15 July 2019

Microsoft changes terms to convert "valued partners" to cash cows!


The upcoming changes to the Microsoft Partner Network taking effect from the 1st of August is a war on Microsoft Partners and those who have been loyal to the company. Here are the changes summarised:

From July 1st 2020: Microsoft will be updating the terms of use for product licenses to remove the internal use association for partners. This means the applications you where previously allowed to use in your business as part of your membership will now have to be purchased under commercial arrangements. Changes to IUR (July 1st 2020): https://partner.microsoft.com/en-us/membership/internal-use-software

From August 1st 2019: Microsoft is retiring the on-premises product support incidents currently included with Silver and Gold competencies and in the Microsoft Action Pack, effective when partners renew their existing competency or subscription beginning August 2019. Changes to Partner Support Incidents (August 1st 2019): https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/help/2987884/microsoft-partner-network-technical-benefits-summary

From October 1st 2019: The core product licenses included with competencies will be specific to the competency you attain. Meaning core products which where previously part of all memberships we now have to pay for in full. For some partners this is going to cost them thousands of dollars a month extra. Example of this is Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement which a lot of IT companies now use as part of their business. To ask a company using 15 x Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement licenses to now pay $160 each for them doesn’t sit right. That’s $2400 a month you now have to start paying if you where using 15 x Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement licenses under Small and Mid Market Cloud Competency. Changes to Core Benefits (October 1st 2019): https://assetsprod.microsoft.com/en-au/preview-product-licenses-included-with-competencies.pdf

This is really shabby Microsoft! Your partners have helped to build you to be one of the biggest companies on the planet. So how do you reward them? By using them as a cash cow! Fortunately I stopped using the Internal Use Rights some time ago & pay commercial rates for the services that Donline uses. However this is going to hit some fellow Microsoft partners hard.

UPDATE: from The RegisterMicrosoft tells resellers: 'We listened to you, and we have acted'. Software-snatcher backs down on licence plans. HORRAY!


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