Microsoft Unveils New Partner Programs at Directions North America 2024 Day 2
Microsoft announced new partner programs at Directions North America to empower Dynamics partners and help them win in FY2024.
Day 2 of Directions North America 2024 kicked off with exciting news from Mike Morton, Vice President of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. The keynote focused on empowering partners to grow their businesses and the Dynamics ecosystem.
Building the Next Generation of Dynamics Talent
A key announcement was the “Reskills” program, a new initiative designed to address the talent gap in the ERP space. This program aims to recruit, train, and connect young talent to develop a new generation of Business Central consultants. Microsoft recognizes the need to expand the talent pool beyond existing partner networks.
FY2024: A Year of Opportunity for Partners
The keynote highlighted the vast potential for partners in FY2024. With a total addressable market of ~$100 billion for business applications in the SMB space and low Dynamics penetration among SMBs, there’s a significant opportunity for partners to capitalize on the growing demand for cloud and AI solutions.
New Tools and Resources to Drive Partner Success
Several new tools and resources were announced to help partners accelerate customer acquisition and win rates.
- Pre-Sales Activities: New pre-sales assessments for Business Central, Sales, and Power Platform have been available since October 2023 to help partners demonstrate value to customers.
- Low-Code CSP Activation: A program to onboard, train, and activate Cloud Solution Providers (CSPs) with strong Power Platform practices.
- Customer Incentive Programs:
- Dynamics 365 Business Central 10% discount for Microsoft 365 Customers (February 5, 2024 – June 30, 2024).
- Customer eligibility: New Business Central customers with M365 Business Standard or M365 Business Premium subscription (Max. 300 seats)
- Dynamics 365 Business Central Deployment offer with payout incentives up to $18,000 (April 1st – Jun 30th, 2024 (transaction eligible starting Feb. 15th, 2024).
- Partner eligibility: Business Applications Solutions Designation and/or have purchased the benefits of Business Applications legacy competency.
- Dynamics 365 Business Central 10% discount for Microsoft 365 Customers (February 5, 2024 – June 30, 2024).
Focus on Building Strong Business Central Practices
The keynote emphasized the importance of building strong Business Central practices. Microsoft is introducing a new Business Central Developer Certification (MB-820) to help partners develop the skills needed to meet customer demand.
What Developers Can Get Excited About
The keynote also included exciting news for developers. Microsoft is introducing Business Central developer tools for Copilot, allowing developers to leverage generative AI to create more efficient and consistent solutions.
Overall, Day 2 of Directions North America 2024 delivered a clear message to partners: Microsoft is committed to their success. With a focus on talent development, partner enablement tools, and enhanced Business Central capabilities, FY2024 promises to be a year of significant growth for the Dynamics ecosystem.