As we celebrate Microsoft’s 50th anniversary, our annual State of the Partner Ecosystem moment is a great opportunity to reflect on the incredible journey we’ve shared with our partners, employees and customers. Together, we’ve harnessed technology as a force for good, transforming industries and communities. From our early days of revolutionizing personal computing to leading the way in cloud innovation and now AI, our shared milestones highlight the power of collaboration and reinvention.
Fifty years ago, Microsoft started with a bold idea: the belief that technology could change the world. Thanks to the largest partner ecosystem in the industry, numbering 500,000 and growing, that vision became a reality, and I know we are just getting started. From the early days of distributing Windows PCs and Office to now delivering AI transformation strategies that solve the most complex customer challenges, our ability to stay at the forefront of innovation as technology evolves is a testament to our culture of continuous reinvention.
According to IDC, for every $1 of Microsoft revenue, services partners earn $8.45, and software partners earn $10.93. This underscores the immense opportunity available to partners of all types. As we look ahead to the future, we know that generative AI (GenAI) is forecast to grow exponentially faster than the overall IT market. Partners generating at least 25% of their Microsoft-related revenue from AI can expect higher margins and revenue growth, unlocking even more potential for transformation and success.*
Microsoft has always been a partner-led company. Our partners are core to our heritage and our future. Their innovation and collaboration have driven real transformation and customer success and will continue to shape the future of industries around the world. As we commemorate this historic moment, I want to take the opportunity to say Thank You to our partners for being on this incredible journey with us.
Here are just a few ways you can join us to celebrate this milestone:
Watch this video from Judson Althoff, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, Microsoft.
Join the Microsoft AI Skills Fest for 50 days of learning and discovery starting April 8! Gain skills that will empower you and your team to build innovative AI solutions with Microsoft’s apps and services.
“For decades, Intel’s partnership with Microsoft has sparked innovation and delivered value to our customers. Together, we’ve revolutionized industries and established new benchmarks for excellence. We look forward to collaborating for the next 50 years — and beyond.”
— Jim Johnson, Senior Vice President, Client Computing Group, Intel
Preparing for the future with the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program (MAICPP)
Microsoft succeeds when our partners succeed. MAICPP has evolved to enable partners worldwide to deliver customer outcomes across every industry, from small businesses to the largest enterprises. Our program is designed to provide our partners with the most relevant tools and resources they need to thrive in a rapidly changing market, and it serves as the home for all partner types.
“As a proud Microsoft alum, I’ve seen firsthand how our collaboration has evolved to drive meaningful change for businesses across industries. From strategy through engineering and implementation, PwC and Microsoft drive innovation and deliver real business outcomes for clients worldwide.”
— Stephanie Mosticchio, Principal, US and Global Microsoft Alliance Leader, PwC
Through MAICPP, all partners can access updated benefits packages designed to accelerate growth and meet specific business needs. Software development companies are encouraged to explore ISV Success, a pathway offering additional benefits to expand development capabilities and shorten time to market. Whether building, publishing or growing sales, partners can leverage targeted offers to get the support they need.
“As someone who has led global partnerships at several of the world’s leading technology companies, I am impressed by how Microsoft has leaned in with their partner ecosystem and taken a leadership position in cloud computing and AI. We, at Snowflake, are excited to continue to strengthen our partnership in the years to come, and we look forward to jointly driving customer success in the age of enterprise AI. Congratulations!
— Tyler Prince, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Alliances & Channels, Snowflake
Depending on business goals, partners may pursue a Solutions Partner designation or specialization, both of which provide tailored benefits to help differentiate their business in a competitive market. Achieving a designation unlocks valuable go-to-market resources, sales support, new incentives and product benefits to help expand customer reach, sharpen skills and drive growth. For software development companies, becoming a Solutions Partner** with certified software*** further enhances market presence by validating software capabilities in high-demand areas.
“Having worked alongside every CEO of Microsoft in my career, I would like to personally congratulate Microsoft for its 50 extraordinary years of driving relentless innovation.”
“Lenovo is proud to be a major part of this amazing journey with Microsoft and we are committed to this partnership for many more decades to come.”
— Yuanqing Yang, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Lenovo
For partners holding an Azure designation or Azure specialization, additional incentives are available through Azure Migrate and Modernize and Azure Innovate — both underpinned by Azure Essentials. With comprehensive resources, extensive coverage across scenarios and tailored incentives in one easy-to-navigate hub, Azure partners can better support customers from migration to innovation. Learn more in What’s new for Azure partner-led offerings: ISV Success and specialization updates.
Our program offers benefits for partners aligned to their growth stage and across all customer segments. We have recently made the process of obtaining an Azure Solutions Partner designation more aligned to our partners who specialize in working with small and midsize customers. We are also expanding access to Azure Migrate and Modernize and Azure Innovate incentives for SMB pathways. Read more about the SMB path to Azure Solutions Partner designations.
Cloud Solution Provider is our partner hero motion for small and medium enterprises
In November at Microsoft Ignite, we highlighted the $661 billion total addressable market (TAM) opportunity for SME&C customers in FY25 and beyond. Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) partners are the trusted advisors who serve these customers and accelerate their AI transformation with the value-added services and solutions that create real business impact. CSP is our hero motion that enables those partners to drive this business transformation.
“Our Microsoft partnership has evolved to meet the needs of our business and our partners. Together we’ve been able to support our partners to deliver true solution and value selling, leveraging the robust resources available through Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program and benefitting from the rich incentives. It has enabled us to drive innovation and deliver exceptional experiences for our partners through our ArrowSphere platform and broader enablement programs to ensure they’re empowered to deliver real customer outcomes. Together, we’re enabling the channel to deliver solutions that deliver real impact for customers around the world.”
— Brendan Murphy, Global Director, Public Cloud, Arrow Electronics
We strive to provide CSP partners with the skilling, capabilities and investments to make this opportunity a reality. So far in FY25, we have:
focused our incentives to clearly align to our five strategic priorities — Copilot on every device across every role, AI design wins with every customer, securing the cyber foundation of every customer, a focus on migrations and Microsoft 365 execution
dedicated 70% of our total incentive spend to partners that serve the Small and Medium Enterprise and Customer (SME&C) segment
introduced a series of new promos, including a new-to-Microsoft 365 E5 offer to enable CSP partners to win new customers
Expanding our portfolio of CSP offers and capabilities is an ongoing priority. We share updates as they become available.
Capturing the marketplace opportunity
As customers increasingly centralize their solution procurement, marketplaces have become the preferred buying platform. For software companies, adopting cloud marketplaces accelerates deal closure and increases deal sizes. Serving as a global B2B commerce engine, our marketplace empowers Microsoft partners to provide solutions to customers worldwide. It offers various sales models: digital direct, through partners or with Microsoft — providing flexibility to align with how customers want to buy and how partners want to sell. Learn more in this recent blog.
Unlocking success through skilling and events
The speed of technology innovation requires continuous learning. To support this, we offer our partners a variety of skilling opportunities, such as our popular in-person Microsoft AI Partner Training Days, designed to help partners develop both technical and sales capabilities.
We are also streamlining and simplifying our skilling portals through initiatives like Microsoft Sales Titan (currently in private preview for CSP Accelerate partners and available for all partners in summer 2025), a program tailored to equip sales professionals with in-depth knowledge of Microsoft Threat Protection SKUs, empowering them to position themselves as industry leaders. Discover these and other skilling opportunities.
Looking ahead, we invite our partners to join us at Microsoft Build, taking place May 19–22, 2025. This flagship event offers an exclusive opportunity to explore the latest advancements in AI, learn how to work smarter and elevate your projects. Connect with peers, industry experts and Microsoft leadership while diving into the code and innovations that will shape the future.
“Schneider Electric and Microsoft have been driven by a shared vision of a world that is more electric and digital. We’re thrilled to celebrate Microsoft’s 50th anniversary and excited to continue pioneering innovative solutions together, harnessing the transformative power of AI, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible for our customers and shaping a sustainable future for generations to come.”
— Frédéric Godemel, Executive Vice President, Energy Management, Schneider Electric
Looking forward – the next 50 years
As we celebrate this remarkable milestone, we remain focused on and optimistic for the future. We continue to innovate, collaborate and empower our partners to thrive in the era of AI and beyond. The past 50 years have been defined by shared success, and this will continue for our future. Together, we will unlock new opportunities, drive transformation and shape the future of technology.
Throughout this journey, stories of innovation have inspired us. A few examples of how partners are celebrating our 50th anniversary are included in this blog. See the full list of partner quotes on the Microsoft 50th Anniversary celebration site.
Thank you for being an integral part of our story. We can’t wait to see what we’ll accomplish together next!
*IDC: Microsoft Partners: Driving Economic Value and AI Maturity
**“Solutions Partner” refers to a company that is a member of the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program and may offer software, services, and/or solutions to customers. Reference to “Solutions Partner” in any content, materials, resources, web properties, etc. and any associated designation should be not interpreted as an offer, endorsement, guarantee, proof of effectiveness or functionality, a commitment or any other type of representation or warranty on the part of Microsoft. All decisions pertaining to and related to your business needs including but not limited to strategies, solutions, partner selection, implementation, etc. rest solely with your business.
***A certification is (A) specific to the solution’s interoperability with Microsoft products and (B) based on self-attestation by the solution owner. Solutions are only certified as of the date the solution is reviewed. Solution functionality and capability are controlled by the solution owner and may be subject to change. The inclusion of a solution in marketplace and any such designations should not be interpreted as an offer, endorsement, guarantee, proof of effectiveness or functionality, a commitment or any other type of representation or warranty on the part of Microsoft. All decisions pertaining and related to your business needs including but not limited to strategies, solutions, partner selection, implementation, etc. rest solely with your business.
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings