Introducing Azure Plan
On 21st July 2021 a phased approach to the Azure Plan transition will begin, affecting both new and existing Azure opportunities. The first phase begins with all new Azure CSP business transacting through the new Azure Plan offer. Our Azure Practice Lead and Account Director, Emily Whelan, discusses the changes and what it means to you and your customers below:
The upcoming changes to the Azure offering for CSP are bound to be leaving you with questions. It is important to note that the Azure Practice is on hand for any support, questions or guidance. Our job is to ensure that the new commerce experience is as sleek as it can be for you and your customers.
In short, the New Azure Plan is an enriched Azure experience designed to streamline and consolidate the way you and your customers buy and consume Azure solutions.
The three phased approach to the transition means three things:
- At this stage, if you are an existing Azure partner transacting through the old Azure Plan, you can continue to offer this to your customers
- All new Azure business in CSP will transact through the new Azure Plan
- If you are an existing partner on the old Azure offer, only your existing transacting customers can continue to transact through this. Any net-new Azure customers you have will only be able to purchase new Azure plan
From 21st July, the previous Azure offer will no longer be visible in CASCADE. Any existing Azure Plan subscriptions will still work at this stage of the transition.
The new Azure Plan brings some great benefits. For one, it’ll be easier to streamline customer requirements; there will be consistent pricing in USD and added capabilities like Azure Cost Management – a great tool to give insight into Azure resource pricing ahead of your transition to the new plan.
More information regarding the next stages of the transition will be released closer to their launch dates. We will continue to update you as we receive insight from Microsoft. Here is an overview of the stages based on what we know so far:
- Phase One begins 21st July 2021 with all new Azure business on New Plan
- Phase Two will come in calendar year 2022, and will see partner margin opportunity and incentives associated with the previous offer removed
- Phase Three has yet to have a date set. At this point, all remaining customers and partners on the old offering in CSP will need to have migrated to Azure Plan
Please get in touch if you have any questions about Azure Plan and how it works for you and your customers.
