Microsoft slaps its silver and gold partners

Posted on 2019-07-09 by guenni

[German]Microsoft is currently slapping its Silver and Gold partners and Action Pack buyer with some changes to the 'terms and conditions' that make them much worse. Internal use licenses of Action Pack will be removed, and support calls are charged. Update: The decision has been cancelled.

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I'm usually not active in this area, but I stumbled upon a tweet from @PhantomofMobile about this topic.

You don't have to follow the link to the British Channelweb website, you have to be registered to read the article. The point is that after 30 years, Microsoft has decided to change things and withdraw internal product use license from Action Pack for Silver and Gold partners and the ability to provide a certain amount of free technical support. The tweet of an MVP brings more light into the darkness.

Affected Microsoft partners speak of a 'crazy' decision by the company. There are many answers to the initial tweet.

Changes for Microsoft Partners

Susan Bradley has pulled out the most important points at Askwoody.com. There will be two changes for those affected.

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No more internal usage rights: Partners had the opportunity to purchase an action pack that provided licenses for various Microsoft products, including server and desktop applications. Microsoft is now withdrawing the so-called "internal usage rights" for these action packs from partners.

  • Support tickets will be charged: Action Pack or Silver and Gold partners have usually been able to open 10 (or more) free support cases with Microsoft. This was the case when partners have a issues with a Microsoft product. Microsoft terminates the ability to open free support cases for products. In the future, these partners will have to pay 499 US $ for each support case opened for a on-premise product (provided that the fee does not increase).
  • No more internal usage rights: Partners had the opportunity to purchase an action pack that provided licenses for various Microsoft products, including server and desktop applications. Microsoft is now withdrawing the so-called "internal usage rights" for these action packs from partners.

In this document, we now read about the latter point:

Effective July 1, 2020, we will retire the internal use rights (IUR) association with the product licenses partners receive in the Microsoft Action Pack and included with a competency. Product license use rights will be updated to be used for business development scenarios such as demonstration purposes, solution/services development purposes, and internal training.

Beginning October 1, 2019, the product licenses included with competencies will be specific to the competency you attain. Please review the benefits you will receive with your competency in Partner Center at time of purchase. Additional licenses can be purchased through commercial licensing to run your business.

What do you think about this changes? Are you affected? Is it a smart or necessary move from Microsoft?

Addendum: I just came across a message on Twitter from Susan Bradley (Patch Lady) calling for a petition to be signed. Details may be found within the following tweet.

It looks as if the new petition will reach the target of 2,500 signatures within a few hours.

Addendum: Mary Foley just wrote an article at ZDNet. According to Foley, Microsoft's execs defends on an AMA session the decision. But the video with the AMA recording has been deleted.

Update: The decision has been cancelled. See Rollback: Microsoft doesn't cut internal use rights for its Gold and Silver partners

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