Americas Partner Newsletter: September 2023 Issue

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Hispanic Heritage Month begins every September in the US in celebration of the achievements and contributions from Hispanics across the world. Join us in celebrating the stories and voices of Microsoft employees from the Hispanic and Latinx communities.

GPS Americas would like to extend an invitation to 100 individuals from Microsoft Partner companies to join our partner focus group. Partners will have an opportunity to influence the approach on strategies to solve problems on specific items. Furthermore, this is a great opportunity for partners to gain direct access to GPS Americas Leadership as well as network with other partners. Learn more and sign up for a chance to participate.

Don’t forget to register here for our Americas Partner Insider Call on October 4 at 10:00 AM PT for a partner program update. If you can’t attend or missed any of our previous calls, you can also register to watch Insider Calls on demand.

The Americas Partner Insiders Newsletter highlights key messages from Microsoft for the month. Use these Quick Links to go directly to the content that’s most relevant to your business:

Quick links

Modern Work and Security

ANNOUNCING LIMITED-TIME OFFERS FROM SURFACE FOR BUSINESS
Partner Audience: All
Relevant to: #ProgramOfferUpdate #Surface

Now through September 30, 2023, commercial customers in the US and Canada can take advantage of savings of up to 10 percent on modern devices from Surface for Business.

• • US Resellers: Savings of up to 10 percent are available on Surface Pro 9.* Explore the offers.
  • Canada Resellers: Savings of up to 10 percent are available on Surface Pro 9 and Laptop 5.* Explore the offers.

*Actual savings may vary. Limited to eligible SKUs only. Reach out to your Surface ADR for details.

NEW SELF-SERVICE TRIAL EXPERIENCE AVAILABLE FOR TEAMS EXPLORATORY
Partner Audience: All
Relevant to: #ProgramOfferUpdate #GrowYourBiz #ModernWork

On July 26, Microsoft launched a new Teams Exploratory self-service trial offer for Enterprise and SMB customers. The new Teams Exploratory offer is a user-initiated trial that individual end users can use to start to experience Microsoft Teams and initiate their collaboration journey with Microsoft. Learn more.

WINDOWS 365 SWITCH NOW AVAILABLE IN PUBLIC PREVIEW
Partner Audience: All
Relevant to: #News #ModernWork

Windows 365 Switch provides the ability to easily move between a Windows 365 Cloud PC and the local desktop using the same familiar keyboard commands, as well as a mouse-click or a swipe gesture. Windows 365 Switch enables a seamless experience from within Windows 11 via the Task view feature. Learn more.

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Azure

AZURE SALES AND SOLUTIONS GUIDES
Partner Audience: CSP
Relevant to: #DoingBizwMSFT #LearnSolutionAreas #Azure

Are you new to selling Microsoft Azure this fiscal year? Did you hire new talent and need to upskill them on Azure? Or are you just looking for a refresher on how to sell key Azure products? Whether you’re educating your Microsoft 365 customers on the benefits of Azure or helping protect your customers’ valuable data, be sure to check out our sales and solution guides to get started.

LEVERAGE BLOCK64 TO BETTER UNDERSTAND YOUR CUSTOMER’S ENVIRONMENT
Partner Audience: CSP
Relevant to: #DoingBizwMSFT #AccelerateDeals #Azure

Customers rely heavily on partners as trusted advisors to help guide their technology decisions. Their standards are high, and they expect you to know their business inside and out and provide targeted and helpful recommendations. Microsoft is here to help you better understand your customer’s environment so you can help them understand what they can do to modernize their data estate. Available across the Americas, get started using Block64, a free tool to help you understand your customer’s environment:
US partners
Canada partners
LATAM partners

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Business Applications

AI-POWERED BUSINESS APPLICATIONS AND POWER PLATFORM
Partner Audience: All
Relevant to: #GrowYouBiz #BizApps

Copilot in Dynamics 365 and Power Platform brings the latest AI breakthroughs to users in every line of business, improving customer experience, employee empowerment, and operational efficiency. Leverage these resources to help build your knowledge and position these new technologies as key differentiators in helping your clients transform their businesses.

ANNOUNCING COPILOT IN DYNAMICS 365 FIELD SERVICE
Partner Audience: All
Relevant to: #News #GrowSkills #BizApps

In August 2023, Microsoft announced the Public Preview of Copilot in Dynamics 365 Field Service. Microsoft’s Copilot capabilities work alongside frontline managers to streamline work order creation, optimize technician scheduling, accelerate responses to customers, and suggest next steps with intelligent recaps. This ultimately optimizes service delivery and speeds up time to resolution. Read the official blog announcement.

To try the new Copilot capabilities and the Microsoft 365 integrations for Dynamics 365 Field Service that are now in preview, administrators can set up Dynamics 365 Field Service for Outlook (Preview) and Dynamics 365 Field Service (Preview) app in Microsoft Teams. Administrators can also opt in to the new Dynamics 365 Field Service mobile experience available now in preview.

COPILOT PARTNER BOOTCAMP
Partner Audience: All
Relevant to: #Event #GrowYourBiz #BizApps

Learn more about our AI capabilities, from both business and technical aspects, with an overview of each Microsoft Copilot solution. We’ll help demystify AI and Copilot by covering the narrative, customer conversations, and technical requirements across each Copilot solution. Register for the September 19-21 bootcamp to discover how to make the most out of this opportunity and get your customers ready for Copilot.

NEW DYNAMICS 365 BUSINESS CENTRAL BATTLECARD NOW AVAILABLE
Partner Audience: All
Relevant to: #BestPractice #AccelerateDeals #BizApps

For partners looking for compete insight on how to differentiate Dynamics 365 Business Central, we’ve just published a new internal battlecard! It highlights the strengths and weaknesses of our competitors, how to win, and handling objections. Download the battlecard from the Dynamics 365 Partner Portal.

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Demand Generation

LEVERAGE READY-TO-USE CONTENT TO LAUNCH A SOCIAL MARKETING CAMPAIGN
Partner Audience: All
Relevant to: #BestPractice #GoToMarket #CrossSolution

These automated content marketing resources empower you to easily launch digital marketing campaigns that help build awareness and generate mindshare. Utilize the corresponding sales enablement content to support conversations with your customers. Launch your first social marketing campaign today!

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LinkedIn

WHY TECH MARKETERS NEED TO THINK BEYOND THE IT DECISION-MAKER
Partner Audience: All
Relevant to: #BestPractice #GrowYourBiz #CrossSolution

Did you know that the IT Leader is the most influential voice in only 39 percent of tech buying decisions? In fact, the modern IT buying process involves multiple decision-makers. Learn specific actions you can take to more successfully grow your business in this new B2B tech buying environment. Read the blog to learn more!

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Transformation

PARTNER ANNOUNCEMENTS TO HELP GROW YOUR BUSINESS
Partner Audience: All
Relevant to: #ProgramOfferUpdate #UnderstandBenefits #CrossSolution

The Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program brings together everything across the entire partner lifecycle, including onboarding, skilling, go-to-market, incentives, and co-selling. Partners get all the value and benefits of the previous program plus access to new offerings and benefits specific to AI. There’s no action for you to take—all our existing partners have been moved into the new program and maintain their existing benefits and designations.

AI-focused announcements to help partners adopt technology that deliver customer success include:

• • Expanded benefits for ISV Success, including access to GitHub Copilot (coming end of 2023).
  • Key marketing resources, including the new “Era of AI” marketing campaign-in-a-box.
  • Expanded Solutions Partner designations to provide opportunities for partners to differentiate their technical capabilities and demonstrate customer success.
  • General availability of ISV Success, which empowers all ISVs to build innovative applications across the Microsoft Cloud and sell with us through our marketplace.

The Microsoft commercial marketplace is central to our partner go-to-market strategy. We’ve recently announced co-sell changes to better align to the marketplace opportunity and have announced new features, like multiparty private offers, empowering partners to work together to sell customized deals through marketplace.

Other key investments include new Solutions Partner designations, general availability of ISV Success and its expanded benefits, and investments in the commercial marketplace.

Watch Inspire sessions on demand and browse the session catalog to explore all the available learning opportunities. For a roundup of news and announcements, read the Official Microsoft Blog.

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Voices for Innovation

MICROSOFT DISCUSSES AI AT THE WHITE HOUSE
Partner Audience: All
Relevant to: #News #NewToMSFT

In parallel with advancing AI innovations in the marketplace and partner ecosystem, Microsoft is also taking a leadership role in advancing practices and policies to help ensure that AI systems are safe, secure, and trustworthy. Earlier this summer, Microsoft joined other AI leaders at the White House and made voluntary commitments to support these goals. Read this blog to learn more about these commitments and Microsoft’s work on responsible AI.

Want to stay informed and be part of the conversation about policymaking for AI and other tech issues? Then sign up for Microsoft’s advocacy community for partners, Voices for Innovation. Build new skills, expand your network, and be a trusted policy advisor for your customers by participating in VFI.

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Partner Resources

Partner Audience: All
Relevant to: #News #GrowYourBiz #CrossSolution

• • Microsoft is a national member of the Small Business Digital Alliance (SBDA). The SBDA provides small businesses with free tools, training, networking, and other resources—the keys to helping you innovate, grow, and succeed. Learn more and get started today!
  • Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program provides the resources to help you stay engaged with your customers and take your business to the next level. Get the latest partner resources and news tailored to our Americas partners.

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Join Us for Events and Activities

Partner Audience: All
Relevant to: #Events #GrowSkills #CrossSolution

• • Modern Work field and digital partner events. Stay up to date on the latest Microsoft 365 and Security schedule and on-demand webinars.
  • Partner Academy webinars. Register here for on-demand webinars designed to help you have richer conversations with your customers.
  • Partner Training Calendar. Register today for upcoming training that will accelerate your Microsoft skills. Filter by solution area or solution play, among other options.

For more upcoming events, see the October 2023 Hot Sheet.

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Tags: #AllPartners, #Azure, #BizApps, #ModernWork, Azure, LinkedIn, Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program