat-rate incentive programme” and “relaxed compensation models” to allow for more partner flexibility. It has also extended deadlines for submission of proof of performance and reporting. And it has introduced a variety of new financing and leasing options for end customers, to encourage them to buy new kit through partners.
