Manage membership with Microsoft in Partner Center

Article
03/26/2024

Appropriate roles: Global admin | Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program partner admin

Microsoft offers many programs for Partners. Membership workspace in Partner Center is a single stop shop where you can manage multiple memberships of yours with Microsoft. We offer multiple programs for different types of partners. Different memberships come with different benefits provided by Microsoft. These benefits can be redeemed from Benefits workspace (including Azure Credits, Cloud Services, Software Keys, Technical consultation, Developer Tools, Marketing Benefits, and Logo Builder).

Prerequisite to managing membership in Partner Center

To manage membership in Partner Center, you would need to complete two steps:

Join the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program.
Ensure your Partner Center Account is verified: When you enroll in a new program in Partner Center or change legal details in your profile, Microsoft verifies the information that you provide, such as your company name, company address, and primary contact details.

User role to manage Membership workspace

To manage your membership, in Partner Center, you would need to have Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program partner admin role in Partner Center. Global admin or Account admin in your organization can give you relevant access. To learn more, see Permissions overview.

Here are the steps, which anyone with Global Admin/Account Admin in your organization can follow to give Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program partner admin role:

Sign in to Partner Center User Management Page directly OR select Settings (Gear icon) from right top corner of Partner Center -> Account Settings -> User Management Page.
Select the user whom you want to give Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program partner admin role.
Select the Role with name - Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program partner admin and select Update.

Explore different tracks

Microsoft offers multiple programs for different types of partners. Explore different programs based on the track you're interested in:

Services partner

For Services partners, Microsoft offers the following programs:

Partner Launch Benefits: This program is the entry level program for Services Partners (including Training partners) for partners who are starting their journey with Microsoft. Partner Launch Benefits kickstart your business. With Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, and Azure product benefits you can build and grow your business in the cloud.
Microsoft Action Pack: This is our entry level program for Services Partners. Unlock a portfolio of benefits and software licenses with a Microsoft Action Pack and help your business build the services and solutions your customers need.
Partner Success Core Benefits: Partner Success Core Benefits strengthens your business with more foundational product benefits. With Microsoft support benefits, including technical consultation hours and Signature Cloud Support incidents, you can take your business even further.
Partner Success Expanded Benefits: Partner Success Expanded Benefits accelerates your business with even more of the product benefits, support, and technical hours you love. With additional personalized support from Microsoft, you can scale and deepen our partnership.
Solutions Partners: Solutions Partner designations are aligned to Microsoft solution areas and include incremental benefits - so you can stand out from the competition and increase your customer reach. You can demonstrate your organization's proven capabilities to customers with easily identifiable badging.
Specializations: When you earn Solutions partner designation, you can further differentiate by attaining the further differentiated badging and benefits with Specializations. These Specializations align to the Microsoft Cloud and display your technical expertise.
Azure Expert MSP: After you earn Solutions partner designation in all 3 Azure Solution Areas (Data and AI, Digital and App Innovation, Digital and App Innovation), this program gives our most capable Azure MSPs full support to help drive revenue for themselves and their customers. This program comes with the following benefits:
- Earn an exclusive Azure Expert MSP badge, get showcased to our customers, and gain top priority in our referral engine.
- Be prioritized for co-sell engagements and leads.
- Get support to develop new practices.
- Attend exclusive events and participate in monthly calls with Azure engineering.

ISV partners

For Independent Software Vendor (ISV) partners, Microsoft offers the following programs:

ISV Success Build and Publish: This 12-month program is designed to help early-stage ISVs innovate rapidly, build well-architected applications, publish to the Microsoft commercial marketplace, and grow their sales.
ISV Marketplace Rewards: Once you have transactable app published, this program is offered to all partners at no additional cost. This program provides targeted support for all your offers with marketing, sales, and technical benefits.

Training Services partner

For Training Services partners, Microsoft offers the following programs:

Microsoft Learning Pack Subscription (LAPS): This is our entry level program for Training Services Partners. To earn this, you must buy Microsoft Action Pack Subscription. However, when you land on the Benefits workspace (to redeem the benefits) you can pick the LAPS benefits option.
Training Services Partner (preview): Training Service Partner designations are aligned to Microsoft solution areas and include incremental benefits - so you can stand out from the competition and increase your customer reach. You can demonstrate your organization's proven capabilities to customers with easily identifiable badging.

Note

This program is currently in preview and opened for limited set of partners. We're working to expand this to all partners very soon.

Surface partner

For Surface partners, Microsoft offers the following programs:

Surface Reseller alliance program (preview): This program offers incentives to commercial Surface resellers as compensation for the value they deliver and the work they perform in helping us achieve our business objectives for Microsoft.

Note

This program is currently in preview and opened for limited set of partners. We're working to expand this to all partners very soon.

Purchase your membership

Once you explore different tracks and are eligible to participate in one of the programs, you might be needed to make the purchase (depending on if the fees are applicable or not). If a program involves fees, you can manage the purchase (Buy or Renew) with following steps:

Make a payment: Microsoft offers two ways to make a payment for membership - Credit Card or Wire transfers.
Download invoice: You can view and download your invoice or bill from "Bills and Payments" page in membership workspace.
Cancel your purchase: If you want to cancel your purchase then you need to raise a support ticket, and it's allowed only within 30 days of purchase provided you haven't redeemed any benefits provided as part of this membership.

Manage your skilling and performance to earn membership

Many memberships offered by Microsoft, need you to attain certain requirements in Skilling (Certifications/Trainings/Assessments) and Performance metrics (revenue, usage, deployment of Microsoft products). This section covers how to ensure you're able to meet these requirements:

Skilling - Ensure employees in your organization who complete Certifications/Trainings/Assessments are linked to your Partner Center Account. Currently it takes up to 10 days for these Certifications/Trainings/Assessments to appear in membership workspace once linkage is completed and Certifications/Trainings/Assessments is completed. We request you to plan accordingly to avoid last minute rush.
Performance- To ensure you get Azure related performance metric, ensure the linkage is completed between your PartnerID with PAL/DPOR association.

Next steps

Benefits overview

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