June 2026 announcements

This page provides the announcements for Microsoft Partner Center for June 2026.

Updated Microsoft Partner Agreement takes effect December 1, 2026

Preview the updated Microsoft Partner Agreement (MPA) in Partner Center.

• Date: June 17, 2026
• Workspace: General
• Impacted audience: Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) partners

Your updated Microsoft Partner Agreement (MPA) is now available in Partner Center.

For all partners except Cloud Solution Prover (CSP) direct bill and distributor partners in France, the updated MPA automatically takes effect on December 1, 2026. No action, signature, or acknowledgment is required. Alternatively, you may accept the updated MPA in Partner Center before December 1, in which case it will take effect at the time of explicit acceptance.

For direct bill and distributor partners in France, your MPA has a fixed term that expires annually and your explicit acceptance of the updated terms is required. To avoid expiration of your agreement and/or interruption of your ability to transact, you must accept the updated MPA in Partner Center between December 1, 2026, and February 28, 2027.

An updated CSP Program Guide is also available. It's applicable to all direct bill and distributor partners and takes effect December 1, 2026. No action is required from you.

We have updated the terms and conditions of the MPA and CSP Program Guide to reflect current business practices and to support our commitment to privacy, security, compliance, and transparency.

Next steps

• Learn about the Microsoft Partner Agreement (MPA) for CSP program partners.
• Review the updated MPA (direct bill and distributor partners).
• Review the updated MPA (indirect reseller).
• Review a summary of changes to the MPA.
• Read the CSP Program Guide.

View promotion details directly in Partner Center

Partners can now view promotion details in the Partner Center UX in addition to downloading the promotions list.

• Date: June 15, 2026
• Workspace: Pricing
• Impacted audience: Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) direct bill partners and distributors.

Building on the promotions download capability launched in March 2026, partners can now view promotion details directly in the Partner Center UX without needing to download the file.

What's new

• In-UX promotion browsing: The Benefits page in the Pricing workspace now displays promotions in a table view with Product ID, Name, Sku Id, and Description columns.
• Promotion details panel: Select any promotion row to open a details panel showing full information including offer start/end dates, auto-apply status, term, billing cycle, discount type and value, and eligibility constraints.

Next steps

• Navigate to Pricing > Benefits in Partner Center to explore the new experience.
• Review the updated documentation: View promotions in Partner Center.

New: End of Sale Pricelist for Software now available

A new End of Sale Pricelist for Software is being added to Partner Center, effective July 1, 2026.

• Date: June 15, 2026
• Workspace: Pricing
• Impacted audience: Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) direct bill partners and distributors.

A new End of Sale Pricelist for Software will be available in Partner Center effective July 1, 2026. This price list identifies software products that are no longer available for new purchases, including their end-of-sale start and end dates.

What's included

The End of Sale Pricelist for Software includes:

• Product and SKU identifiers
• Term duration and billing plan
• Unit price and estimated retail price (ERP)
• EndOfSaleStartDate — the date when the product is no longer available for sale
• EndOfSaleEndDate — the end date for the end-of-sale period
• Market, currency, and segment information

Next steps

• Review the Software pricing documentation for field details and examples.
• Prepare your systems to consume the new price list when it becomes available on July 1, 2026.

Reminder: ReferenceId format update in reconciliation files

Reminder: The ReferenceId attribute in Billed and Unbilled Reconciliation files is updated to a structured JSON format effective June 15, 2026.

• Date: June 15, 2026
• Workspace: Billing
• Impacted audience: Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) direct bill partners and distributors.

As previously announced, the ReferenceId attribute in Billed Reconciliation and Unbilled Reconciliation files is now updated to use a structured JSON format, effective June 15, 2026.

What changed

The ReferenceId value now uses the following structured JSON format:

{
  "osId": "ab12Cdef-GiJ3-ab12-Cdef-ab12CdefGiJ3",
  "id": "ab12CdefGiJ3",
  "v": 2
}

This change applies to:

• Billed Reconciliation files
• Unbilled Reconciliation files

Partner impact

• Partners who parse or process ReferenceId as a string must update their logic to handle the JSON structure.
• Billing logic, pricing, charges, and invoice totals aren't impacted.
• Download locations and access methods remain unchanged.

Next steps

• Verify that your reconciliation processing and reporting solutions support the new ReferenceId JSON format.
• Review the original announcement for full details on the change and its rationale.
• See updated reconciliation file documentation:
  • Reconciliation file fields
  • Billing scenarios for one-time and recurring purchases

Copilot Cowork and Microsoft Scout: What partners need to know

Copilot Cowork is now available alongside Microsoft Scout agent experience.

• Date: June 16, 2026
• Workspace: General
• Impacted audience: Software development companies, systems integrators (SIs), and Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) partners.

Microsoft has announced new agentic experiences in Microsoft 365 Copilot, including the general availability of Copilot Cowork and the introduction of Microsoft Scout, along with usage-based pricing using Copilot Credits.

Copilot Cowork is an agentic system designed for complex, long-running, multi-tool work. It uses organizational context across Microsoft 365 and connected systems to help move work forward while operating within existing Microsoft 365 security, compliance, and governance controls.

At general availability (GA), Cowork now has added value with several new features:

• Multiple models, matched with your work
• New security and compliance capabilities
• Partner and Dynamics 365 plugins

Microsoft also introduced Microsoft Scout, an always-on personal agent available in Frontier with a limited set of customers. It spans cloud, desktop, and web, connecting with Teams, Outlook, OneDrive, and SharePoint, along with the everyday data people use most, including chats, emails, calendar, and contacts. Users can engage with Scout in Teams and can expand what it can act on through the desktop app, including browser activity, local resources, and model context protocol servers.

These updates are designed to work within the Microsoft 365 security, compliance, and governance foundation that customers already use, with admin controls available to manage access, budgets, and usage.

Usage-based billing

Copilot Cowork requires a Microsoft 365 Copilot license and usage-based billing with Copilot Credits. For Microsoft Scout, pricing will vary based on usage, and Microsoft will share additional cost guidance when available.

For partners, usage-based billing unlocks opportunities to drive Cowork usage, expand services across deployment and governance, and deliver differentiated agentic solutions.

Key actions:

• For Frontier customers currently using Cowork, set up usage-based billing in the Microsoft 365 admin center by June 30, 2026.
• Visualize high-impact Cowork use cases for customers.
• Configure credit management and policies.
• Guide customers through adoption and change management.

Next steps

Resources:

• Partner Cowork + usage-based billing launch kit
• Microsoft 365 Copilot partner FAQ
• Microsoft Scout partner FAQ
• Cowork cost estimator
• Microsoft 365 Cowork GA announcement blog
• Microsoft Scout announcement blog
• Microsoft Scout Learn documentation
• Copilot Credits Learn documentation

Reminder: Microsoft 365 pricing and packaging updates coming in 2026

Reminder: Microsoft 365 pricing and packaging updates coming in 2026. Lock in current pricing by closing renewals before July 1.

• Date: June 15, 2026
• Workspace: General
• Impacted audience: Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) partners, including distributors, indirect resellers, direct bill partners, and scale solution providers (SSPs).

As previously announced, Microsoft is expanding the availability of security and management capabilities across commercial Microsoft 365 suites this year. Along with these added features, a global pricing update will take effect across all purchasing channels on July 1, 2026.

This is a key moment for partners to accelerate renewals and upgrades—and for scale solution providers to drive Enterprise Agreement upgrade decisions—ahead of the price increase.

• Encourage customers to renew before July 1 so they can retain current pricing and ensure business continuity.
• Use the pricing and packaging changes to drive upsell motions to Microsoft 365 E3, Microsoft 365 E5, and Microsoft 365 Business + Microsoft 365 Copilot at renewal.

Be sure to activate the available incentives, promotions, and offers for Microsoft 365 E3 and E5—as well as Microsoft 365 Copilot Business bundles and promotions—so your customers can adopt and realize the full value of AI faster.

Next steps

• Learn more about the pricing and packaging changes effective July 1, 2026.
• Register for the FY27 GTM kickoff.
• Review upcoming renewals and prioritize high-propensity accounts for upsell paths to Microsoft E3 and E5 or Copilot Business with Microsoft CloudAscent.
• Download the partner launch kit (including a partner FAQ, sales guidance deck, customer OFT, and customer pitch decks) to prepare for upcoming renewal and upsell conversations.

New: Partner Skilling discussion board

Introducing the new Partner Skilling discussion board on Tech Community—your go-to destination for skilling opportunities and expertise.

• Date: June 15, 2026
• Workspace: General
• Impacted audience: All partners

Be part of a dedicated partner community where you can discover skilling resources, engage directly with Microsoft subject matter experts, and get real-time support as you grow across Microsoft solution areas.

This new space is designed for you to learn, connect, and scale your business through resources and expertise made with your customers in mind.

Next steps

Visit the new Partner Skilling discussion board.

Every technical update, delivered right to your inbox

Stay ahead of API changes, compliance requirements, and security updates with clear technical guidance.

• Date: June 11, 2026
• Workspace: General
• Impacted audience: Developers, compliance leads, admins, and other partners in technical roles.

Get the latest technical updates and detailed implementation guidance designed to keep your operations running smoothly.

We regularly make technical enhancements, including API changes, compliance requirement modifications, and security updates such as multifactor authentication (MFA) enforcement—and staying ahead of these changes has a big impact on how you build, automate, and deliver for your customers.

Subscribe to the newsletter today to receive timely implementation guidance, resource links, and other action items so your technical teams can prepare for upcoming changes, avoid disruption for your business, and deliver stronger customer experiences.

You get the latest updates on:

• MFA enforcement for Partner Center APIs—timelines, technical requirements, and how to stay unblocked.
• Commerce and billing API updates that affect provisioning, subscription management, and reconciliation.
• Deprecation and migration timelines so you're prepared.
• New platform capabilities and tooling updates that reduce manual overhead so you can ship faster.

Next steps

Subscribe to the newsletter.

Monthly Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program update

What’s new for Solutions Partner designations, specializations, and other Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program offerings and benefits.

• Date: June 10, 2026
• Workspace: Membership
• Impacted audience: Partners enrolled in the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program

This month’s updates continue to enhance partner differentiation and readiness across high-demand solution areas. Key changes include specialization updates that integrate AI capabilities, revised skilling and performance requirements, and streamlined qualification frameworks to support partner growth and agility.

Partner University Retirement Reminder

Partner University will be retired effective 15 June 2026, impacting partners aspiring to enroll in the Modern Work Solutions Partner designation and two Modern Work specializations.

Here’s what partners need to know:

• Existing Partner University user linkings continue to be honored. Partners receive credit and skilling score for these linkings until June 2027.
• After June 2027, all Partner University assessments will be fully retired and will no longer be used for reporting, skilling score calculation, or as a program requirement.
• No new user linkings to Partner University will be allowed after 15 June 2026.
• The current Partner University user experience available through the Learn profile page in Membership will also be retired as part of this change.
• In the coming months, Partner University assessments will be complemented by a new set of skilling requirements. These new requirements are added as an OR condition alongside the existing Partner University assessments during the transition period.

Changes to Specializations and Solutions Partner Designations

The following skilling options have been added to the specialization as of June 5, 2026:

• The AI Platform on Microsoft Azure specialization has added the Microsoft Certified: Machine Learning Operations Engineer Associate certification as a skilling option to address the retiring of the Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Scientist Associate.

Coming Soon

Upcoming Skilling Changes

The following skilling changes are coming to the below specializations at the end of June 2026:

The following skilling changes are coming to the below Solutions Partner designations at the end of June 2026. All changes apply to both Enterprise and SMB tracks:

The following skilling changes are coming to the below specializations at the end of July 2026:

The following skilling changes are coming to the below Solutions Partner designations at the end of July 2026. All changes apply to both Enterprise and SMB tracks:

Certifications and Applied Skills are regularly updated throughout their lifecycle, which can impact specializations and Solutions Partner designations. In the case of a retiring certification or applied skill impacting a specialization or Solutions Partner designation, the following are true:

• Skilling achieved prior to its retirement remains valid for one year.
• New skilling will be added, if the replacement skilling is applicable to those specializations and designations.
• We’ll detail the new requirements in Partner Center as they go into effect.

The Adoption and Change Management specialization will be retired June 25, 2026

The Adoption Change Management specialization is being retired. Rather than have a standalone specialization, adoption & change management capabilities are embedded within product-aligned specializations, ensuring change management is evaluated in the context of specific solutions while we retire this more general-purpose specialization. After retirement, new enrollments and renewals will no longer be accepted. If you're currently enrolled, your specialization remains active until your anniversary date.

Upcoming Specialization Mergers

Three new specializations are created by merging existing specializations in the coming months. Stay tuned for more information on these exciting new offerings!

• The Analytics on Microsoft Azure, Data Warehouse Migration to Microsoft Azure, and Business Intelligence specializations are merging into a new Analytics on Microsoft Azure specialization. Partners who are currently enrolled in Analytics or Data Warehouse Migration will be automatically enrolled into the new merged Analytics specialization with the same anniversary date.
• The Low Code Application Development and Intelligent Automation specializations are merging into a new Agentic Business Solutions specialization. Partners who are currently enrolled in Low Code or Intelligent Automation will be automatically enrolled into the new merged Agentic Business Solutions specialization with the same anniversary date.
• The Kubernetes on Microsoft Azure and Migrate Enterprise Applications to Microsoft Azure specializations are merging into a new App Modernization on Microsoft Azure specialization. Partners who are currently enrolled in Kubernetes or Migrate Enterprise Applications will be automatically enrolled into the new merged App Modernization specialization with the same anniversary date.

Audit Checklists for All Four Security Specializations

Coming July 2026, we're moving to an audit-based model for all four Microsoft Security Specializations (Cloud Security, Data Security, Identity & Access Management, and Threat Protection). The new audit validates whether partners can deliver Microsoft Security solutions in real customer environments.

This audit will be conducted by an independent, third-party auditor. The duration of the audit depends on scheduling between the auditor and the partner. The audit will be funded by the partner and conducted every two years.

When the change goes live, partners are given a six-month extension to their anniversary date to allow time to prepare for the audit.

Partners receive a Pass or No Pass result upon completion of the audit process, including if they withdraw from the audit.

How you can prepare your partners today:

• Get familiar with the four Security Specializations.
• More details on what is included in the audit will be released in the coming months. In the meantime, identify SMEs within your partners’ organizations who can support sourcing the required artifacts.

Microsoft 365 Copilot specialization updates coming in July

Microsoft is updating the Microsoft Copilot specialization to align with evolving customer demand and the latest Microsoft 365 Copilot and agent capabilities. Beginning in July 2026, the specialization is renamed to the Microsoft 365 Copilot specialization.

What’s changing

• Performance measurement updates
• Performance requirements measure paid Microsoft 365 Copilot monthly active usage (MAU) only.
• Updated certification requirements
  • The Microsoft 365 Certified: Administrator Expert (MS-102) certification requirement is removed, along with Applied Skills: Prepare security and compliance to support Copilot (APL-4002) and Create custom agents with Microsoft Copilot Studio (APL-7008), which retire at the end of June 2026. New certification requirements, including Agentic AI Business Solutions Architect (AB-100) and AI Agent Builder Associate (AB-620), will be added to address the retirement of APL-7008.
• Customer references replaced with a capabilities audit
• Customer references is replaced with a third-party capabilities audit. The audit will require real customer examples and remain valid for two years.

Audit Checklists Preview is available now

Starting this month all of the Azure Specialization checklists have been updated to contain the Preview Link for the upcoming changes and updates. These Preview versions will be available for one month before the changes go public on July 1.

Security insights now available in Copilot tab of ASPX

A new, singular view of your data security signals and Copilot opportunity data.

• Date: June 9, 2026
• Workspace: General
• Impacted audience: CSP distributors, CSP indirect resellers, CSP direct bill partners, Scale Solution Providers (SSPs), Global Systems Integrators/systems integrators (GSIs/SIs)

The Copilot tab of the AI Business Solutions & Security Insights dashboard surfaces data security signals alongside Copilot opportunity data, bringing data security readiness and Microsoft 365 Copilot opportunity into a single side-by-side view.

What changed:

Microsoft 365 Copilot accelerates how quickly users can access information across the tenant, which makes oversharing, sensitive data exposure, and missing protection controls a far more urgent customer conversation.

What it means for partners:

• Identify Copilot-ready tenants by data security readiness in a single view—no more cross-referencing tabs.
• Anchor Copilot conversations in the risks customers feel most acutely—oversharing and sensitive data exposure—instead of leading with a product pitch.
• Drive Microsoft 365 E5 upsell, and expansion tied to Copilot deployment, with clear services attach paths (workshops, assessments, pilots, deployment) via storytelling playbook scenarios.

Pair with the storytelling playbook:

The Copilot tab update is designed to be used together with the ASPX Data Security storytelling playbook, which turns ASPX data security signals into clear, confident customer conversations. The playbook's three scenarios (data risk with no controls, controls with gaps, and monitoring without prevention) map directly to what you see in the updated Copilot tab.

Partners can access the new experience through Partner Center under the Insights workspace.  They can also request onboarding to our API. Look for the Data Security Maturity column in the Copilot tab.

For comprehensive documentation, visit:

• About AI Business Solutions & Security Insights
• Partner API for AI Business Solutions & Security Insights
• AI Business Solutions & Security Insights in Partner Center

Next steps

For any questions, issues, or assistance, contact us via Partner Center support.

Introducing Pitch Maker Agent (beta)

Turn Copilot Chat usage into Microsoft 365 Copilot deals with the Pitch Maker Agent (beta) experience.

• Date: June 9, 2026
• Workspace: General
• Impacted audience: CSP distributors, CSP indirect resellers, CSP direct bill partners, and GSIs/SIs

Across the Microsoft partner ecosystem, a consistent signal is emerging: customers are already engaging with AI through Copilot Chat—often widely and without structure or scalable governance. That creates a clear opportunity for partners to lead.

With the Microsoft 365 Copilot Pitch Maker Agent (beta), you can convert early AI usage into standardized Microsoft 365 Copilot value. Through a guided conversational experience, the agent generates a complete, data-backed business case that connects real Copilot Chat signals to customer outcomes, aligning them to core workloads like Teams, Outlook, and Excel.

Next steps

• Learn more.
• See it in action.
• Deploy the agent.

MFA enforcement for Partner Center APIs

Multifactor authentication (MFA) enforcement for Partner Center APIs: Take action immediately.

• Date: June 8, 2026
• Workspace: General
• Impacted audience: Partners using app+user authentication for Partner Center API integrations

Microsoft implemented progressive enforcement of multifactor authentication (MFA) across all Partner Center app+user APIs via incremental traffic exposure. This builds on the MFA requirements already enforced for the Partner Center portal and extends the same level of protection to API-based access.

If your systems aren't yet fully configured for MFA, you are at risk of service disruption. Set up your users with MFA and make sure all app+user API integrations are updated to support MFA as soon as possible.

Any app+user API calls made without a valid MFA claim may be blocked and return a 401 response with error code 900421.

If your business relies on automation for provisioning, billing, customer management, or support operations, treat this as a top-tier reliability requirement, not a background security item.

Delaying action continues to result in blocked API calls and operational disruption.

Next steps

• Inventory app+user API integrations across your tools and partner-facing experiences.
• Validate token acquisition flows and confirm a valid MFA claim is included end-to-end.
• Test in sandbox and production-aligned environments where applicable, then monitor for 401 and 900421 patterns to catch gaps early.
• View this video to learn how to identify non-MFA users and applications using Microsoft Entra sign-in logs.

New Microsoft 365 Copilot promotion: Customers can save 15% on three-year commitments for 300+ licenses

New Microsoft 365 Copilot promotion: Customers can save 15% on three-year commitments for 300+ licenses.

• Date: June 8, 2026
• Workspace: General
• Impacted audience: CSP authorized partners

Customers are moving beyond pilots and aligning Copilot investments to long-term Microsoft 365 strategies, creating a prime opportunity for partners to convert pipeline into larger, multi-year deals.

Microsoft recently introduced a new three-year purchasing option for Microsoft 365 Copilot through CSP, and for a limited time, partners have a new lever to help accelerate close, expand deal size, and lock in long-term value with a promotional offer providing 15% off when customers commit to this new three-year option. Use this offer to position Copilot as a strategic, multi-year investment to drive bigger commitments, unlock services attach, and turn active opportunities into predictable, long-term revenue.

Offer details:

Effective June 1, 2026, eligible CSP partners can now offer 15% off the net partner price for Microsoft 365 Copilot to customers committing to this three-year purchasing agreement with 300-plus licenses through September 30, 2026.

• Customer Eligibility: Available to new and existing customers committing to a three-year term and purchasing 300-plus licenses.
• Availability: Worldwide, from June 1 through September 30, 2026.
• Billing: Triennial commitment with annual billing. Confirm final pricing and terms at checkout in Partner Center.

Why it matters:

For partners:

• Increase deal size and duration. Three-year Copilot commitments support larger engagements and more predictable recurring revenue.
• Strengthen strategic conversations. Use the promotion to position Copilot as a long-term AI investment.
• Expand services attach. Create more opportunities across deployment, adoption, governance, optimization, etc..

For customers:

• Align with existing Microsoft 365 term strategy. Match Copilot adoption to current Microsoft 365 E3 and E5 three-year investments.
• Scale with confidence. Support broader deployments beyond initial pilots.
• Gain pricing predictability. Lock in pricing for three years to support long-term planning.

Recommended actions:

• Identify priority opportunities: Prioritize customers with existing Microsoft 365 multi-year agreements, budget clarity, and readiness for broader Copilot deployment.
• Position the right term: Use one-year terms for pilots and early adoption; use three-year terms for scaled deployments and long-term AI transformation.
• Lead with services: Attach readiness, deployment, adoption, governance, and optimization services to increase deal value.
• Validate before quoting: Review updated SKU pricing, promotion eligibility, and billing options in Partner Center at the time of purchase.

Next steps

• Review your Copilot pipeline now and use the June 1 promotion to convert high-potential opportunities into multi-year deals.
• Use the CSP Microsoft 365 Copilot promo kit and CSP Microsoft 365 Copilot partner promo FAQ to support your customer engagements.

Dynamics 365 Business Central Dual Use Rights license keys update

Download and replace license keys every six months to continue using on-premises Dynamics 365 Business Central online.

• Date: June 5, 2026
• Workspace: General
• Impacted audience: CSP partners

Effective June 5, 2026, Dynamics 365 Business Central online customers running on-premises deployments of Business Central via Dual Use Rights (DUR) license keys must download and replace their license keys every six months to continue using the on-premises product.

These license keys prevent continued use of the on-premises environment beyond the end date of the subscription’s term (when the license key was downloaded), plus a buffer period. Use of the DUR license beyond the expiration of the Business Central online subscription (such as during the buffer period) is prohibited.

Next steps

Customers may download new and replacement DUR license keys from the Microsoft 365 Admin Center (MAC).

Partners are responsible for ensuring that customer subscriptions are kept up to date and products aren't used beyond their licensed subscription terms.

Build in-demand capabilities at Microsoft AI Skills Fest

Free digital skilling event for Microsoft partners, June 8–12.

• Date: June 4, 2026
• Workspace: General
• Impacted audience: All partners

Register for Microsoft AI Skills Fest, a free digital skilling event taking place June 8–12. Build in-demand AI skills, explore practical training, and discover new ways to strengthen customer solutions and support business growth. Plus, to fast-track completion of the Frontier Transformation Engineer badge, join the Frontier Transformation Engineer Summit on June 9. This live, expert-led skilling experience covers Microsoft Agent Factory at scale, organizational readiness, and AI agent development. Solution engineers and architects building AI agents across the Frontier stack—including Microsoft Foundry, Microsoft Copilot Studio, Microsoft 365 Copilot, GitHub Copilot, Microsoft Fabric, and Microsoft Agent 365—can validate their expertise with the Frontier Transformation Engineer badge.

Next steps

Find out more and register for the event.

New licensing prerequisite for Agent 365

New licensing prerequisite for Agent 365: Microsoft 365 E5 required for new purchases starting June 1, 2026.

• Date: June 4, 2026
• Workspace: General
• Impacted audience: Partners supporting Agent 365 customer engagements.

Effective June 1, Microsoft is introducing Microsoft 365 E5 as a new license prerequisite for new Microsoft Agent 365 purchases. This update is intended to help customers have the foundational security, identity, compliance, and management capabilities required to support core Agent 365 functionality.

For new Agent 365 purchases beginning June 1:

• Enterprise customers must have Microsoft 365 E5.
• Frontline worker (FLW) users must have Microsoft Defender and Purview (F5 level).
• Small and medium-sized business (SMB) customers must have Microsoft 365 Business Premium.

Customers without these prerequisite licenses may not have access to certain Agent 365 capabilities. This update doesn't change Microsoft 365 E7 customer engagements, as Microsoft 365 E7 includes Microsoft 365 E5, Agent 365, Microsoft 365 Copilot, and Microsoft Entra Suite.

Partners can use this change as an opportunity to review licensing requirements early in Agent 365 discussions, identify customers who may need prerequisite licenses, and position the appropriate Microsoft security and productivity foundation based on customer needs.

Next steps

For more guidance, refer to the Frontier Transformation partner hub and the Agent 365 FAQ.

Work IQ API and consumptive pricing update

Work IQ API reaches GA June 16 with consumption-based pricing using Copilot Credits.

• Date: June 3, 2026
• Workspace: General
• Impacted audience: Software development companies (SDCs), systems integrators (SIs), and Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) partners.

On June 2, we announced that Work IQ API will reach general availability (GA) on June 16, allowing customers to build agents and apps that use Microsoft 365 data, context, and tools securely and at scale.

How this impacts customers:

Work IQ API is billed through a consumption-based model using Copilot Credits, a unified consumption currency that also covers Microsoft Copilot Studio and other Microsoft AI services. Copilot Credit balances can now be applied to Work IQ API usage. There's no separate Work IQ API subscription, SKU, or per-user license.

• Users incur Work IQ API charges directly when they use custom agents built in Microsoft Copilot Studio, Foundry, or third-party AI platforms that are grounded in their Microsoft 365 data through Work IQ APIs.
• For users accessing Microsoft 365 Copilot prebuilt agents, Work IQ usage is covered by licensing, and no Copilot Credits are required.

Before Work IQ usage can begin at GA on June 16, an administrator must enable consumptive billing. Starting on this date, partners should advise customers to use the Microsoft Admin Center to set up the appropriate payment method, turn on access for relevant services, and configure controls such as access policies, limits, and alerts before deployment.

Action needed post-GA:

If your customer uses Work IQ API through custom agents created in Copilot Studio, Foundry, or third-party AI platforms—or they want to start using them—action is required. On June 16, administrators can configure service and user access in the Microsoft admin center to continue using Work IQ with third-party solutions.

• Set up consumption-based billing for the Work IQ API by configuring the appropriate payment methods.
• Create access policies for groups, departments, and individual users in Microsoft Admin Center.
• Configure usage limits and alerts to govern spend across your organization.

Recommended partner actions:

• Work with customer administrators to prepare by enabling pay-as-you-go in Microsoft Admin Center, confirming payment setup, and applying access policies, limits, and alerts for the right users and services.
• Tell customers using Work IQ API in preview that general availability begins on June 16 and that any custom or third-party agent or application using Work IQ should be reviewed before that date.

Next steps

Resources:

• Work IQ API blog announcement
• CSP partner Copilot FAQ
• Microsoft Admin Center for enabling and managing pay-as-you-go
• Copilot Credits overview

Updated skilling for two Solutions Partner designations

We've updated skilling requirements for Solutions Partner designations for Modern Work and Digital & App Innovation.

• Date: June 2, 2026
• Workspace: General
• Impacted audience: Partners who are currently enrolled in or are in the process of attaining a Modern Work or Digital & App Innovation Solutions Partner designation.

As part of ongoing alignment with modern market demands and customer needs, we made skilling updates for the Solutions Partner for Modern Work and Solutions Partner for Digital & App Innovation designations. These are effective April 30, 2026, and are live now in Partner Center.

• Solutions Partner for Modern Work: We added the Microsoft 365 Certified: Copilot and Agent Administration Fundamentals certification as an Intermediate skilling option, replacing the retiring Microsoft 365 Fundamentals certification, across both Enterprise and SMB tracks.
• Solutions Partner for Digital & App Innovation: We added GitHub Actions, GitHub Administration, GitHub Advanced Security, and GitHub Copilot certifications as Advanced skilling options across both Enterprise and SMB tracks.

No action is required if you already attained the designation. Prepare to meet the new skilling requirement at renewal. If you’re working toward the designation, align to the updated skilling now.

By aligning skilling requirements to in‑demand capabilities, you can keep your Solutions Partner designations current, credible, and better matched to how customers evaluate technical expertise today, and stand out in market and differentiate your capabilities as a result. 

Next steps

Visit the Solutions Partner designations dashboard in Partner Center to see how this change affected your progress toward attaining or renewing a designation today.

Introducing Azure Linux—now available in public preview

Deliver trusted solutions on a Linux platform built for Azure.

• Date: June 2, 2026
• Workspace: General
• Impacted audience: Software development companies, global systems integrators (GSIs), systems integrators (SIs), indirect resellers.

Azure Linux is a Microsoft-built, cloud-optimized Linux distribution designed specifically for Azure—delivering a secure, consistent, and cost-efficient foundation across virtual machines (VMs), containers, and cloud-native workloads. Built with a hardened, secure-by-default architecture and a Microsoft-managed supply chain, Azure Linux helps partners reduce risk, simplify compliance, and deliver trusted solutions to customers.

With Azure Linux, partners can:

• Lower total cost of ownership by eliminating operating system (OS) licensing overhead while maintaining enterprise-grade support.
• Strengthen security by default with a hardened OS, secure supply chain, and predictable updates.
• Optimize performance for Azure with faster boot times, improved networking, and infrastructure-level tuning.
• Standardize environments across VMs, containers, and managed services to reduce operational complexity.
• Build and scale cloud-native and AI workloads on a lightweight, high-performance platform.
• Purpose-built for Azure, Azure Linux empowers partners to standardize on a single, enterprise-grade Linux platform, reducing fragmentation, increasing consistency, and accelerating deployment of modern applications across customer environment.

More Secure Boot certificate check capabilities are planned for future release.

Next steps

Now available in public preview, Azure Linux gives partners a powerful new way to streamline operations, drive efficiency, and unlock greater value from their Azure-based solutions. Register customers for public preview today.

New Microsoft 365 Business with Copilot SKUs available July 1

Simplify AI selling and scale SMB growth with Microsoft 365 Business with Copilot.

• Announcement date: June 1, 2026
• Workspace: General
• Impacted audience: Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) partners, partners selling Microsoft 365 Business to small and medium-sized businesses

Details

Drive faster AI adoption without the friction of promo cycles. Starting July 1, 2026, Microsoft 365 Business Standard with Copilot and Microsoft 365 Business Premium with Copilot become permanent SKUs, giving you a predictable, always-on way to accelerate Frontier Transformation for small and medium-sized business (SMB) customers.

This shift removes the friction of selling Copilot as an add-on or as a short-term promotional offer. AI is now embedded in the core productivity experience your customers already use, helping you position higher-value offers from day one and accelerate time to value.

What’s changing:

• Promotional offers for Microsoft 365 Business Standard with Copilot and Microsoft 365 Business Premium with Copilot are transitioning into permanent subscriptions, with updated list pricing of 23.50 USD and 32 USD per user per month, respectively. New SKUs are available July 1, with price list preview starting June 1 in Partner Center.
• New promo - Microsoft 365 Business Basic + Microsoft 365 Copilot Business: 21 USD per user per month after a 25% off promo, which runs through December 31, 2026. There's no license/user minimum (1 - 300 licenses/users, annual subscription with annual billing).
• Extended promo - Microsoft 365 Copilot Business remains available as a standalone offering at 18 USD per user per month after 15% promo, now extended through December 31, 2026. There's no license/user minimum (1 - 300 licenses/users, annual subscription with annual billing).

What this means for your business:

• Stronger deal value: Lead with bundled AI to increase attach and grow deal size
• Faster renewals: Turn every Business Standard and Premium renewal into a built-in Copilot conversation
• Predictable economics: Stable pricing lets you invest confidently in training, services, and go-to-market

This is your opportunity to make AI the default in every SMB engagement, driving larger opportunities across new customer acquisition, upsell, and renewal.

What to do next:

• Plan your launch-day activation. Download the Microsoft 365 Business with Copilot launch kit and prepare customer emails, social posts, and campaigns so your messaging is ready on day one
• Re-point your acquisition motion. Update your website, quotes, proposals, and outbound campaigns. Lead your default SMB offers with Business Standard with Copilot and Business Premium with Copilot
• Refresh your renewals motion. Identify Business Standard and Business Premium customers renewing in FY27 Q1 and build a Copilot upgrade plan for each account, anchored in durable pricing
• Align your teams. Ensure sales, marketing, and support teams understand the new: SKUs, scope (Standard and Premium only), durable pricing model, and extended Copilot Business and Purview promotions through December 2026, so they deliver a consistent message

Next steps

Check out the blog to learn more about this exciting opportunity.

Minor pricing precision updates for select Microsoft 365 and Office 365 SKUs in EEA currencies

• Announcement date: June 1, 2026
• Workspace: General
• Impacted audience: Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) authorized partners

Details

Effective July 1, select Microsoft 365 and Office 365 SKUs might reflect small price changes, such as a few cents, due to an update in pricing precision required for EU settlement compliance. This change applies to MCA-E, CSP, and buy-online SKUs in EEA currencies.

Next steps

For more information, see EU settlement details.