Microsoft has released the April 2026 update for the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program, with a strong focus on AI‑aligned skilling, updated specialisation criteria, and simplification of partner qualification paths.
These changes continue Microsoft’s shift toward enabling partners to differentiate around AI readiness, secure productivity, and modern solution delivery.
Below is a summary of what’s changing — and what partners should be aware of.
AppSource is now Microsoft Marketplace
Microsoft has renamed AppSource to Microsoft Marketplace.
- The existing AppSource URL now redirects to:
https://marketplace.microsoft.com - No action is required today, but partners should expect this naming to roll out across documentation, Partner Center, and customer‑facing materials
Partner University retirement – important timeline
Microsoft has confirmed that Partner University will be retired effective 15 June 2026, impacting partners working toward:
- Modern Work Solutions Partner designation
- Two Modern Work specialisations
What partners need to know
- Existing Partner University user linkings remain valid until June 2027
- Skilling credit from those linkings will continue to count during this time
- No new user linkings will be allowed after 15 June 2026
- After June 2027, Partner University assessments will be fully retired and removed from:
- Skilling score calculations
- Reporting
- Program requirements
During the transition, Microsoft will introduce new skilling requirements, added as OR options alongside existing Partner University assessments before final retirement.
Specialisation & Solutions Partner designation updates
SMB Management specialisation changes (effective 27 March 2026)
Based on partner feedback, Microsoft has updated the Small and Midsize Business Management specialisation:
- Required MAU growth reduced from 35% to 15%
- Required deployments increased from 10 to 15
This adjustment is designed to better reflect how Business Central practices scale in real‑world partner environments.
New skilling options coming in April 2026
Microsoft is introducing additional certification paths across multiple designations and specialisations:
Teams-related specialisations
- Calling for Microsoft Teams
- Meetings & Meeting Rooms for Microsoft Teams
Both are adding:
Microsoft 365 Certified: Collaboration Communications Systems Engineer Associate
(to replace retiring Teams technical assessments)
Modern Work Solutions Partner designation
New skilling options apply to Enterprise and SMB tracks:
- Advanced skilling:
Microsoft 365 Certified: Collaboration Communications Systems Engineer Associate - Intermediate skilling:
Microsoft 365 Certified: Copilot and Agent Administration Fundamentals
(replacing Microsoft 365 Fundamentals)
Digital & App Innovation designation
New Advanced skilling options include:
- GitHub Actions
- GitHub Administration
- GitHub Advanced Security
- GitHub Copilot
Reminder on certifications & applied skills
- Skilling achieved before retirement remains valid for one year
- Replacement skilling will be added where applicable
- Updated requirements will be detailed in Partner Center as they take effect
Teamwork Deployment → Secure AI Productivity specialisation
In line with Microsoft’s shift toward AI‑ready foundations, the Teamwork Deployment specialisation is being renamed to Secure AI Productivity in April 2026.
What’s changing
- Focus moves to foundational Microsoft 365 E3 workloads that enable AI adoption
- Partners must achieve 2,500 MAU growth on at least 3 of 8 workloads, including:
- Exchange Online
- SharePoint Online
- Microsoft Teams
- Microsoft 365 Apps
- Entra ID P1
- Intune
- Defender for Endpoint
- Microsoft Information Protection
Additional requirements:
- At least one productivity workload
- At least one identity, security or management workload
- 20% growth requirement removed
- New customer tenant requirement reduced from 12 to 5
Adoption & Change Management specialisation retiring
Microsoft has confirmed the Adoption and Change Management specialisation will be retired in the coming months.
Instead, adoption and change management capabilities will be embedded within product‑aligned specialisations, allowing Microsoft to assess change management in the context of specific solutions rather than as a standalone capability.
New merged specialisations coming soon
Microsoft has announced three upcoming merged specialisations:
- Analytics on Microsoft Azure
(merging Analytics, Data Warehouse Migration, and Business Intelligence) - Low Code & Intelligent Automation
- App Modernisation on Microsoft Azure
(merging Kubernetes and Migrate Enterprise Applications)
Further details will be shared as these are released.
What partners should do now
- Review Partner Center skilling paths — especially where certifications are retiring
- Ensure teams are planning for post‑Partner University requirements
- Familiarise yourself with the Secure AI Productivity criteria
- Keep an eye out for further Partner Center updates over the coming months
As always, we’ll continue to break down Microsoft partner program changes as they’re released and flag anything that requires action.
If you’d like help navigating skilling paths, designations, or upcoming changes, reach out to the Leader Cloud team.
