Microsoft Monthly Update – February

February, 2025

Dear Partner, 

Staying in the loop with Microsoft’s ever-evolving updates can be a challenge. That’s why we’ve put together a clear, concise rundown of what’s new and why it matters to you. In the following sections, you’ll find a straightforward explanation highlighting the key changes, the impact on your business, and the actions you might consider. If you have any questions or need personalised guidance, our team is here to help. 

Contact us at help@leadercloud.com.au or call us at 1300 537 277.  

  

Microsoft Licensing Costs Are Increasing April 1st 

Starting April 1, 2025, Microsoft will implement a 5% increase on monthly billing for annual subscriptions. This adjustment could lead to significant additional expenses for your business—but you still have time to act. 

  

This change affects all annual subscriptions with monthly billing options across the Buy Online, CSP, and MCA-E channels. 

  

What Happens If You Delay? 

• Higher Expenses: The new monthly billing rates will raise your costs over time. 

• Lost Savings: By not acting now, you risk missing the chance to secure current rates. 

• Inefficient Spending: Delaying may result in paying for licenses that are underused or not optimally allocated. 

  

Take Action Today 

By acting now, you can: 

• Lock In Current Rates: Secure the existing pricing before the increase takes effect. 

• Optimise Your Investment: Identify and eliminate costs related to unused or redundant licenses. 

• Safeguard Your Budget: Reduce financial pressure on your IT budget, allowing you to invest in other critical areas of your business. 

  

Visit the portal now to renew your licenses and take advantage of the current pricing. 

  

New Partner-to-Partner Transfer Product Types 

Workspace: Customers 

Impacted Audience: CSP Direct-Bill Partners, Indirect Providers 

  

Available Now 

• Transfer Product Types: When creating a transfer, you can now specify which subscription types you’d like sent your way. This feature:  

• Gives more control over which subscriptions transfer to you. 

• Validates the receiving partner has the correct Azure plan for Azure subscriptions. 

• Simplifies the transfer process for the source partner by performing Azure plan checks during creation. 

• No Mandatory API Changes: You can continue using existing transfer APIs as-is, but consider updating them if you want to fully leverage this new feature. 

  

Expired Events for Webhooks 

• Webhook Expiry Notifications: Webhooks can now notify you when a transfer request expires after 30 days of no action. 

• This additional event-driven update helps ensure transfers aren’t forgotten or overlooked. 

  

Next Steps 

• Review Transfer Details for licence-based new commerce and Azure plan items. 

• Check Webhooks Documentation for guidance on new events. 

• Review Activity Logs or use Partner Centre APIs to monitor transfer actions. 

• Attend CSP Technical Training for an in-depth look at transfers and webhook events. 

  

Monthly Update: Keeping the Partner Ecosystem Secure 

Workspace: General 

Impacts: Direct-Bill Partners, Indirect Providers, Indirect Resellers in CSP 

  

Available Now 

• MFA for Azure Portal: Microsoft is enforcing Multifactor Authentication (MFA) for all Azure portal sign-ins. 

• Removal of Unused Azure Subscriptions: Subscriptions with zero activity for over 12 months will be blocked starting December 2024, then deleted after 90 days. Email notifications will be sent 30 days before blocking. 

• Security Requirements API (Beta): Offers direct access to crucial security compliance data. 

  

Coming Soon 

• MFA for Microsoft 365 Admin Centre (from 3 February 2025): MFA will become mandatory for Microsoft 365 admin sign-ins. 

• Deprecation of Graph.Windows.Net Tokens: Prepare for changes in how you interact with Partner Centre APIs; Microsoft will host office hours for assistance. 

  

Next Steps 

• Join CSP Community Calls to learn more about upcoming changes. 

• Sign Up for CSP Technical Training for hands-on best practices. 

• Explore Security Training to bolster your team’s ability to protect customers’ tenants. 

  

Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program Update 

Workspace: Membership 

Impacted Audience: Partners in the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program 

  

Available Now 

• Renamed & Updated Specialisations:  

• “AI and Machine Learning” → AI Platform on Microsoft Azure 

• “Build and Modernise AI Apps” → Build AI Apps with Microsoft Azure 

• Check the updated requirements in Apply for Specialisations. 

• AI Assistant for Prepurchase: A new AI assistant (introduced 18 December 2024) answers queries about buying or renewing in the Membership workspace. 

  

What’s Coming 

1. SMB Paths (February 2025): New, simplified paths for Solutions Partner designations in Data & AI (Azure), Digital & App Innovation (Azure), and Infrastructure (Azure). 

• Business Applications Specialisations: From early February 2025, requirements for Sales, Service, Finance, and Supply Chain will be lowered, making them easier to attain. 

  

Reminders 

• Apply for Solutions Partner with Certified Software Designations: Access top-tier benefits and incentives. 

• 20+ New Product Licences: Microsoft 365 Copilot, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, and GitHub Enterprise among others are now available. 

  

Next Steps 

• Visit the AI Cloud Partner Program Resources Gallery for documentation and guidance. 

• Review Specialisation Requirements to see how to qualify. 

• Use the Partner Program Journey Map to understand how designations, specialisations, and expert offerings fit together. 

  

Enhanced CSP Billing Reconciliation APIs: Extended Migration Timeline 

Workspace: Billing, APIs 

Impacted Audience: CSP Direct-Bill Partners, Indirect Providers using Billing APIs 

  

Overview 

• Asynchronous v2 APIs: Provide faster data retrieval with less latency. 

• Deadline Extended to 21 April 2025: After this date, older APIs will not return data for periods from April 2025 onwards. 

  

Why It Matters 

• Delaying migration could interrupt billing reconciliation, Azure consumption management, and unbilled usage tracking. 

  

Next Steps 

• Manage billing via APIs 

• Review Migration Docs for asynchronous daily-rated usage APIs. 

• Plan Your Switch early to avoid downtime. 

• Attend Technical Training or Q&A calls for personalised guidance. 

  

End-of-Sale Scheduling for Billing Frequency Changes 

Workspace: Billing, APIs 

Impacted Audience: CSP Direct-Bill, Indirect Providers 

  

Effective 10 March 2025 

  

• Beginning March 10, 2025, customers on EOS and EOS with Conversion offers can schedule a change to edit the billing frequency for their annual term or triennial term subscriptions at renewal. 

• Price Standardisation from 1 April 2025:  

• Monthly billing for annual or triennial subscriptions will be 5% higher than paying upfront for the year or three years. 

Next Steps 

• Assess Renewal Options: Decide whether to keep monthly billing (at 5% more) or move to annual/triennial. 

• Check the EOS Pricelist for offers like Microsoft 365 E3/E5 and Office 365 E1/E3/E5 with Teams. 

  

50% Discount on Microsoft E5 Compliance 

Workspace: General 

Impacted Audience: CSP Partners (Modern Work & Security) 

  

• Offer: Microsoft 365 Copilot users can add Microsoft E5 Compliance at half price. 

• Promo Period: 1 February 2025 – 1 February 2026. 

  

Next Steps 

• Refer to the E5 Compliance for Microsoft 365 Copilot Promo FAQ for details. 

• Advise Interested Customers who already use Copilot about this discounted upgrade. 

  

Need Help? 

• CSP Technical Training: Join sessions for in-depth demos and Q&A. 

• Community Calls: Stay updated on program and feature changes. 

• Support Tickets: Open one in Partner Centre if you experience any issues. 

  

We hope this summary clarifies all the upcoming changes. Please reach out to your Partner Centre representative or refer to the provided documentation links for further details. 31!