Microsoft this week said it will expand its unified pricing structure for Online Services under volume licensing programs beginning Nov. 1, 2025.
The update will align prices for all Online Services across Price Levels A-D. Affected licensing plans include Enterprise Agreement (EA), the China-specific Online Services Premium Agreement (OSPA) and the Microsoft Products and Services Agreement (MPSA).
The change applies at customers' next contract renewal or when purchasing new Online Services not listed on their existing Customer Price Sheet. On-prem software, U.S. Government and global education pricing remain unaffected.
This move follows Microsoft's earlier shift to consistent Azure pricing. Competitors like AWS and Google Cloud have similarly pursued simplified, globally aligned pricing models to reduce complexity for enterprise buyers.
Microsoft advises organizations to consult account teams or partners to assess the potential impact on upcoming renewals.
The "RCP Channel Briefing" blog is researched, fact-checked, edited and updated by the editors of RCPmag.com, with writing assistance from AI.
Posted by Redmond Channel Partner magazine staff on August 13, 20250 comments
SonicWall has introduced a slate of new firewalls under its Generation 8 portfolio, with features designed to meet the needs of managed service providers (MSPs) and managed security service providers (MSSPs).
The update includes eight new models, including lighter-footprint TZ280 to the enterprise-ready NSa 5800, all featuring built-in zero trust capabilities, cloud-native management, and SonicWall's first embedded cyber warranty.
The launch also expands SonicWall's platform with unified cloud management and optional co-managed services via its SonicSentry team. Jason Carter, chief revenue officer at SonicWall, said the updates are designed to give partners "every advantage to grow margins, differentiate offerings, and meet their customers' evolving needs."
These changes arrive as MSPs face growing security expectations from clients. Demand for co-managed security services is increasing, especially among midmarket firms. SonicWall's integrated platform -- with monthly billing and no‑commit, in‑arrears options -- supports MSPs and MSSPs in adopting flexible, simplified cybersecurity delivery.
The "RCP Channel Briefing" blog is researched, fact-checked, edited and updated by the editors of RCPmag.com, with writing assistance from AI.
Posted by Redmond Channel Partner magazine staff on August 13, 20250 comments
AvePoint introduced its revamped Global Partner Program this week, adopting a points‑based framework that hands out rewards for partners' proactive involvement, including enablement activities, pre‑sales efforts and customer success milestones.
"By rewarding these activities, we're creating a framework that helps our partners transition to high-value service offerings while strengthening customer relationships," said Scott Sacket, head of partner strategy at AvePoint.
The new model aims to broaden access to benefits like co‑selling initiatives, technical certifications, sales rebates and ongoing support while fostering stronger commercial alignment. AvePoint hopes shifting away from revenue‑only incentives will promote deeper partner engagement at every stage of the customer journey.
"Today's channel landscape demands a more flexible approach that recognizes the diverse ways partners create value," Sacket said.
The "RCP Channel Briefing" blog is researched, fact-checked, edited and updated by the editors of RCPmag.com, with writing assistance from AI.
Posted by Redmond Channel Partner magazine staff on August 12, 20250 comments
Data security and management vendor Cohesity this week introduced the Aspire Partner Program, aimed at simplifying partner engagement across business models, boosting profitability and accelerating technical capability development.
The new program supports a broad range of partner types -- including resellers, integrators, OEMs, distributors and cloud marketplace providers -- and offers three tiered levels: Associate, Preferred and Premier. Benefits include competitive margins, performance-based incentives, joint go-to-market opportunities and centralized access to resources via a streamlined portal.
The program also focuses on technical growth through role-based learning and exclusive Cohesity Aces accreditations with virtual lab access, plus paths for authorized training, professional services and technology partnerships for differentiation.
"We've taken a future-forward approach," said Cohesity's head of global partner sales, Mike Walkey. "This empowers faster growth, profitability, and opportunities to stand out in today's competitive market. It also provides flexibility for partners to ease into emerging technologies like AI or make future shifts in their business model."
The "RCP Channel Briefing" blog is researched, fact-checked, edited and updated by the editors of RCPmag.com, with writing assistance from AI.
Posted by Redmond Channel Partner magazine staff on August 08, 20250 comments
A new partnership announced this week between Microsoft ISV Rubrik and managed security solutions provider Sophos will integrate a new Microsoft 365 backup and recovery solution, optimized for managed detection and response (MDR), into Sophos Central.
This offering allows over 75,000 of Sophos's MDR and extended detection and response (XDR) clients to manage detection, prevention and recovery workflows in one place, without separate interfaces or tools. Using Rubrik's air-gapped Microsoft 365 backup technology with customer-held encryption keys, the solution ensures fast and secure recovery of SharePoint, Exchange, OneDrive and Teams data, even under compromised credentials or ransomware.
"With AI-enabled attacks and sophisticated breaches on the rise, organizations need more than just prevention; they need the ability to recover rapidly and reliably," said Rubrik CEO Bipul Sinha. "Our partnership with Sophos delivers this critical capability directly within a platform security teams already use and trust, raising the bar for Microsoft 365 resilience."
Proofpoint research cited by Rubrik indicates 60 percent of Microsoft 365 tenants have experienced account takeovers and 81 percent email compromises, while nearly half of ransomware victims still pay ransoms instead of recovering via backups. This integration is meant to address those gaps with immutable backup storage and rapid recovery.
The "RCP Channel Briefing" blog is researched, fact-checked, edited and updated by the editors of RCPmag.com, with writing assistance from AI.
Posted by Redmond Channel Partner magazine staff on August 08, 20250 comments
ERP solution provider Univerus has acquired Tangicloud Technologies, a Microsoft ISV specialising in cloud‑native ERP fund accounting for nonprofits and government agencies.
Headquartered in Littleton, Colo., Tangicloud counts over 330 organizations as its customers, with more than 1,500 users globally. Its expertise, built on Dynamics 365 Business Central, offers deep capability in grant management, compliance reporting and fund accounting.
By acquiring Tangicloud, Univerus plans to to enhance its Unity platform suite and existing vertical‑market ERP offerings. Based in Burnaby, B.C., Univerus has built its Unity ERP ecosystem through more than 20 acquisitions since 2019, targeting sectors such as government, utilities and health and safety services.
The Tangicloud deal will help Univerus expand its potential customer base among the North American public and nonprofit markets with cloud‑based financial tools tailored for fund accounting and reporting. Meanwhile, Tangicloud stands to gain stronger product development support and scale under Univerus's umbrella.
The "RCP Channel Briefing" blog is researched, fact-checked, edited and updated by the editors of RCPmag.com, with writing assistance from AI.
Posted by Redmond Channel Partner magazine staff on August 01, 20250 comments
Novata and Microsoft recently unveiled a collaboration designed to broaden access to sustainability reporting tools for SMBs worldwide.
Under the terms of the partnership, Microsoft will become a primary sales partner, offering Novata's Carbon Navigator and environmental, social and governance (ESG) data platform through its SMB channels. Microsoft suppliers will also gain access to Novata's tools to meet climate reporting obligations efficiently and affordably. Additionally, the two companies will co‑develop AI‑driven tools using Azure AI Foundry and Microsoft Fabric to streamline data collection, carbon accounting and regulatory reporting.
Novata, a public benefit corporation (PBC) launched in 2022, now serves more than 10,000 companies and investment firms managing over $12 trillion in assets. Novata CEO Alex Friedman noted the deal deepens Novata's global reach and furthers its mission to simplify sustainability data management. "We are excited to deepen our relationship with Microsoft, a company that has not only revolutionized productivity but has also been a leader in addressing the climate crisis and leveraging AI for good," Friedman said in a prepared statement.
Microsoft's director of partner development, Jeremy Pitman, added that the collaboration "will enable a key segment of our clients to seamlessly and affordably integrate cutting-edge sustainability technology into their operations, empowering them to reduce their carbon footprints and meet their emissions goals."
The push for ESG accountability is intensifying globally. In the EU, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive now requires thousands of firms, including smaller suppliers, to disclose emissions data. SMBs often lack the internal resources to comply efficiently. The Microsoft-Novata partnership addresses that gap, bringing institutional‑grade ESG software to a broader audience.
The "RCP Channel Briefing" blog is researched, fact-checked, edited and updated by the editors of RCPmag.com, with writing assistance from AI.
Posted by Redmond Channel Partner magazine staff on August 01, 20250 comments
Microsoft Corp. closed its fiscal year 2025 on June 30 with fourth-quarter revenue of $76.44 billion, up 18 percent year-over-year, and net income of $27.23 billion ($3.65 per share), beating analyst expectations.
Azure and Intelligent Cloud revenue grew 39 percent year-over-year, surpassing $75 billion and underpinning growth across Microsoft’s AI-driven platform offerings (and also marking the first time Microsoft has publicly broken out Azure revenue).
Microsoft 365 consumer subscribers reached 89 million, up 8 percent, aided by comprehensive integration with Copilot and pricing adjustments.
On the call, CEO Satya Nadella emphasized the strategic importance of AI and cloud services for digital transformation, while CFO Amy Hood forecasted continued double‑digit revenue and income growth for fiscal 2026, despite planned deceleration in capital expenditures.
The "RCP Channel Briefing" blog is researched, fact-checked, edited and updated by the editors of RCPmag.com, with writing assistance from AI.
Posted by Redmond Channel Partner magazine staff on July 30, 20250 comments
Palo Alto Networks, a major security provider that has deeply integrated its security products with Microsoft Azure, has agreed to acquire CyberArk in a definitive cash-and-stock transaction valued at roughly $25 billion.
The boards of both companies have unanimously approved the agreement, which is expected to close in the second half of Palo Alto's fiscal 2026, pending regulatory and shareholder approvals.
CyberArk's privileged access and identity security platform will be integrated into Palo Alto's Strata and Cortex offerings, enabling AI‑powered identity‑aware protections and just‑in‑time access controls for both human and machine identities.
Increasing enterprise use of agentic AI has amplified the need for robust identity and credential‑management tools. Wedbush analyst Dan Ives called the move a "strategic home run," positioning Palo Alto as a full‑stack provider better suited to address AI‑driven threat environments. Palo Alto shares fell by nearly 8 percent on the announcement, underscoring investor caution over the sizable deal, while CyberArk stock saw modest gains followed by a pullback.
This follows Palo Alto's April 2025 acquisition of Protect AI, intended to protect applications and ML models across the AI lifecycle.
The "RCP Channel Briefing" blog is researched, fact-checked, edited and updated by the editors of RCPmag.com, with writing assistance from AI.
Posted by Redmond Channel Partner magazine staff on July 30, 20250 comments
Microsoft has published its 2025 release wave 2 plans for Dynamics 365, Microsoft Power Platform and role‑based Copilot offerings, covering hundreds of AI‑centric updates rolling out between October 2025 and March 2026.
Early access begins on Aug. 4, allowing enterprise IT teams to validate features in sandbox environments in advance.
New AI agents will improve experiences across Dynamics 365. For Dynamics 365 Sales, a new Sales Qualification Agent will help automate lead research and customer outreach; Customer Service and Contact Center will gain improved case routing and channel management; Field Service will get a scheduling agent integrated with Microsoft 365; and Finance, HR and Supply Chain will benefit from automation in tasks like reconciliations, employee onboarding and vendor communications.
Meanwhile, Power Platform enhancements include Copilot Studio for building agent teams, enriched Dataverse support, and a unified governance hub for low‑code apps and automations.
The "RCP Channel Briefing" blog is researched, fact-checked, edited and updated by the editors of RCPmag.com, with writing assistance from AI.
Posted by Redmond Channel Partner magazine staff on July 29, 20250 comments
Henson Group and myCloudDoor have officially merged, launching a combined Microsoft solutions provider now named Aliando.
The new firm touts itself as a leading Azure Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) and among the top 1 percent of Microsoft partners globally. In a prepared statement, Chris Danelz, Microsoft's GM of global channel partner solutions, alled the union "a huge win for Microsoft and customers everywhere."
Aliando aims to double its professional and managed service capabilities worldwide, and to enhance service delivery across the Microsoft stack, spanning Azure, Modern Work, Data & AI, Business Applications, Cybersecurity, and niche offerings like SAP on Azure, Azure VMware Solutions, Copilot and Azure OpenAI. Aliando also intends to establish new Cloud Centers of Excellence spanning the Americas, EMEA and APAC.
This merger aligns with accelerating cloud market consolidation amid rising demand for enterprise AI and cybersecurity. Customers are increasingly prioritizing integrated AI‑capable, secure, cloud-native platforms, a niche Aliando aims to fill.
The "RCP Channel Briefing" blog is researched, fact-checked, edited and updated by the editors of RCPmag.com, with writing assistance from AI.
Posted by Redmond Channel Partner magazine staff on July 22, 20250 comments
Kyndryl, in collaboration with Microsoft, launched the Kyndryl Microsoft Acceleration Hub earlier this month, a joint initiative to help enterprises adopt agentic AI systems by leveraging Azure AI Foundry and Copilot.
The hub integrates Kyndryl Consult's domain expertise and Kyndryl Vital's co‑creation framework, delivering tailored AI solutions through physical and virtual innovation centers, including a new AI Innovation Lab in Liverpool.
The initiative is underpinned by a large‑scale workforce certification effort: More than 16,000 Kyndryl employees have acquired over 26,000 Microsoft credentials spanning Azure, data platforms, security and modern workplace technologies.
This launch marks the latest phase in Kyndryl and Microsoft's strategic alliance, which dates back to 2021, following earlier joint efforts like application modernization services and adaptive cloud services.
The "RCP Channel Briefing" blog is researched, fact-checked, edited and updated by the editors of RCPmag.com, with writing assistance from AI.
Posted by Redmond Channel Partner magazine staff on July 22, 20250 comments