ECIF Funding Eligibility
Hello Microsoft Tech Community! We are Serraform a new Microsoft Partner specializing in Security & Compliance and have a question on End Customer Investment Funds (ECIF) funding. Hoping someone can help us. How to we become eligible to accept ECIF funding for our M365 Security & Compliance deployments? Is satisfying the requirements for a Solutions Partner designation sufficient, that is achieving 70 of 100 points in 1 of the 6 partner categories + achieving more than zero points in each of the 4 metrics? We are in talks with a few prospects and they are interested in leveraging ECIF. Any guidance would be super helpful. Thanks! Aaron
Windows Server 2022 RDS CALs missing in partner benefits
As a solution partner we have 100 RDS CALs for Windows Server 2019. I would like to update our Windows 2019 servers to 2022, however there are no RDS CALs for Server 2022! What is the reason for this? Are there plans to make them available anytime soon?Microsoft removing Business Voice (aka Teams phones with calling plan) from benefits program
Hello everyone. I believe some of you may have noticed that since Microsoft started moving the partner programme to the partner designation, we no longer get Microsoft business voice or team phones with calling plan as part of the benefits related to the legacy silver or gold partner membership which now have transitioned to the new Partner designation. The programme has changed a bit, and we no longer get Microsoft teams phones and calling plans as we used to. Microsoft didn't send any communication about removing those benefits or explaining alternative methods to cope with this change which I find a bit upsetting. I'm wondering if there are other partners like ourselves that are finding days a bit odd. I think it's quite important we get team phones licences as this has been one of the ways for us to utilise the service and prove to our customers it is a good solution going forward as we keep using it ourselves, and improving our sales pitch about these products. Any thoughts on this? Are there other partners a bit annoyed by these changes?Gold legacy benefits renewal cost - 3x price increase
We have been a gold partner for a few years, this would be our second legacy benefits renewal on gold, but the price increased by almost three-fold, we always paid 1700$ and the cost is now $4,729. Our currency in South Africa is R18.61 against the dollar at the moment, and the cost impact on our region is severe. The cost in our currency used to be R32,000 vs now R88,017. So far as we can see it is because Microsoft aligned the pricing for Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program (MAICPP) offers to US dollar (USD) levels across regions and the banner in PN stating "Starting December 2023, we will reconcile membership offer prices to current foreign exchange rates for USD. This reconciliation may result in different pricing for your market”. Can Microsoft consider the impact this has on certain regions?
Question about Silver and Gold Legacy Benefits Renewal
Hello, During Inspire's session Expert Q&A: Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program: The road ahead, the question was asked - Are Silver and Gold Benefits packages going away? The response was "They are NOT." So how will that work for a partner who decide to still go with the legacy benefits for one more year? - What are the Pros and Cons of keeping Legacy Benefits? - How will it work in FY24 and how will the partner be notified? - What is the most at lost to a Partner staying with Legacy? - Will the partner still be able to renew its Specialization - or is a Designation absolutely necessary to do so? - Can a partner who purchased Legacy benefits last year and who is now currently ENROLLED to the new Designation program renew at anniversary if the required score is no longer at 70? Can there be an exception? I am lalso ooking for documentation about Renewing Legacy Benefits, but so far I haven't found anything. Thanking you in advance for your help.
