Bridging the gaps to become a successful Microsoft CSP

Partners are striving to meet the requirements set by Microsoft for Microsoft CSPs all over the world. The cloud and the Edge are two powerful components of how businesses make use of the internet today. A Microsoft CSP Program is needed to make sure you are right on spot and updated with the latest happenings from Microsoft. 

How many Partners Types are there?

There are three different types of Partners under the Microsoft CSP Program:

• CSP Direct Bill Partners

CSP Direct Bill Partners have been able to purchase third-party and first-party offers from Microsoft Marketplace. Once purchased, you can now sell them further to your customers. There are a few requirements to become a direct Bill Partner like the ability to provide first-level cloud support to your customer and have an infrastructure in place for customer billing management.

• CSP Indirect Providers

These are also called Distributors. They can also purchase first and third-party offers from Marketplace, however, they can also integrate these offers into their own and resell them to their clients. Again, customer support and billing infrastructure requirements are there for Indirect Providers.

• CSP indirect resellers

These Partners do not have a direct relationship with Microsoft, rather, they depend on indirect providers for transactions in Microsoft CSP Program. They are able to offer managed services and billing services to customers. 

ALSO READ: GETTING STARTED WITH REMOTE DESKTOP SERVICES 2019 DEPLOYMENT

How MachPanel helps CSPs with its Automation Module for Microsoft CSP?

MachPanel is a great place for CSPs to learn ways to master CSP requirements. MachPanel makes your CSP journey easier and manageable. 

• Enjoy End to end Automation for your CSP business

To work smart, you need to know where to invest. Automation is one key element that makes your business journey smooth and easy. MachPanel offers the entire lifecycle automation of your CSP business including Microsoft Office 365, Azure Provisioning, Microsoft Hosted Exchange offering, SharePoint deployment and much more!

• Smooth showcasing, bundling, and selling of your offerings

With a Marketplace at hand, it’ll be a lot easier for you to showcase your products and offerings to your clients. Get complete control over subscriptions and plans with MachPanel through the white-labeled customized storefront. 

• Easy Billing setup and management

Financial operations are streamlined via MachPanel’s billing automation. You can directly bill to customers alongside consolidated and unified invoices to make the billing process going smoothly.

With an intuitive user interface, MachPanel is easy to use and manage. Start your CSP journey with MachPanel today and take your CSP business to greater heights.

Lets TalkRequest a Demo

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With more innovations in digital technologies, CSPs always are in need for a breakthrough that can provide them with cutting-edge benefits with no compromise on service delivery. To get more value, organizations want more managed services and value-added IP offerings. Microsoft customers rely on Microsoft Partners and CSP organizations for services and expert skills required to accelerate in this era of digital transformation.

Microsoft has announced Azure updates for CSPs including a new commerce experience under the Azure in the Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) program. By utilizing the Azure cost management feature, CSPs can unlock more value for customer satisfaction.

• The New Commerce Experience

The new commerce experience announced within Azure updates from Microsoft offer CSP benefits by providing more options to increase customer base and improve the selling experience. There are more tools and resources announced that can bring-in more value to their business. It provides a simplified billing experience where you get access to invoices and reconciliation files, be in control of data usage since “all of the usage is tied back to a single Azure Plan”. In addition to this, the new features include reading invoicing and the relevant reconciliation file and daily usage file. You can even have a detailed analysis on Azure spending with options like receiving alerts for budget set at a customer level and Viewing total spending on an Azure plan in the latest Azure update.

• Universal Catalog

With the new commerce experience, you get access to one universal catalog which helps in better expansion of your portfolio of services. The universal catalog has all the latest Azure services that can bring in innovative Azure features as soon as they are live. This attracts new customers for your business.

• Value-added Services

The new updates let CSPs discover unique VAS opportunities via the Partner earned credit model under Cost Management, that we’ll discuss in a minute. PEC rewards lead towards a sustainable profitability.

• Azure Lighthouse

This is a new tool introduced under the new Azure Updates. It enables Microsoft Partners to provide unique managed services to their customers and enables CSPs to effectively manage multiple customer environments.

• Consistent pricing

In the new Azure Updates, a simplified price list for Azure is introduced consisting of consistent prices worldwide. There’s more transparency     and a unified invoice and billing date alignment for all purchases of customer across the Azure marketplace.

• A simplified Framework

Azure Updates introduce a framework for doing business with CSPs in a simplified manner that deliver better business results for CSPs. the Microsoft Partner Agreement and the Microsoft Customer Agreement are part of this framework.

• Azure Cost Management

Under the Azure Cost Management feature, there are more CSP benefits to offer from Microsoft CSP program. CSPs can get a detailed cost analysis option by customer, meter, service, resource group, subscription, resource and many other dimensions. You can setup notifications by utilizing programmatic budgets to stay notified whenever costs exceed budgets. In the new Azure Updates, you can also view resources costs having Partner Earned Credit (PEC) under the Cost analysis. Customers also get the option to view their consumption costs data under pay-as-you-go rates. With Azure Cost management, you can maximize cloud efficiency for the customers and manage the customer’s costs effectively from the cloud.  Under cost management, you can get your hands on various tools to monitor cloud costs, allocate then optimize cloud costs with rich analytics.

ALSO READ: New Microsoft Partner Agreement for CSP partners

MachPanel Automation Platform for Microsoft CSP

In this era of digital transformation, a complete service delivery platform is the need of today for a successful business transformation. MachPanel is a complete Multi-Cloud Service Orchestration & Delivery Platform (MSOP) that empowers CSPs to get more with less. MachPanel provides CSP benefits to organizations in order to fulfill all requirements and stay up-to-date in this fast paced cloud journey. With a Hybrid Cloud-based Marketplace and WHMCS & SpamExperts on board, MachPanel has all it takes for a successful CSP business.

Get MachPanel and discover the hidden potential of your business with CSP benefits, offerings and latest features.

Lets TalkRequest a Demo

The post Latest Microsoft Azure Updates | A Guide to Unlock CSP Benefits appeared first on MachSol Blog.

Microsoft has proposed the agreement based on a few valid reasons like simplifying the contracting procedure, clarifying and distinguishing roles and responsibilities in reference to regulatory requirements and to ensure there’s transparency for Microsoft and Microsoft partner network.

The new Agreement

In the latest Microsoft partner agreement, Microsoft replaces all previous Microsoft Agreements for Indirect Resellers and Indirect provider like the Microsoft Cloud Distributor Agreement (MCDA), the Microsoft Cloud Reseller Agreement Multi-Tier Amendment, Microsoft Cloud Reseller Agreement (MCRA), and the Microsoft Cloud Reseller Agreement for US Government Cloud. It also replaces Terms and Conditions Agreement.

The Microsoft partner agreement has a multiple business Microsoft CSP benefits to Partners like:

• Improved transparency that leads to Protection of long-term growth and a smooth business sail for Microsoft partner network.
• Easier adherence to solid business practices and privacy regulations
• Better understanding of roles and responsibilities for a continuous service delivery
• Establishment of trust due to adherence and strong business channel with sound business practices in Microsoft partner network.
• Providing administration access to third-party technical and customer service providers with full confidence.

What Partners need to do?

For organizations already under a CSP Program who are direct bill, indirect providers or indirect resellers, they need to sign up the latest MPA before the deadline approaches. The newer MPA addresses legal concerns in a better manner. Accepting the new Microsoft partner agreement allows for smooth transactions through Partner Center API or User Interface (aka Partner Center Dashboard). Failure to accept the MPA will lead to your organization not being able to add new subscriptions or add seats to existing subscriptions under the CSP Program and the Microsoft partner network. However, the organization will still be able to administer existing subscribers and users. The final deadline to accept the MPA and stay within the CSP Program is Aug. 31, 2020.

MachSol is providing guidance to CSPs including indirect resellers, indirect providers and Direct billing CSPs to adhere to the latest Partner agreement proposed by Microsoft for a smooth and streamlined Cloud Provision and administration experience.

ALSO READ
Become a CSP partner and increase profitability

MachPanel Automation Platform for Microsoft CSP

MachPanel supports full-fledge automation and management of CSP business for Direct and Indirect CSPs.  The robust platform includes end-to-end business management where you can showcase, bundle and sell integrated offers and services through white labeled customized storefront, offer Microsoft O365 & Azure services and Control Billing and reporting with just a few clicks. A Detailed dashboard is there to display Analytics, BI dashboard and streamline Recurring Billing with Payment Processing.

Get on board with MachPanel to cater for all your CSP requirements regarding the new MPA and stay right on track with the latest CSP requirements.

Lets TalkRequest a Demo

The post All You Need to Know about the New Microsoft Partner Agreement for CSP partners appeared first on MachSol Blog.

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.

Today we are excited to announce that MachPanel, the Microsoft Validated Hosting Control Panel offers Business management layer to Microsoft CSPs based Microsoft Azure offerings. In order to  determine which Microsoft cloud solution best meets your requirements, you need to think of Microsoft Azure CSP Process Automation, service management, resource monitoring, security infrastructure, auditing, ease of deployment, future growth, billing, backup, retention, support and a bunch of other topics. If you are looking for unified interface which provides a comprehensive business life cycle for Microsoft Azure Products then MachPanel the Service Orchestration Platform (SOP) is a right choice for you.

Manipulate your profit margins

A recommended Microsoft validated solution that provides best management of industry-leading SaaS services, Microsoft Office 365, and Microsoft Azure by providing profit margins to add up over service provider pricing along with reseller/customer management, billing, invoicing and reporting functionality. MachPanel the Multi-Cloud Service Orchestration & Delivery Platform (MSOP) offers Microsoft Azure profit margin management for CSP Tier 1 providers as well as, it provides opportunity to offer Resell Microsoft Azure products through built-in reseller’s workflows even at Microsoft CSP tier 1.

Complete bird-eye view of your Azure based usage

MachPanel CSP module provides detailed Azure Usage report both at reseller and customer level. Using MachPanel providers have ability to automate provisioning of flexible Azure subscriptions, set a profit rate for themselves and resellers, generate of invoices based on the rates and can view the revenue / cost at subscription level. A provider can increase profit rates on the basis of income.

ALSO READ
Become a CSP partner and increase profitability

MachPanel fill-up the gape between your business & Azure offerings

When you compare MS Azure managed via MachPanel, you will get the insight that MachPanel covers the Microsoft Azure shortcoming by optimizing your cloud resources, managing income and costs allocation. Now, with MachPanel pay-as-you-go model it’s easier, flexible and more compliant to manage profit margining, resell and expand revenue streams for Microsoft Azure providers.

It’s essential to evaluate the reliability and capability of a service provider thus MachPanel provides comprehensive cloud automation solution for Microsoft Azure.

MachPanel the Multi-Cloud Service Orchestration & Delivery Platform (MSOP) is an ideal solution that fits for your need, supporting feature that no one else can provide.

Purchase NowRequest a Demo

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