Podcast Transcript: Microsoft Cloud Partner Program update for Business Applications SMB partners

The following transcript is taking from our recent podcast discussing the latest changes to the Microsoft Cloud Partner Program for SMB partners selling Dynamics 365 and Power Platform.

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JASON GUMPERT  00:04

Welcome to the MSDW Podcast. I'm Jason Gumpert, Editor at MSDynamicsWorld.com. And we're here for an update episode, I think we can call it. We talked back in May with AJ Ansari and Peter Wolf about the early signs of Microsoft's new Cloud Partner Program and what it looked like from the SMB perspective, what it meant for partners going into a new recognition system, a new set of benefits, and all that that required. Well, AJ and Peter are back. Hey, guys.

PETER WOLF  00:36

Howdy.

AJ ANSARI  00:37

Hi, Jason. Hi, Peter.

JASON GUMPERT  00:39

Yeah, and thanks for coming back. We're here because well, the Microsoft Cloud Partner Program (MCPP) is now in has been launched. It's now scoring partners, right? But there's been some important changes, and that's really why we wanted to talk. Probably in relation to some of the concerns that you both raised, back in May, Microsoft has made adjustments. And I thought we could start by talking a little bit about those. I know both of you have some pretty interesting observations about what the program in its current form really means for partners like yourselves.

PETER WOLF  01:16

Yeah. If you don't mind, I have a few thoughts that I want to share just at the top here, Jason. And to any of the partners that are tuning in here, I know I've heard through the channel, a lot of partners that were discouraged by what they saw with the changes. And I think that the fact that they've changed these metrics here for us, it kind of shows that Microsoft's listening. And so, the people that get discouraged out there need to not get discouraged. They need to join with IAMCP, go on LinkedIn and just constructively have your voice heard when these kinds of things happen, because Microsoft is listening, and they're trying to make things work for all of us. So, I know that might be a little touchy feely here, Jason, but I think it's important, because I heard a lot of discouraged partners. And from what I'm seeing, Microsoft's listening and I applaud their efforts to respond to channel feedback.

AJ ANSARI  02:03

And Peter, I concur with that statement, right? I think when we were talking to the last time I brought up that even during the rollout of the previous model, the Partner Contribution Indicators (PCI) model, even then, the first planned rollout didn't hit all the spots. And then I think as partners brought up their concerns, Microsoft went to the drawing board and made some changes. And I think, for the most part, a lot of partners were a lot more satisfied with that. And I feel the same way here. I think for anybody who didn't listen to the May podcasts, we do go back and listen, I was critical. I did also leave some hope that Microsoft would go back and re-address. And specifically, to some of the things that we highlighted, one of the biggest things that was missing was just identifying partners better in the business applications area as an SMB versus an enterprise partner, as opposed to large/small markets where you had very little control in how you are classified. Just by going in addressing something as simple as that, I think they've made the measurement a lot more objective. This will never be to everybody's satisfaction. I can't say sitting here that this is entirely to my satisfaction. But I'm certainly satisfied that Microsoft has listened and they have adjusted the program to make it more reasonable. Perhaps there's room for a little more change, and a little more growth, but we're certainly headed in the right direction here.

PETER WOLF  03:36