The latest Customer Agreement

The idea behind these changes in agreement is to replace Enterprise Agreements and the Azure Server and Cloud Enrollment (SCE). These are two currently active Agreements to purchase Azure services. But the change in agreement is not going to affect the service delivery. “Modern Commerce” is Microsoft modernized vision to simplify Azure pricing and purchasing options.

With the new MCA, customers are expected to stay more in control of their own Azure cloud services and will not require the “level of administrative support” that they currently require. According to Stephen White, a research director in Gartner, the MCA approach will result into lower partner profits “like it eliminates the partner role as licensing advisers on Azure services”.

To move forward in the direction of “automated, digital purchase experience”, Microsoft has reduced a number of contracts and agreements and introduced MCA – a single, non-expiring contract for Azure customers. For those who have experience with purchasing through Microsoft Store for Business, MCA is something they are already familiar with. Going forward, MCA pricing is bound to change in the future because it isn’t providing any pricing protection for its customers.

Options for Azure Provider

This brings us to the question: what are the options left for those who have taken up Azure-only Server and Cloud Enrollment for their cloud business?  One option is to extend the SCE agreement. With that you can get access to services such as Azure, billed every four months at then current Consumption Rate” for the price level of your service with an additional 3% administrative fee. Though, this option isn’t going to last long.

Let’s have a look at some good options for purchasing Azure:

• Purchase via EA

The Agreement change announcement only mentions Server & Cloud Enrollment (SCE), so there is still an option to purchase Monetary Commitment via an EA. Again, officials from Microsoft predict that this option will soon be not available.

• Purchase via MCA

This is the “non-expiring” option that will be applicable from March. It’s an 11-page digital document that you need to accept in order to start purchasing directly from Microsoft.

• Purchase via CSP

This is again a good option. The Microsoft CSP program is a popular preference for purchasing Online Services, especially Azure. Since the MPSA agreement has been phased out, CSP Program simplifies Azure cloud services offering to customers so that they can purchase from CSPs directly.

From now, Microsoft has left its customers with two options to purchase Azure: via MCA (Microsoft Customer Agreement) and via CSP (Cloud Solution Provider). Agreement changes are not-so-interesting but necessary for a fuller picture in the future. MCA is the initial step towards Microsoft’s modernized simplified purchasing vision: “Modern Commerce”.

The post The latest Microsoft Azure Cloud Agreement and Azure Service Provision Options for CSPs appeared first on MachSol Blog.

Deployment Requirements

A minimum of SQL 2016 and Windows 2016 is now required to run Skype for Business Server 2019. The availability of in-place upgrades is also becoming extinct in the upcoming Skype for business server version. Further, direct roles have also been dropped out of system. The new version will not support the side by side deployment of Cloud Connector Edition (CCE). However, it will support side by side up gradation from Lync 2013 or Skype for Business Server 2015.

Standard Edition vs Enterprise Edition

The upcoming Skype for business Server 2019 will not include the option for the deployment of Standard Edition server. Rather, it will be supporting to upgrade the Enterprise edition with a single server node instead. Yes, the announcement raised a few eyebrows at the Ignite conference but the announcement is for good. An entirely separate Backend SQL server will be a basic requirement for a single server deployment. It is to encourage the customers that form the smaller market to come to the cloud option rather than keep on developing on-premises Standard Edition servers.

Cloud Services

The on-premises users will now be able to access the same apps as the cloud users do. It is, however, possible only if it is deployed in a hybrid topology.

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Other Announcements

1. Silverlight is deprecated
2. Skype for business Server 2019 will be backward compatible with UCWA/UCMA along with the service of smooth transition using Third-Party Add-ons and customer developed applications.
3. Enhanced interoperability and migration to Microsoft Teams. Teams are the preferred clients of Microsoft Skype for business Server 2019, as previously mentioned in a Microsoft announcement.
4. Another feature that will be deprecated is Direct Server role
5. Cloud Connector edition will coexist with the Skype for business Server 2019
6. A single portal for call reporting and analytics.
7. Auto attendants will be integrated as a standard along with voice mail and call queues. These will be integrated with reduced server dependency.

MachPanel – an efficientsolution

MachPanel offers a smooth experience of Enterprise Voice with its Skype for Business Automation that supports Skype for business Server 2015, Lync 2013 and 2010. MachPanel is suitable for service providers who want to control and manage clients and their communication infrastructure in a flexible and efficient manner. It provides a centralized control panel for the management of End customers, along with Providers and Resellers.  With MachPanel Automation Module for Microsoft Skype for Business, Selling, Billing, Provisioning, reporting, Dial plans manipulation, Phone numbers inventory management, persistent chats and response groups can be managed with comfort.

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