The FY26 Partner Designation Restructuring Is Coming — Most Partners Aren't Ready

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Here's the problem most partners don't see coming.

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You can hit every number on your scorecard,

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keep your customers happy and renew your designations on time

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and still wake up six months from now wondering

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why your co-sell pipeline dried up

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and your incentive access got cut.

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The FY26 restructuring isn't a minor program update.

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It's a big shift in how Microsoft evaluates partners,

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how incentives flow,

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and how field sellers find you in the system.

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Most partners are still running on the old playbook,

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silver, gold, six solution areas,

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same motions they've been using for years.

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And that's exactly the problem.

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If you don't understand the new structure,

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you're already behind on co-sell eligibility,

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missing incentive access,

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and the window to prepare is closing faster

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than most partners realize.

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This isn't just a rename,

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it's a re-architecture of how Microsoft invests

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in its partner ecosystem.

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And the partners who treat it like one

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will be the ones who capture the growth.

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The old model and why it broke.

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So let's talk about what's changing and why.

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Right now the program runs on six solution areas,

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modern work, business applications, data and AI,

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digital and app innovation, infrastructure and security.

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To earn a solutions partner designation in any of these,

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you need a partner capability score of 70 out of 100 points

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across performance, skilling, and customer success.

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That's been the formula for a while.

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The problem is, this model created too much fragmentation.

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Partners stacked badges across multiple areas

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without building real capability in any single one.

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And on Microsoft's side, they couldn't focus,

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they go to market investments.

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You'd have a partner with a modern work designation,

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a security designation, and an infrastructure designation.

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But when a Microsoft seller looked at that partner,

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they couldn't tell where the real depth was.

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Microsoft needed better alignment

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between partner qualifications and actual delivery outcomes,

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so they could know which partners could deliver

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on the solution plays they were building

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their field motions around.

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The six area model just wasn't giving them that clarity.

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The FY26 restructuring, six becomes three.

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Here's the shift most partners don't see coming.

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Microsoft consolidated six solution areas into three,

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and that changes how you position yourself completely.

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The first new area is AI Business Solutions,

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which combines modern work and business applications

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into one commercial solution area.

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Copilot and Agentec AI are the center of gravity here.

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Every solution play, every incentive program,

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every seller motion in this area

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is built around AI-driven productivity

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and business process transformation.

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If your practice sits in modern work or business applications,

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you need to start thinking about how your capabilities

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map to AI outcomes, because that's how Microsoft

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is going to surface you to field sellers.

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The second area is Cloud and AI platforms.

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This combines all three Azure areas, data and AI,

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digital and app innovation and infrastructure,

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into a single unified playbook, migration, modernization,

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data platforms, AI apps, it's all under one roof now,

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and the incentive structure reflects that.

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Microsoft rolled out Azure Accelerate,

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a unified program that combines, migrate and modernize,

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innovate and Cloud Accelerate factory into one offering

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with a 70% year over year investment increase.

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But that funding is tied to having

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the right Azure designations and specializations.

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If you're an Azure partner,

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you can't afford to be spread thin

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across three different Azure badges anymore.

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You need to concentrate where your capability is strongest.

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Security stays as its own standalone area,

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but the validation requirements are getting tighter

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with third party audits, deeper performance metrics

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and stricter skilling thresholds.

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Microsoft is signaling that security partners

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need to be independently verified, not just self attested.

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Now here's what most partners miss.

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Your old designation strategy may not map

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cleanly to these three new areas.

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If you build a modern work practice

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and a separate business applications practice,

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those are now under AI business solutions

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and you may need to rethink how you demonstrate capability

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in that combined space.

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If you had a data and AI designation

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and an infrastructure designation,

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those are now under cloud and AI platforms

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and you need to decide where your anchor is.

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Microsoft is aligning every solution,

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play every incentive program

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and every cell emotion around these three areas.

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Not the old six, the partners who understand this now

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will have a six to 12 month head start

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on everyone waiting for the official changes

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to hit their renewal.

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The new designations and what they unlock,

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but it's not just consolidation.

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Microsoft is introducing entirely new designations

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that most partners haven't heard about yet

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and each one unlocks a different type of access.

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Take the support services designation.

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It's for partners who deliver high quality customer support

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across Microsoft products

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and it's measured on hard metrics, escalation rates,

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response times and customer satisfaction scores above 90%.

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If you're running a managed services practice

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and your support operation is tight,

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this designation gives you a way to signal

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that capability directly to customers

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and Microsoft field sellers.

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Trusted tech was one of the first partners globally to earn it

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and they went through a third party operational assessment

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to validate their processes.

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That's the level of proof Microsoft is requiring now.

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Then there's the distributor designation,

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which validates indirect providers

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who deliver value added services to resellers.

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If you're a distributor, this is an optional.

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It's becoming the new baseline

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for how Microsoft surfaces you to the reseller ecosystem.

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The designation measures things like reseller enablement,

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support metrics and security capabilities.

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Distributors who earn it get customer facing badging

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as your credits, product licenses and incentive access,

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those who don't risk getting buried in search results

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when resellers are looking for partners.

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There are also two new device designations.

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One is for OEMs building modern hybrid ready Windows devices.

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The other is for partners who sell

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and deploy Windows commercial devices,

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including co-pilot plus PCs

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across the full deployment lifecycle.

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These are designed to capture the Windows 10 refresh cycle,

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accelerate Microsoft 365 adoption

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and build trusted relationships through secure AI ready hardware.

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If device deployment is part of your business,

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these designations are going to become

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a competitive differentiator.

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The co-pilot specialization is already available.

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It signals deep expertise in Microsoft 365

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co-pilot, co-pilot studio and agent deployment.

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This one matters because every solution play

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in FY26 now positions co-pilot and agent AI as core components.

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If you don't have this specialization,

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you're going to struggle to get surfaced

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for AI-related co-cell opportunities.

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And then there's the Frontier Partner badge,

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the new top tier status.

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To earn it, you need all six solution designations

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plus three specific specializations.

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Microsoft describes it as signaling AI-first human led

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delivery capability.

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It's designed for partners who can deliver end-to-end AI

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transformation across the full Microsoft stack.

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Only a small number of partners will qualify initially

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and the gap between Frontier partners

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and everyone else is going to widen fast.

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Here's the thing about all these new badges.

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They directly influence how Microsoft surfaces you

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to field sellers and customers in the marketplace.

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When a Microsoft seller opens their internal tools

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to find a partner for a customer opportunity,

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the first filter is designation status.

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If you don't have the right designation

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for the right solution area, you don't show up.

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Period, the incentive implications.

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Now here's where it gets interesting.

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These designations unlock the biggest incentive increases

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Microsoft has ever put on the table.

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Take Azure Accelerate.

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Microsoft announced a 70% year-over-year increase

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in outcome-based investment for this unified program,

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which combines Azure Migrate and Modernize,

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Azure Innovate, and Cloud Accelerate Factory

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into one streamlined offering.

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The math is straightforward if you're managing

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a million dollars in annual Azure consumption.

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Partner-Earned Credit alone pays 15%

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on managed Azure consumption through Pay-L

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or DPR Attribution.

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That's $150,000 on a million dollar book of business

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or $750,000 at $5 million, and that's just one program.

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Co-pilot and power platform incentives are up 50% year-over-year,

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and Microsoft is betting big on AI adoption

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with real money behind it.

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The Co-pilot and Power Accelerate program covers

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envisioning workshops and deployment engagements

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with payouts ranging from $5,000 for smaller engagements

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up to $50,000 for larger deployments,

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and there's a $2 million global cap per partner.

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But here's the catch, you need a solutions partner designation

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in Modern Work or Security just to qualify.

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On top of an already significant base,

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security investment is up 15%.

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The security incentives span multiple engagement types,

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envisioning workshops, Sentinel Accelerator,

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Defender for Cloud Accelerator, and CSP Deployment Incentives,

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and each one requires an active security solutions partner

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designation and, in most cases,

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a specific advanced specialization.

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The Sentinel Accelerator alone pays $4,000 for activation,

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then scales up based on data ingestion volume

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at 200 gigabytes per day sustained,

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you're looking at $34,000 per engagement.

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Here's the number that should grab your attention.

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Across all three commercial solution areas,

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Microsoft is earmarking 70% of partner investments

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for the small medium enterprise and channel segment,

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not just enterprise, and that's a deliberate shift

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because Microsoft wants partners, serving SMB

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and mid-market customers to capture this funding.

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But there's a catch most partners, Miss Entirely.

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ECF funding and customer investment funds

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is gated behind advanced specializations,

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and no specialization means no access.

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ECF is where the biggest deal-level investments live.

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We're talking six-figure funding per deal

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for the right opportunities,

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but you can't even get nominated

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without an advanced specialization in place.

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The chain works like this.

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You earn an advanced specialization,

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which puts you on Microsoft's radar,

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so a partner development manager

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starts engaging you on customer opportunities,

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you build co-sale pipeline with net new cloud deals,

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Microsoft approves ECF investment,

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the ECF funded deployment generates

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a zero consumption where your PAL attribution earns 15%,

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partner earned credit, your growing ACR strength

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in the PDM relationship, and the cycle accelerates.

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Partners who don't sequence their designation strategically

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are leaving $50,000 to $500,000 on the table annually?

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That's not an exaggeration.

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The difference between a partner who captures $300,000

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in annual incentives,

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and one who captures $50,000 usually comes down to three things.

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Understanding how programs stack together,

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setting up all three attribution methods,

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and earning the advanced specializations

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that unlock the highest value funding.

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The sequencing strategy.

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So how do you actually get there

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without spreading yourself too thin?

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That's the trap most partners fall into CC.

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They see six designations, three new areas,

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it doesn't specializations,

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and they try to chase everything at once,

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which is how you end up with a 45-point PCS

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in four areas instead of a 70-in-1.

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The smart place starts with anchoring.

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Pick one solution area where your partner capability score

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is already strongest and lock that designation in first,

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because your first designation sets the anniversary date

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for every future designation you earn.

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If you earn modern work in November,

267
00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:12,520
then business applications in January, then security in March,

268
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all three will share that November anniversary,

269
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meaning you renew everything at once,

270
00:10:16,400 --> 00:10:18,040
which is either a headache or an advantage

271
00:10:18,040 --> 00:10:19,440
depending on how you plan it.

272
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The partners who sequence deliberately use this

273
00:10:21,440 --> 00:10:22,920
to compress their renewal timelines

274
00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:24,560
and reduce the administrative drag

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00:10:24,560 --> 00:10:27,400
of maintaining multiple designations on different cycles.

276
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But if you're not close to 70 points yet,

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the 25-point capability threshold changes the game.

278
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Microsoft introduced this specifically

279
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to give partners a faster on-ramp.

280
00:10:35,680 --> 00:10:37,960
You can get 25 points in any solution area

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00:10:37,960 --> 00:10:40,080
through skilling alone, like certifications,

282
00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:41,760
learning parts, and assessments,

283
00:10:41,760 --> 00:10:43,840
which is enough to qualify for certain benefits

284
00:10:43,840 --> 00:10:46,840
and incentive programs without needing the full designation.

285
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It's not a replacement for hitting 70,

286
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but it gets you in the game

287
00:10:49,960 --> 00:10:51,120
while you build the performance

288
00:10:51,120 --> 00:10:54,000
and customer success metrics you need to climb higher.

289
00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:56,200
Now here's the piece most partners skip entirely.

290
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You can't earn what you don't claim.

291
00:10:57,840 --> 00:10:59,320
Partner admin link needs to be set up

292
00:10:59,320 --> 00:11:00,560
on every Azure subscription

293
00:11:00,560 --> 00:11:02,280
where you're delivering managed services

294
00:11:02,280 --> 00:11:06,160
and CPOR claims need to be filed on every M365 deployment.

295
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These are the attribution mechanisms

296
00:11:07,800 --> 00:11:10,640
that make your work visible to Microsoft scoring engines

297
00:11:10,640 --> 00:11:13,680
and without them, your performance metrics are invisible.

298
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And here's the specific number that matters.

299
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CPOR earns double the designation points

300
00:11:18,080 --> 00:11:20,320
compared to CSP transaction credit alone.

301
00:11:20,320 --> 00:11:22,640
So if you're transacting M365 through CSP

302
00:11:22,640 --> 00:11:24,400
without filing CPOR claims,

303
00:11:24,400 --> 00:11:26,080
you're earning half the points you could be.

304
00:11:26,080 --> 00:11:28,320
And that's the difference between a six month path

305
00:11:28,320 --> 00:11:30,720
to designation and a 12 month path.

306
00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:33,880
The partners who move fastest use clustered qualification,

307
00:11:33,880 --> 00:11:36,200
instead of chasing one designation at a time,

308
00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:39,080
they build PCS in two or three areas simultaneously

309
00:11:39,080 --> 00:11:41,720
within the same five to six month qualification window.

310
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Here's how that works.

311
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The PCS evaluation window for unenrolled areas

312
00:11:46,080 --> 00:11:49,160
is the current month plus the previous five full calendar months.

313
00:11:49,160 --> 00:11:51,320
So you can stage your certifications, deployments

314
00:11:51,320 --> 00:11:53,040
and customer success activities

315
00:11:53,040 --> 00:11:55,760
so that multiple areas cross the 70 point threshold

316
00:11:55,760 --> 00:11:57,480
within overlapping windows.

317
00:11:57,480 --> 00:11:59,240
The certifications you earn for security

318
00:11:59,240 --> 00:12:00,840
often overlap with modern work

319
00:12:00,840 --> 00:12:03,320
and the Azure deployments you deliver for one customer

320
00:12:03,320 --> 00:12:05,960
can count toward infrastructure, data and AI

321
00:12:05,960 --> 00:12:08,280
and digital and app innovation simultaneously.

322
00:12:08,280 --> 00:12:09,600
You're not doing more work.

323
00:12:09,600 --> 00:12:12,600
You're just being intentional about which work counts where.

324
00:12:12,600 --> 00:12:15,000
Another approach is the specialization first lens,

325
00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:17,520
instead of asking which designation to earn first,

326
00:12:17,520 --> 00:12:19,440
ask which specialization you want to unlock

327
00:12:19,440 --> 00:12:23,080
because specializations are where the real revenue leverage lives.

328
00:12:23,080 --> 00:12:25,520
ECF funding as your accelerate engagements,

329
00:12:25,520 --> 00:12:28,080
co-sale prioritization, all of these are gated

330
00:12:28,080 --> 00:12:30,560
behind specific advanced specializations.

331
00:12:30,560 --> 00:12:32,480
So start from the specialization you want,

332
00:12:32,480 --> 00:12:35,080
like SAP on Azure, threat protection

333
00:12:35,080 --> 00:12:37,440
or analytics on Azure, then work backward

334
00:12:37,440 --> 00:12:39,360
to the designation that unlocks it.

335
00:12:39,360 --> 00:12:42,080
In most cases, you only need one of the required designations

336
00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:43,720
to pursue a specialization,

337
00:12:43,720 --> 00:12:46,960
even if that specialization spans multiple solution areas

338
00:12:46,960 --> 00:12:49,720
and that simplifies your sequencing dramatically.

339
00:12:49,720 --> 00:12:52,280
The partners who sequence deliberately renew faster,

340
00:12:52,280 --> 00:12:55,920
access incentives earlier and capture more co-sale opportunities.

341
00:12:55,920 --> 00:12:57,280
They're not doing more work,

342
00:12:57,280 --> 00:12:59,880
they're just doing the right work in the right order.

343
00:12:59,880 --> 00:13:03,160
Aligning your GTM motion, here's the thing about alignment.

344
00:13:03,160 --> 00:13:05,280
None of this matters if your go-to-market motion

345
00:13:05,280 --> 00:13:06,880
doesn't match the new structure.

346
00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:08,560
You could have every designation locked in,

347
00:13:08,560 --> 00:13:09,760
every specialization earned,

348
00:13:09,760 --> 00:13:11,680
every attribution method set up perfectly

349
00:13:11,680 --> 00:13:13,400
and still get ignored if you're messaging

350
00:13:13,400 --> 00:13:16,560
and marketplace presence don't reflect the new reality.

351
00:13:16,560 --> 00:13:18,320
Start with your messaging.

352
00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:21,000
If you're still leading with we're a gold partner,

353
00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:23,960
you're already behind because that language is obsolete.

354
00:13:23,960 --> 00:13:25,760
The shift is to something specific.

355
00:13:25,760 --> 00:13:28,200
We're a solutions partner for cloud and AI platforms

356
00:13:28,200 --> 00:13:31,880
or we're a solutions partner for AI business solutions.

357
00:13:31,880 --> 00:13:33,960
Specificity signals capability,

358
00:13:33,960 --> 00:13:36,440
so when a Microsoft field seller or customer hears you

359
00:13:36,440 --> 00:13:38,400
describe yourself by solution area,

360
00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:40,960
they immediately know what you do and where you deliver.

361
00:13:40,960 --> 00:13:42,680
Generic partner language gets you ignored.

362
00:13:42,680 --> 00:13:44,720
Your marketplace listings need the same treatment.

363
00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:47,560
Microsoft has unified, app source and as your marketplace

364
00:13:47,560 --> 00:13:48,920
into a single platform.

365
00:13:48,920 --> 00:13:52,080
So the taxonomy and the way customers and sellers search

366
00:13:52,080 --> 00:13:53,280
have both changed.

367
00:13:53,280 --> 00:13:55,840
If your listings still use the old solution area labels

368
00:13:55,840 --> 00:13:57,560
and keywords from FY25,

369
00:13:57,560 --> 00:13:59,320
they're getting buried in search results.

370
00:13:59,320 --> 00:14:01,080
And stay listings don't get surfaced,

371
00:14:01,080 --> 00:14:02,520
which means you're not getting discovered

372
00:14:02,520 --> 00:14:05,000
by the field sellers who are actively looking for partners

373
00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:06,360
to attach to their deals.

374
00:14:06,360 --> 00:14:08,640
Co-cell readiness requires something specific

375
00:14:08,640 --> 00:14:10,760
that most partners don't have.

376
00:14:10,760 --> 00:14:13,880
At least one referenceable client win per solution area.

377
00:14:13,880 --> 00:14:16,240
That's your entry ticket to Microsoft field sellers.

378
00:14:16,240 --> 00:14:17,960
When a seller opens their internal tools

379
00:14:17,960 --> 00:14:20,080
to find a partner for a custom opportunity,

380
00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:21,720
they're looking for partners who have proven

381
00:14:21,720 --> 00:14:24,000
they can deliver in that specific solution area.

382
00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:25,920
A generic case study doesn't cut it.

383
00:14:25,920 --> 00:14:27,920
You need a win that maps cleanly

384
00:14:27,920 --> 00:14:29,960
to the solution play the seller is running.

385
00:14:29,960 --> 00:14:33,600
The partner marketing center replaces the old GTM toolbox.

386
00:14:33,600 --> 00:14:36,400
It's an AI-powered platform for campaign creation,

387
00:14:36,400 --> 00:14:39,320
real-time performance tracking and solution play alignment.

388
00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:41,240
If you're still using the old toolbox,

389
00:14:41,240 --> 00:14:43,320
you're operating on outdated infrastructure.

390
00:14:43,320 --> 00:14:46,280
The new platform lets you create custom campaigns in minutes,

391
00:14:46,280 --> 00:14:48,800
align them to specific Microsoft solution plays

392
00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:50,640
and track performance in real time.

393
00:14:50,640 --> 00:14:52,640
Partners who adopted early get a real advantage

394
00:14:52,640 --> 00:14:54,600
in getting their messaging in front of the right people

395
00:14:54,600 --> 00:14:55,440
at the right time.

396
00:14:55,440 --> 00:14:59,200
Bottom line, your GTM should mirror Microsoft's own field priorities.

397
00:14:59,200 --> 00:15:01,640
Map your office to the FY26 solution plays.

398
00:15:01,640 --> 00:15:03,920
If Microsoft is leading with AI business solutions,

399
00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:06,280
your campaigns should lead with AI productivity

400
00:15:06,280 --> 00:15:07,840
and business process transformation.

401
00:15:07,840 --> 00:15:10,200
If they're pushing cloud and AI platforms,

402
00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:12,400
your messaging should center on migration,

403
00:15:12,400 --> 00:15:14,920
modernization and AI innovation.

404
00:15:14,920 --> 00:15:18,480
The partners who align their GTM to Microsoft's priorities

405
00:15:18,480 --> 00:15:20,000
get surfaced first.

406
00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:21,720
The ones who don't get buried.

407
00:15:21,720 --> 00:15:24,280
What different partners should do right now?

408
00:15:24,280 --> 00:15:26,960
Now let's get specific about what different types of partners

409
00:15:26,960 --> 00:15:29,360
should be doing today because the right move depends

410
00:15:29,360 --> 00:15:30,480
on your business model.

411
00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:33,480
If you're an MSP or CSP, your focus should be modern work

412
00:15:33,480 --> 00:15:34,480
and security.

413
00:15:34,480 --> 00:15:36,400
Bundle licensing with managed services.

414
00:15:36,400 --> 00:15:38,840
That's where the margin lives, not in the license markup.

415
00:15:38,840 --> 00:15:42,920
Use CPR on every single M365 deployment you touch.

416
00:15:42,920 --> 00:15:45,520
That double designation point advantage I mentioned earlier

417
00:15:45,520 --> 00:15:47,720
is your fastest path to hitting 70

418
00:15:47,720 --> 00:15:49,800
and target the SMB path specifically.

419
00:15:49,800 --> 00:15:52,080
It awards twice as many points per certification

420
00:15:52,080 --> 00:15:53,600
compared to the enterprise path.

421
00:15:53,600 --> 00:15:56,000
If your customer base is under 300 seats,

422
00:15:56,000 --> 00:15:58,080
you're leaving points on the table by not using it.

423
00:15:58,080 --> 00:16:00,280
If you're an ISV, your play is different.

424
00:16:00,280 --> 00:16:02,240
Pursue the certified software designations

425
00:16:02,240 --> 00:16:04,360
and the industry AI distinctions.

426
00:16:04,360 --> 00:16:06,680
Get your solution transactable on marketplace.

427
00:16:06,680 --> 00:16:09,720
That's the prerequisite for IP co-sell eligibility.

428
00:16:09,720 --> 00:16:13,280
Once you're transactable, target the $100,000 revenue threshold

429
00:16:13,280 --> 00:16:16,320
which unlocks Azure sponsorship tiers up to a million dollars.

430
00:16:16,320 --> 00:16:18,920
And the industry AI distinctions, healthcare, retail,

431
00:16:18,920 --> 00:16:22,240
financial services, those are your vertical differentiators.

432
00:16:22,240 --> 00:16:23,800
They signal to Microsoft field sellers

433
00:16:23,800 --> 00:16:25,600
that you understand their customers industry,

434
00:16:25,600 --> 00:16:27,000
not just their technology stack.

435
00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:28,840
If you're an Azure services partner,

436
00:16:28,840 --> 00:16:31,200
go deep on cloud and AI platforms.

437
00:16:31,200 --> 00:16:33,520
That's where the Azure Accelerate funding lives.

438
00:16:33,520 --> 00:16:36,360
Pursue the advanced specializations that unlock ECIF,

439
00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:39,240
like SIP on Azure, VMware or analytics.

440
00:16:39,240 --> 00:16:41,920
Those are the gates to six figure deal level investments.

441
00:16:41,920 --> 00:16:44,760
Don't spread yourself across all three Azure areas.

442
00:16:44,760 --> 00:16:46,280
Pick the specialization that matches

443
00:16:46,280 --> 00:16:49,000
your strongest delivery capability and go all in.

444
00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:49,880
If you're a distributor,

445
00:16:49,880 --> 00:16:52,240
start preparing for the new distributor designation now.

446
00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:53,800
It's coming later in FY26

447
00:16:53,800 --> 00:16:55,880
and the requirements are already taking shape.

448
00:16:55,880 --> 00:16:57,840
Security capabilities, support metrics,

449
00:16:57,840 --> 00:16:59,440
reseller enablement programs.

450
00:16:59,440 --> 00:17:01,400
Those are the categories Microsoft is measuring.

451
00:17:01,400 --> 00:17:03,800
If you don't have those documented and validated,

452
00:17:03,800 --> 00:17:06,080
you're going to be scrambling when the designation launches.

453
00:17:06,080 --> 00:17:08,120
And here's the one thing everyone should do,

454
00:17:08,120 --> 00:17:09,440
regardless of your model,

455
00:17:09,440 --> 00:17:12,000
audit your current partner capability score

456
00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:14,360
across all six solution areas today.

457
00:17:14,360 --> 00:17:15,520
Log into partner center

458
00:17:15,520 --> 00:17:18,400
and look at where you stand in modern work, business applications,

459
00:17:18,400 --> 00:17:20,720
data and AI, digital and app innovation,

460
00:17:20,720 --> 00:17:22,640
infrastructure and security.

461
00:17:22,640 --> 00:17:25,120
Know your numbers before the designation changes hit

462
00:17:25,120 --> 00:17:27,280
because once the consolidation takes effect,

463
00:17:27,280 --> 00:17:28,800
the old scoring models will shift.

464
00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:30,160
If you don't know your baseline,

465
00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:32,760
you won't know what you're losing or gaining.

466
00:17:32,760 --> 00:17:34,560
The first step, here's the thing,

467
00:17:34,560 --> 00:17:36,680
the first step is simpler than you think.

468
00:17:36,680 --> 00:17:38,680
The consolidation is already in market

469
00:17:38,680 --> 00:17:41,160
and the three commercial solution areas are live.

470
00:17:41,160 --> 00:17:43,840
The designation changes follow later in FY26,

471
00:17:43,840 --> 00:17:45,840
but the window to prepare is now not next quarter,

472
00:17:45,840 --> 00:17:47,200
not when your renewal comes up,

473
00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:49,200
but now log into partner center today,

474
00:17:49,200 --> 00:17:51,400
check your PCS across all six solution areas

475
00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:53,240
and identify your strongest anchor.

476
00:17:53,240 --> 00:17:55,400
Find the one area where your performance,

477
00:17:55,400 --> 00:17:58,600
skilling and customer success metrics are closest to 70.

478
00:17:58,600 --> 00:18:00,400
That's your first designation, so lock it in,

479
00:18:00,400 --> 00:18:02,880
don't try to boil the ocean, pick one area,

480
00:18:02,880 --> 00:18:06,320
get to 70 points, set your anniversary date and then expand.

481
00:18:06,320 --> 00:18:09,080
The partners who act now will have a six to 12 month head start

482
00:18:09,080 --> 00:18:11,000
on everyone waiting for the official changes,

483
00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:13,400
which means they'll have their anchor designation in place,

484
00:18:13,400 --> 00:18:14,960
their attribution method set up

485
00:18:14,960 --> 00:18:16,800
and their first specializations queued

486
00:18:16,800 --> 00:18:19,520
before most partners even realize the rules have changed.

487
00:18:19,520 --> 00:18:22,440
The gap between frontier partners and everyone else is widening

488
00:18:22,440 --> 00:18:24,200
and this is your chance to close it.

489
00:18:24,200 --> 00:18:26,000
So that's the FY26 restructuring.

490
00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:27,440
It's not a minor update.

491
00:18:27,440 --> 00:18:30,200
It's a major change in how Microsoft evaluates,

492
00:18:30,200 --> 00:18:32,200
rewards and surfaces partners.

493
00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:34,000
The partners who understand the new structure

494
00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:36,560
and sequence their designations strategically

495
00:18:36,560 --> 00:18:39,160
will capture the incentives, the co-sell access

496
00:18:39,160 --> 00:18:40,840
and the marketplace visibility,

497
00:18:40,840 --> 00:18:44,560
while the ones who don't will wonder where the opportunities went.

498
00:18:44,560 --> 00:18:47,240
Start with one anchor designation, set up your attribution

499
00:18:47,240 --> 00:18:48,200
and build from there.

500
00:18:48,200 --> 00:18:49,560
If you want the next breakdown,

501
00:18:49,560 --> 00:18:52,320
we're covering how to optimize your partner capability score

502
00:18:52,320 --> 00:18:54,480
step by step, so subscribe so you don't miss it.