Unveiling Microsoft's Strategic Announcements for ISVs and Azure Marketplace at MCAPS 2024

The Microsoft Commercial and Partner Solutions (MCAPS) 2024 event brought forth a wave of transformative announcements tailored for Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) and the Azure Marketplace. With the goal of fostering growth, enhancing marketplace functionality, and deepening integration within the Microsoft ecosystem, these updates signify Microsoft’s commitment to empowering its partner community. This blog delves into the pivotal announcements from the event and their implications for ISVs and customers alike.

Enhanced Marketplace Incentives for ISVs

One of the standout initiatives unveiled at MCAPS 2024 is the new incentive structure for ISVs, designed to stimulate growth and innovation within the Azure Marketplace. The enhanced incentives are part of a broader strategy to drive increased engagement and sales through the marketplace.

Marketplace Transact and Grow Incentive Campaign

This campaign offers ISVs the opportunity to earn up to $200,000 USD by meeting specific billed sales milestones. The incentive is divided into four levers:

• Core Billed Sales Incentive: ISVs can earn $10,000 USD when a transactable offer reaches a cumulative marketplace billed sales total of $25,000 USD during the program term.
• Azure IP Co-sell Billed Sales Incentive: An additional $20,000 USD is awarded when a transactable offer with Azure IP Co-sell eligible status hits a cumulative billed sales total of $25,000 USD. This incentive can be combined with the Core Billed Sales Incentive.
• Transactable Teams Apps Billed Sales Incentive: ISVs can earn $10,000 USD when a transactable offer linked to a Teams app achieves $10,000 USD in billed sales.
• Transactable Business Application and Power BI Incentive: Another $10,000 USD is available for offers related to Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement or Azure PowerBI Visual achieving $10,000 USD in billed sales​ (TECHCOMMUNITY.MICROSOFT.COM)​.

ISV ACR Growth Incentive Campaign

This campaign is aimed at driving quarter-over-quarter growth in Azure Consumed Revenue (ACR), with ISVs capable of earning up to $350,000 USD. The incentive consists of:

• Core Incentive: 15% of ACR growth, up to $100,000 USD for each half of the fiscal year.
• Strategic Workload Accelerator: An additional 15% of ACR growth in strategic workloads such as Azure Spring Apps, Azure Container Apps, and various advanced data and security services, up to $75,000 USD per half-year​ (TECHCOMMUNITY.MICROSOFT.COM)​​ (Microsoft Azure)​.

Azure Migrate and Modernize Partner-led for ISV

This program is designed to support ISVs in migrating and modernizing customer projects on Azure. Qualifying ISVs can earn up to $50,000 USD per engagement based on the estimated ACR impact. The program includes three levels of engagement (small, medium, and large), each with specific project sizes and corresponding payments. This initiative aims to accelerate and simplify customer migration and modernization efforts, encouraging ISVs to leverage Azure’s robust capabilities​ (TECHCOMMUNITY.MICROSOFT.COM)​​ (Microsoft Azure)​.

Expanding Marketplace Capabilities

Microsoft announced significant enhancements to the Azure Marketplace, aimed at making it a one-stop experience for customers seeking cloud-based solutions. These enhancements include expanded transaction capabilities for SaaS solutions, allowing for both per-seat and per-site transactions. This flexibility is designed to streamline the purchasing process for customers and provide ISVs with more opportunities to monetize their solutions​ (Microsoft Azure)​.

Deepened Integration with Git-Hub Services

A notable integration unveiled at MCAPS 2024 is the expanded availability of Git-Hub services through the Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) channel. CSP customers can now access a comprehensive suite of Git-Hub offerings, including Git-Hub Enterprise, Advanced Security, and Git-Hub Co-pilot. This integration allows Git-Hub usage to be reflected within an Azure bill, contributing to Azure Consumed Revenue and making these services eligible for Microsoft Partner Incentives. This move is expected to drive significant AI momentum and innovation within the developer community​ (MS Learn)​.

Azure OpenAI Provisioned Throughput (PTU)

Microsoft also announced the general availability of Azure OpenAI’s Provisioned Throughput Unit (PTU) offering through the CSP model. This new purchasing model offers consistent latency for uniform workloads, ideal for scaling AI solutions. Customers can choose between pay-as-you-go and reservation options, with the latter offering discounts for 1-month or 1-year commitments. This flexibility enhances the scalability and efficiency of AI deployments, making Azure OpenAI more accessible to a broader range of customers​ (MS Learn)​.

The announcements made at MCAPS 2024 underscore Microsoft’s commitment to fostering innovation and growth within its partner ecosystem. The enhanced incentives, expanded marketplace capabilities, and deepened integrations with Git-Hub and Azure services provide ISVs with unprecedented opportunities to drive sales, increase Azure consumption, and deliver innovative solutions to their customers. These strategic initiatives are poised to redefine the development experience, enabling ISVs to innovate at scale and capitalize on new revenue opportunities. As Microsoft continues to invest in its partner community, the future looks bright for ISVs leveraging the power of Azure and the broader Microsoft ecosystem.

Reach out to your SureStep Ambassador today at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to discuss these new announcements and develop a roadmap to leveraging these strategic incentives.