Microsoft again teases new Azure incentives

Microsoft has reminded its partners that its channel program changes next Tuesday, 1 October.

The company’s general manager for partner investments & incentives Erez Wohl blogged about the changes, calling out the following as the biggies:

• Online Services Usage (OSU)is separating into two unique programs: OSU Microsoft 365 and OSU Business Applications.
• Dynamics Pre-Sales Advisory Incentives: This new ‘umbrella’ will consist of Online Advisor Sell (OSA) and Certified Software Advisor (CSA), both part of Dynamics.
• Cloud Solution Provider (CSP): Strategic product accelerator rates and rates for three new customer addition (“customer add”) levers will increase.
• Enterprise Incentives: No longer an “on-time” requirement to earn against True-up or renewal revenue.

But the change CRN’s tried to learn about – the “Microsoft commerce incentive program that rewards you for delivering services that drive customers’ Azure consumption” – that Microsoft dangled in July 2019 - is still not much more than a teaser.

Wohl’s new post touches on it, but only to say we should all “stay tuned for more information in about updates to the Microsoft Commerce Incentive (MCI). Formerly known as Microsoft Customer Agreement Azure Incentive, MCI will reward partners in the Cloud Solution Provider program when they transact Azure services in the new commerce experience.”

But we still don’t know what partners will be rewarded for. Or how big the rewards will be.

C’mon Microsoft. Put us out of our misery!