Are you leaving $s on the table or risking your MPN Competency and benefits?

I want to take a moment to emphasise the importance of ensuring you are accurately listed as the Partner of Record (POR) for those customers you are actively working with. Not doing so can result in issues achieving and maintaining your Microsoft Partner Network Competency and eligibility for MPN benefits. In particular the newly launched Cloud Performance Competencies where cloud seats and usage are part of the requirements to achieve and maintain the competencies. It’s also key for Action Pack subscribers to be eligible for additional seats of Office 365, any seats of Dynamics CRM Online and access to Partner Advisory Hours. You may also be leaving $s on the table in terms of incentive payments, being correctly assigned as the POR impacts you being paid incentives for your work with your customers.

I have provided a quick guide below for becoming POR in 4 key and common scenarios. Ensuring Partners are accurately listed as POR is critical, therefore don’t be alarmed if you’re asked to provide proof of execution for your work with a customer. This is a normal step in the process and checks are made randomly and regularly to help ensure we have the right Partner attached.

Note that we have recently announced changes to some of our incentive programs for this financial year.  You can find full details on the Microsoft Partner Network portal.

SCENARIO - I’m deploying and managing subscriptions for Office 365, Windows Intune or Azure Active Directory Premium (AADP) for customers when they’ve purchased under an Enterprise Agreement (EA) , Enterprise Subscription (EAS) or Campus and School Agreement (CASA/EES).

Importantly this is for the Partner who is driving the actual deployment of these solutions with their customer. Accurately being listed as Partner of Record in this scenario impacts:

In this scenario the Partner of Record is managed by the customer through their Office Customer Portal for Office 365 and through the Microsoft Intune Account Portal for Microsoft Intune and/or AADP.  You can find a step by step guide, including screenshots to do this in the Microsoft Online Services Usage Incentive Implementation Guide.  If this requires a change in the current Partner listed as the POR, both Partners are alerted and the customer will be asked to clarify which Partner is actually doing the work. Note that if you are listed as POR with your customers for the previous Online Services Advisor Deploy incentive, you must transition to the digital Partner of Record process.  For more details please refer to my recent blog post on this change.

SCENARIO - I’m acquiring and managing new customer subscriptions for Office 365, Intune and Dynamics CRM Online when purchased via the Microsoft Online Portal.

As oppose to the first scenario this does relate to the Partner involved in the actual transaction as well driving deployment and ongoing management of the customer’s subscription. Accurately being listed as Partner of Record in this scenario impacts:

Partner of Record is managed by the customer adding the Partner in their Online Portal using the Partners MPN ID or it can be automated through the Partner Admin Centre. The Office 365 Partner Admin Centre Overview provides step by step guidance on POR for this scenario.

SCENARIO – I’m managing new customer subscriptions for Office 365, Intune and Dynamics CRM Online when purchased via Open licensing.

Accurately being listed as Partner of Record in this scenario impacts:

  • Attainment and maintenance of your MPN Cloud Performance Competencies .
  • Access to customer reporting via the Online Services Dashboard enabling you to better support your customers, providing you details such as technical updates from Microsoft and deployment information.

The customer adds the Partner of Record in their Online Portal using the Partners MPN ID or you can add your MPN ID when activating your customer’s subscription. The Office 365 Partner Admin Centre Overview provides step by step guidance on POR for this scenario. You can do this retroactively for customers you are already working with.

SCENARIO - I’m driving consumption of Microsoft Azure Services with customers that have purchased under an Enterprise Agreement (EA) , Enterprise Subscription (EAS) or Campus and School Agreement (CASA/EES) and the Microsoft Online Services Agreement (MOSA).

Importantly this is for the Partner who is driving the actual consumption of Microsoft Azure Services with their customer. Accurately being listed as Partner of Record in this scenario impacts:

The Partner of Record is listed by the customer through the Azure Account Centre.  Only 1 Partner of Record can be assigned to each Microsoft Azure subscription that a customer has.  You can find a comprehensive step by step guide, including screenshots, to do this in the Microsoft Azure Incentive Implementation Guide.  There are also video guides available to support you through this process.  If this requires a change in the current Partner listed as the POR, both Partners are alerted and the customer will be asked to clarify which Partner is actually doing the work.