January 2026 announcements

This page provides the announcements for Microsoft Partner Center for January 2026.

February price list won't include a March preview for NCE license-based services

We're informing all Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) partners of an important update regarding the new commerce (NCE) license-based services preview (future) price list scheduled for publication on February 1, 2026.

• Date: January 30, 2026
• Workspace: Pricing
• Impacted audience: Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) partners, direct-bill partners, and indirect providers who use NCE license-based price lists in all regions/markets

There will be no NCE license-based services preview price list published on February 1 for March price preview. No changes are scheduled at this time for the March 1 license-based services price list.

Next steps

• Share this information with all appropriate contacts in your organization.
• Review the NCE license-based price list in the Partner Center Pricing workspace to find the offers included each month.

Solutions Partner for Modern Work update

Review expanded eligible workloads for the Solutions Partner for Modern Work (MW) designation.

• Date: January 29, 2026
• Workspace: General
• Impacted audience: Partners enrolled or looking to enroll in the MW Solution Partner designation (SPD)

The Solutions Partner for Modern Work designation continues to be a striking way for partners to stand out in the competitive market, empowering you to unlock valuable benefits and earn specializations.

To better support partners like you, we’re expanding eligible workloads to create more pathways to qualify for the designation.

Eligible workloads*

• Exchange Online
• Intune
• Microsoft 365 Apps
• Microsoft 365 Copilot
• Microsoft Entra ID P1
• SharePoint Online
• Teams
• Teams Apps
• Teams for Frontline Workers
• Teams Meetings
• Teams Phone
• Teams Phone Calling
• Teams Phone Enabled Users
• Teams Rooms Monthly Active Devices
• Viva Connections
• Viva Engage
• Viva Goals
• Viva Insights
• Viva Learning
• Viva Topics
• Windows 365

*Subject to change/availability may vary.

Next steps

Explore our expanded workload list and review designation criteria now.

MFA enforcement for Partner Center APIs begins April 1

Enable multifactor authentication ahead of the deadline to avoid blocked API calls and service disruptions.

• Date: January 29, 2026
• Workspace: General
• Impacted audience: All partners

To strengthen security across our platform, we're implementing multifactor authentication (MFA) enforcement across all APIs, with full enforcement of MFA for APIs beginning April 1, 2026. Any API calls made without MFA after the enforcement date will be blocked.

All APIs are currently MFA-enabled and ready for testing. Update your systems ahead of the enforcement date to:

• Avoid service disruptions when enforcement begins.
• Strengthen your security posture and protect against 99% of identity-based attacks.
• Align your systems with Partner Center security standards.

This enforcement follows the MFA requirements we implemented in September 2025 for the Partner Center portal.

Next steps

• Learn about MFA requirements and supported options and update your systems ahead of the enforcement date.
• Confirm your app+user API calls are correctly sending a valid MFA token.

Retirement of standalone SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business plans (plan 1 and plan 2)

• Date: January 28, 2026
• Workspace: General
• Impacted audience: CSP authorized partners, partners selling to customers with SharePoint Online (SPO) plan 1 and plan 2 and OneDrive for Business (ODB) plan 1 and plan 2 SKUs

Partner advisory: retirement of standalone SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business plans.

Microsoft is evolving its cloud storage and collaboration offerings and is retiring the standalone SharePoint Online (SPO) plan 1 and plan 2 and OneDrive for Business (ODB) plan 1 and plan 2 SKUs. This change reflects low customer demand for standalone offerings, increased instances of unintended or nonstandard usage, and higher operational costs associated with maintaining these plans. As Microsoft continues to invest in secure, scalable, and integrated experiences, Microsoft 365 suites remain the primary way customers access SharePoint and OneDrive capabilities.

As a Microsoft partner, you play a critical role in helping customers plan for this transition. Customers have an extended window to prepare, and Microsoft is introducing more storage options to support a wide range of needs. We recommend that partners proactively identify impacted customers, communicate key dates early, and guide customers toward the most appropriate Microsoft 365 suite or storage alternative to ensure continuity and a smooth experience.

Key timelines

• Retirement announcement: this change is communicated to customers in late January 2026.
• End of sale: June 2026 (no new tenants/customers after May 31, 2026; renewals for existing customers only).
• End of life: January 2027 (no renewals; existing contracts continue until expiration).
• End of service: December 2029 (all standalone plans fully retired; customers must transition to Microsoft 365 suites, capacity packs, or pay-as-you-go storage options).

Next steps

• To support your customers through this change, you should begin planning now, reviewing customer tenants, positioning Microsoft 365 Business or E3/E5 suites where appropriate, and helping customers optimize, migrate, or archive data as needed. Microsoft continues to share guidance, resources, and updates to help partners successfully navigate this transition and support long term customer success.
• Cloud Ascent is updated by the end of February, providing you with visibility of which customers are impacted by this change.

Questions

• Compare plans: SharePoint Plan Comparison
• Storage guidance: Add Storage Space

Announcing new Dragon Copilot Physician Practice offer

Announcing new Dragon Copilot Physician Practice offer.

• Date: January 27, 2026
• Workspace: General
• Impacted audience: CSP authorized partners

We’re excited to launch the new Dragon Copilot Physician Practice offer on February 1, 2026, giving Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) authorized partners a competitive offer tailored for physician practice healthcare customers. This offer preserves the full end-user Dragon Copilot experience while simplifying administrative complexity and lowering cost for smaller and mid-sized organizations.

The offer maintains dictation, ambient documentation, and AI capabilities, with reduced enterprise level controls for a streamlined down-market fit. With capped license counts and singlet tenant eligibility, partners now have a scalable path to expand Dragon Copilot adoption in the SMB segment.

Key takeaways

• Launching February 1, 2026, in all available Dragon Copilot geographies.
• CSP authorized partners only, capped at 100 licenses per customer.
• No mixing or combining of this physician practice SKU and Enterprise licenses in the same organization.
• Full end-user ambient, speech, and genAI experience preserved

Next steps

• For offer details and assets, visit the Dragon Copilot Partner Assets page.
• Connect with your Partner Development Manager for further guidance on positioning the offer. Let’s accelerate adoption and bring a compelling, purpose-built option to our down-market customers.

Unlock new Security revenue with CSP add‑ons

Entra ID P2 and Defender for Endpoint P2 now available in Cloud Solution Program.

• Date: January 23, 2026
• Workspace: General
• Impacted audience: CSP authorized partners

As a Microsoft Partner, you can now upsell Entra ID P2 and Defender for Endpoint P2 to existing Microsoft 365 E3 customers through CSP using incremental, programmatic step up pricing; the same pricing model previously available through EA and MCA E motions. These new CSP SKUs remove pricing friction and eliminate the need for complex escalations. Partners can more easily attach advanced identity and endpoint security, increase deal velocity, and capture incremental security revenue directly in CSP; without losing momentum or business to other channels.

This motion is intentionally guided and targeted. It's designed for Microsoft 365 E3 customers who aren't yet ready for Security Suites or Microsoft 365 E5 but have a clear need to strengthen identity protection and endpoint security today. It also preserves a natural growth path to broader security suites as customer needs evolve.

Key benefits for partners

• Lower barriers to upsell with reduced, incremental pricing in CSP
• Protection against capability loss when transitioning customers from EA to CSP
• A clear attach motion aligned to how customers already buy Microsoft 365 E3
• Faster deal closure without channel conflict, pricing delays, or lost opportunities

When to use this motion: Customers licensed for Microsoft 365 E3 who aren't currently adopting Security Suites or Microsoft 365 E5, but need immediate improvements in identity or endpoint security.

Don't use when: Customers are already a strong fit for Security Suites or Microsoft 365 E5 today

Next steps

• Review the new CSP step up SKUs for Entra ID P2 and Defender for Endpoint P2
• Enable your sellers on the incremental pricing model and recommended use cases

Questions

• Microsoft Security Partner hub
• Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
• Microsoft Entra ID
• Microsoft 365 security overview
• CSP overview

Target upcoming renewals for Microsoft 365 + Copilot bundle

Beginning January 21, 2026 partners can download a report with customers renewing Microsoft 365 Business with upsell recommendations.

• Date: January 21, 2026
• Workspace: Customers
• Impacted audience: All Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) partners

Details

Turn Microsoft 365 Business Renewals into Copilot Business Growth. Access Copilot Business Recommendations - now live in Partner Center AI Assistant. CSP partners can quickly identify upcoming Microsoft 365 Business renewals, recommended Copilot Business upsell paths, and eligible promotions to help drive more impactful customer conversations.

When you have customers whose Microsoft 365 Business subscriptions are up of renewal in the next 60 days, the AI assistant can help you:

• With list of customers and corresponding Microsoft 365 Business subscriptions renewing in the next 60 days
• Recommend which Copilot Business bundle offer to upgrade to.
• Recommend more than one upgrade path with applicable promotions.

Benefits

• This new feature helps partners act faster, prioritize the right customers, and maximize Copilot attach during the Microsoft 365 renewal wave.
• Partners can quickly produce a list of recommendations and export them to distribute with sales teams.

This guide explains how to use AI assistant to download the upcoming renewals for Microsoft 365 + Copilot bundle recommendations step by step.

Step 1: Select the suggestion from AI assistant

1. Navigate to Customers workspace: Sign in to Partner Center and click on the Customers tile.
2. Use the AI assistant:
   • Click on the Sparkle icon at the top right corner of the page.
   • Enter the prompt Show customers renewing Microsoft 365 Business in the next 60 days and highlight which Copilot Business bundle to upgrade to, or use a zero prompt, and the assistant will guide you through the next steps.

Step 2: Download the report with customers renewing Microsoft 365 Business with upsell recommendations

1. Navigate to Downloads: Click on the link in the AI assistant response or click on the Downloads from the left navigation.
2. Download the report:
   • Depending on the report size, processing may take up to 6 hours before the file becomes available for download.
   • Click on the Download button under the Action column in the table.

Next steps

• For more information on this feature including the details of each field, got Target upcoming renewals for Microsoft 365 + Copilot bundle.
• Learn how to access the NCE Software price list: NCE Commerce Software pricing.
• Learn about the NCE Software price list fields.

Smarter referral submissions are here

• Date: January 19, 2026
• Workspace: General
• Impacted audience: All Microsoft co-sell partners who submit referrals via Partner Center UI for Small, Medium, Enterprise, and Channel (SMEC) and Enterprise opportunities.

Partner Center will offer a modernized referral submission experience designed to accelerate partner success

Details

These enhancements will streamline opportunity qualification, eliminate redundant manual steps, and enable faster deal progression, empowering partners to submit referrals with greater speed and precision while strengthening connections with sellers.

Driving partner success with a smarter referral experience

Partner Center will deliver an automated referral qualification process that accelerates opportunity creation and strengthens seller engagement. By streamlining prequalification checks and ensuring completeness upfront during the referral submission process, partners benefit from faster processing, and improved data quality.

These enhancements will enable real-time insights, quality scoring, and intelligent routing, helping partners create high-value opportunities with confidence.

What's available to Partner Center

There will be a phased approach to the launch of the referral submission enhancements:

• Smart prompts to validate Budget, Authority, Need, and Timeline (BANT) by improving missing or low-quality details, resulting in stronger referrals
• AI-driven smart prompts to help articulate Customer Need - improving relevance and reducing time spent typing
• Suggestions for using Campaign ID to improve deal tracking for Microsoft-hosted campaigns
• Enhanced experience that suggests product names as you begin typing in the list.

Phase 1 - now available as of January 2026

Inbound co-sell referrals now undergo automated completeness checks as part of the enhanced submission experience. This update introduces validation to ensure only high-quality referrals progress, without requiring any additional action from partners.

Key features

• Estimated deal value: Must be realistic; placeholder values like "0 USD" or "00 million" will trigger a warning.
• Estimated close date: Must be a future date; past dates or dates within the next seven days are invalid.
• Customer need: Must be clearly defined, including product/service need and business context. AI-based auto-notes generation will be available.
• Customer contact information: Valid contact details must be provided, or partners must select the consent checkbox to share information later.

Next steps

• Communicate changes to your teams.
• For more information on these updates, review the article Manage co-sell opportunities.

Questions

If you have any questions, submit a support ticket via the Partner Center Support page.

Additional information

• In Partner Center Learn documentation, see: Add deal details in the article "Manage co-sell opportunities"
• No partner action required; changes are embedded in the submission flow.

Extended service term (EST) production availability for UX and API are delayed

• Date: January 16, 2026
• Workspace: General
• Impacted audience: All Cloud Solution Providers (distributors, indirect resellers, direct bill)

The new date for extended service term (EST) production availability for UX and API will be provided as soon as possible

Details

As previously announced, effective April 1, 2026, the free grace period for accessing services on non-renewed subscriptions will be discontinued. Customers who don't renew must either cancel at end of term and lose access immediately, or enter a paid extended service term (EST) to continue service.

Extended service terms allow partners more flexibility in managing customer services if they don't want to renew their subscriptions.

To support partners preparing for this change, we announced that the following events would occur January 19, 2026:

• Subscriptions eligible for EST with auto-renew false would be converted to EST.
• Partners could start evaluating subscriptions eligible for EST and ensure their end-of-terms options are appropriate (renew, cancel, move to EST).
• Going forward from January 19, 2026, API requests to change a subscription’s auto renew property to false will be converted to EST.

The events listed above are now delayed. We'll provide you with a new date as soon as possible.

Next steps

• Learn more about extended service terms.
• Review the coming change with your customers and discuss the best option for their business needs before the end of their service terms to avoid unexpected billing.
• Join the January 22, 2026, partner enablement call to learn more, or listen to previous calls.

Retirement of the Qualified Referral Program

Microsoft will retire the Qualified Referral Program (QRP) in Q3 FY26 and consolidate lead/referral intake into our standard motions to simplify partner experience, improve lead quality, and provide a single system of record for Co-sell and Marketplace conversions.

• Date: January 16, 2026
• Workspace: General
• Impacted audience: Partners with opportunities in Partner Center

We’re simplifying how partners accept, track, and close referrals with Microsoft. QRP will be retired in Q3 FY26 and replaced by a unified Co-sell experience centered on Partner Center referrals. This change reduces duplicate workflows, improves pipeline transparency for both partners and Microsoft sellers, and accelerates customer response times.

Additionally, as part of the modernization effort, we're enhancing our partner matching process with real-time data and AI logic to help ensure the right leads reach the right partners, matching capabilities, and competencies to maximize value.

What you can expect:

• One referral front door: Accept, submit, and manage all referrals in Partner Center with end-to-end visibility into co-sell engagement and status.
• Faster routing: Standardized qualification and routing to the right Microsoft teams and connected systems.
• Cleaner reporting: Single source of truth for attribution and performance measurement, reducing double counting.
• Continuity for in-flight items: All QRP referrals shared before the cutoff continue to be valid until either "accepted" or when they expire due to non-acceptance.

What is changing

Any partner who used QRP should now use Partner Center referrals for the same motion:

Frequently asked questions

Why is Microsoft retiring QRP?

To simplify the partner experience, reduce duplication, and standardize Partner Center/co-sell so referrals flow through one system with shared definitions, faster routing, and clearer attribution.

What replaces QRP?

Partner Center referrals (with co-sell) will be the standard intake and tracking experience for all new opportunities after the cutoff.

When is the last day to submit new QRP referrals?

A specific date within Q3 FY26 will be announced. After that date, new referrals must be created in Partner Center.

What happens to my open QRP referrals at the cutoff?

They'll continue to be worked to closure under the transition rules in the previous table. You don't need to resubmit accepted/active items.

Can I bulk migrate my backlog into Partner Center?

Items not yet accepted at cutoff may be converted or returned with guidance to resubmit. We share bulk options (if offered) in the detailed transition guide.

How will incentives or credit be handled?

Credit ties to standard Partner Center/co-sell attribution once QRP is retired. Refer to the current incentive guide for eligibility and payout timing.

Will I lose access to historical QRP data?

No. After retirement, QRP will enter a read-only state for a limited period (target 90 days) to allow exports. We provide instructions and supported formats.

How do I track status or engage Microsoft sellers after the change?

Use Partner Center referrals for end-to-end status, notes, and collaboration. This is the system of record for co-sell motion tracking.

What if my CRM integrates to QRP today?

You need to update integrations to Partner Center Referrals APIs (guidance to follow). We publish mapping of key fields and statuses.

Does the change affect co-sell eligibility?

No change to eligibility. The submission and tracking surface moves to Partner Center; co-sell criteria remain governed by the program guide.

Next steps

• Use Partner Center → Referrals for all new opportunities.
• Review your in-flight QRP items and ensure:
  • Primary contact and next steps are up to date
  • Opportunity stage and close plan are documented
  • Any attached collateral is copied to your Partner Center referral where relevant
• Export your historical QRP data during the read-only window for your internal records.
• Update playbooks & training: replace QRP references with Partner Center referral steps.
• Check incentives guidance for how credit will be recognized post transition.

Extended discount on Microsoft Purview Suite for Microsoft 365 Copilot Customers

Microsoft extends its 50% discount on Microsoft Purview Suite (formerly E5 Compliance) for customers with Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses until 30 June 2026.

• Date: January 14, 2026
• Workspace: General
• Impacted audience: Cloud Solution Provider direct bill authorized partners and SSPs.

On February 1, 2025, Microsoft introduced a new promotional offer designed to help customers more easily secure and govern Microsoft 365 Copilot. By reducing price sensitivity and addressing data security barriers, the offer aims to accelerate Copilot purchasing and deployment. Originally set to expire in February 2026, the promotion is extended to June 30, 2026.

This promotion enables eligible customers to purchase Microsoft Purview Suite (formally E5 Compliance) licenses at a 50% discount for accounts with existing or new Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses. Customers must meet Microsoft Purview prerequisite licensing requirements, and the offer applies to net‑new Purview Suite license additions. There are no exclusions on combining this promotion with other offers or discounts on other products in the same deal.

Next steps

To learn more about this offer, check out our offers and promotions page.

Monthly Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program update

• Date: January 14, 2026
• Workspace: Membership
• Impacted audience: Partners enrolled in the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program

What’s new for Solutions Partner designations, specializations, and other Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program offerings and benefits.

Summary

This month’s updates continue to enhance partner differentiation and readiness across high-demand solution areas. Key changes include specialization updates that integrate AI capabilities, revised skilling and performance requirements, and streamlined qualification frameworks to support partner growth and agility.

Coming soon

The performance and skilling requirements for the SAP on Microsoft Azure specialization will change in January 2026. Microsoft is updating this specialization to make it more accessible for a broader range of partners.

Key changes:

• Lower ACR threshold: the Azure Consumed Revenue (ACR) requirement will decrease from $30,000 to $7,500, totaled over three months
• Streamlined skilling validation: Partners will be able to validate required Microsoft learning coursework directly within Partner Center, removing the need to do so in the third-party audit. Skilling requirements can be met through either:
  • Three (3) individuals passing the Azure for SAP Workloads Specialty certification
    OR
  • Three (3) individuals passing the Run SAP on the Microsoft Cloud learning path

The skilling requirements for the Microsoft Azure VMware Solution specialization will change in January 2026. Microsoft is updating this specialization to make it easier to obtain.

Key changes:

• Technical Assessment Removed: the Azure VMware Solutions (AVS) Technical assessment requirement will be removed from the skilling requirements
• Broadcom Certification requirements removed: the Broadcom certification requirements will also be removed, which were previously checked as a portion of the audit

MPA (CSP) Program Guide update is available

The Guide to the Online Services and Software Channel Authorization (MPA Program Guide) was recently updated. For existing partners, it takes effect February 12, 2026.

• Date: January 12, 2026
• Workspace: General
• Impacted audience: CSP direct-bill and indirect providers

The updated MPA Program Guide is available. This version adds provisions for ISV Clinical Embed offers and updates outdated links. For existing partners, it takes effect February 12, 2026. No action is needed.

New Product Availability: Advanced Security Add-ons for Microsoft 365 Business Premium

• Date: January 8, 2026
• Workspace: General
• Impacted audience: All Microsoft partners transacting in Cloud Solution Providers through Partner Center

New product availability: advanced Security add-ons for Microsoft 365 Business Premium.

Overview

We recently identified an issue that temporarily prevented partners from purchasing the Advanced Security add-ons for Microsoft 365 Business Premium in partner center. Product availability is addressed, and the new SKUs are now available and transactable in partner center.

Status

• The onboarding of the new product IDs is complete, and partners can now transact the Advanced Security add-ons for Business Premium.
• UPDATE - The new product information is reflected in price lists for the following markets: United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, Netherlands, Canada, France, Switzerland, Sweden, Belgium, Italy, Denmark, Japan, Spain, Norway, New Zealand, Austria, Ireland, Brazil, Finland, South Africa, India SC, Israel, Poland, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Czechia, Turkiye, Mexico, Colombia, Greece, Chile, Portugal, Hong Kong SAR, Luxembourg, Hungary, Lithuania, Korea, Romania, Argentina, Thailand, Taiwan, Estonia.
• Updated price lists for other markets will be available on February 1, 2026 as part of the standard monthly price list publication.

Next steps

• Action required for US partners: download the updated US price list from Partner Center. The latest file is now available for download in Partner Center.
• We'll provide updates through Partner Center announcement as the price lists for other markets become available.

Questions

For more support, partners should contact partner center Support through the normal support channels.

Smarter referral submissions are coming!

Smarter referral submissions are coming.

• Date: January 5, 2026
• Workspace: General
• Impacted audience: Marketplace sellers

Starting in January 2026, partner center introduces intelligent prompts and automated checks to make referral submissions faster, more accurate, and more impactful. These enhancements streamline qualification, improve data quality, and boost seller engagement, helping you to create high-value opportunities with confidence.

Next steps

Review this partner center announcement for more detail.

Security Immersion Briefing Update: No Cap- Unlimited Execution, Expanded Partner Eligibility, New focus on Small and Medium Business

We’re introducing a new Security immersion briefing, focused on Microsoft Defender for Business premium and Microsoft Purview for Business Premium customers (50–300 licenses).

• Date: January 5, 2026
• Workspace: General
• Impacted audience: Cloud Solution Providers (CSP) and resellers

These 90-minute interactive sessions position partners as trusted security advisors, helping customers tackle rising cybersecurity threats. By removing execution caps, partners can now run unlimited briefings with up to 20 open at a time. Additionally, new delivery options allow distributors and resellers to collaborate or deliver directly, creating more flexibility and scale.

• No cap-unlimited scale: Partners can now run unlimited Security immersion briefings, with a rolling 20 open submissions at a time.
• Expanded partner eligibility: New delivery options allow distributors or resellers to deliver and claim for the activity, giving them more flexibility and reach.
• New revenue paths: Designed specifically for Business Premium customers up to 300 licenses, these new briefings demonstrate Microsoft Defender Suite for Business Premium and Microsoft Purview Suite for Business Premium. This opens new target customers in addition to the existing scenarios for ME3 to ME5 conversion.

Familiarize your team with the updated immersion briefings best practices and operational requirements to successfully deliver the new Security immersion briefings focused on Microsoft Defender for Business Premium and Microsoft Purview for Business Premium customers. These resources ensure smooth execution, compliance, and maximum effect for partner-led.

Next steps

Review details on Security immersion briefings.