Microsoft Partner Onboarding Academy

Welcome to the Microsoft Partner Onboarding Academy, your gateway to your partner journey.🔗

This Academy will walk you through the steps necessary to get started and prosper as a Microsoft Partner.

What is a Partner?

There are multiple types of partnerships with Microsoft:

  • Engineering Partnership — Launching a joint technical project
  • Co-Sell / GTM — Primary focus of this Academy

Why become a Microsoft Partner?

The Microsoft Partner Onboarding Academy’s Modules are organized into sections which reflect the typical partner journey:

  1. Onboard: This is the first step towards becoming a Microsoft Partner. This will give you entry into Partner Center, which is how and where you can access all of the Partner benefits.
  2. Build: Learn about Azure services and build your Azure skills.
    • NOTE: Sometimes this step is done prior to onboarding.
  3. Market: Now that you have access to Partner Center and a solution on Azure, the next step is to create an offer in the Azure Marketplace. Learn how to share leads and understand the rewards available to you.
  4. Grow: Once you understand the Marketplace, start to grow your business through other Co-Sell incentives.
  5. Accelerate: Take your partnership to the next level by fully utilizing Partner Incentives.

Key Concepts

NOTE: Microsoft uses many acronyms. Use this page to understand the most common acronyms.

Below are key concepts and definitions you’ll see used in this Academy:

  • Partner Center: A portal for Partners to manage their account, offers, customers, and billing.
  • Microsoft Commercial Marketplace: Where customers discover and purchase your solutions.
  • Offer: Software or service that the customer purchases (i.e., solutions).
  • Co-Sell: Selling with Microsoft.

Partner types:

  • ISV: Independent Software Vendor
    • Use this page to see some ISV specific benefits and programs
  • SI: Systems Integrator
  • Channel: Scale Solution Providers, Managed Service Providers, Hosters, Indirect Providers, and Telecos

How does a Partner get started?

The first step is to start the onboarding process.

FAQ

Have questions not addressed here? See our FAQ.

Additional resources