Accelerating Growth with Azure and AI – Essential Updates for Every Microsoft Azure Partner
In its November 2025 Azure Partner Update, Microsoft shared how the cloud and AI landscape has evolved from testing ideas to delivering real business results. Partners across industries are now moving from experimenting with AI to building solutions that create real impact at scale. The update also noted that Azure partners already have a strong foundation to build on, with programs like Azure Accelerate and the Microsoft Marketplace, helping them invest wisely and achieve meaningful customer outcomes.
Here’s a simple rundown of what Microsoft announced, including the latest updates, new tools, and funding opportunities that can help partners innovate faster and bring more value to their customers.
Table of Contents
- Customer-Impacting Technical Updates
- Partner Enablement and Actionable Tools
- Incentives and Offers for Practice Growth
- Events and Skilling Opportunities
- Go-to-Market Resources for Differentiation
Key Takeaways
- Technical Reach: Oracle Database@Azure is now available in over 28 regions, giving partners more flexibility to support complex, multicloud customer scenarios.
- AI Innovation: Partners can start building fast proofs of concept using the latest models in Azure AI Foundry and the Microsoft Agent Framework, which is now in public preview.
- Funding & Incentives: Under Azure Accelerate, partners can request Dr Migrate licenses for AI-assisted migration planning. Additional financial benefits are also available through the ISV Success Advanced Package.
- Skilling: Microsoft Ignite (Nov 18–21) and global Fabric skilling workshops offer hands-on learning opportunities to strengthen cloud, data, and AI capabilities within partner teams.
- Go-to-Market: Microsoft’s Partner Execution Guide for AI Apps and Agents, along with SMB partner playbooks, can help partners sharpen their sales motions and accelerate customer engagement.
Customer-Impacting Technical Updates
Microsoft’s latest technical releases focus on expanding capabilities, enabling Microsoft Azure partners to undertake more complex and higher-value projects for their customers.
Expanded Multicloud Reach with Oracle
The expansion of Oracle Database@Azure significantly enhances multicloud reach. Base Database, Exascale 19c, and Oracle Database 23ai are now generally available in over 28 regions. This wide availability is particularly exciting as it opens up substantial opportunities for partners to support complex deployments and tackle bigger, more intricate projects than ever before.
Real-Time Data Integration
For data solutions, the new SAP Business Data Cloud Connect for Azure Databricks enables live, bidirectional data sharing. This seamless integration between Databricks and Azure unlocks critical real-time insights for your customers.
Developer Efficiency in Fabric
To support better developer workflows, the Fabric Data Agent now offers support for CI/CD and Git integration. This allows developers to work more efficiently, reliably, and automatically on their projects.
Partner Enablement and Actionable Tools
Microsoft is providing specific, hands-on tools to help Microsoft Azure partners rapidly innovate and streamline AI solution development.
Accelerating Innovation with Azure AI Foundry
The Azure AI Foundry has expanded its offerings with new conversational, audio, real-time, and image models. Partners can leverage these foundational models to start with a pilot project, accelerating innovation and delivering quick wins for customers.
Simplifying Multi-Agent Orchestration
For those looking to build sophisticated AI systems, the Microsoft Agent Framework (public preview) is a significant asset. This framework combines AutoGen and Semantic Kernel to simplify multi-agent AI orchestration. Testing this framework with a proof of concept is an excellent way to streamline customer solutions.
Guidance for Migration
To help partners capture market opportunities and accelerate migrations, we continue to publish the Cloud & AI Platforms blog series. Partners can map insights from these live blogs to their customer projects to identify immediate quick wins.
Incentives and Offers for Practice Growth
The Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program and Azure Accelerate are expanding investment and funding opportunities to directly support both practice growth and customer success.
AI-Assisted Migration Planning
A key resource available within Azure Accelerate is Dr Migrate. This platform is an AI-assisted tool for cloud migration planning. Eligible partners can request licenses to run environment and proof-of-value assessments with customers, driving confidence through AI-assisted planning. Additionally, the Azure Migrate and Modernize Partner Forum provides early access to Azure roadmaps and marketing insights, helping partners keep their teams aligned on upcoming opportunities.
Rewarding ISV Success
For software development companies, the ISV Success Advanced Package rewards top performers with certified software designations. Crucially, partners can now qualify for financial incentives specifically for migrating customers to Azure or building new AI solutions, rapidly unlocking new revenue streams.
Strengthening Security Offerings
To help partners expand their security practice, Microsoft Security Envisioning Workshops are available. These workshops provide teams with hands-on experience, helping them refine sales motions, reach new customers, and unlock revenue with world-class security solutions.
Microsoft Ignite: The Hub of Innovation
Microsoft Ignite (November 18–21 in San Francisco and online) is where insights become action. This is a crucial opportunity to hear directly from product leaders, preview the latest in Azure and AI innovation, and connect with peers. We encourage all partners to register today, plan an agenda, and pick sessions that will stretch your thinking. Ancillary events, the Partner Hub, and interactive roundtables are available to build new skills and expand your network.
Deepening Fabric and Data Expertise
Skilling opportunities for Microsoft Fabric and Azure Databricks are running constantly:
- Catch a replay of the Fabric Global Hack or join a Fabric Workshop (December 9–11) to learn how to build data and AI solutions.
- Fabric technical skilling workshops are running worldwide, with hands-on sessions found on the Skilling Hub.
- The Skilling Hub also offers live and on-demand events for Azure Databricks, enabling teams to master capabilities efficiently.
Advanced AI Training
The Agentic AI + Copilot, Partner Skills Accelerator is a four-part webcast series built for partners ready to help their customers become “Frontier Firms”. The series simplifies the end-to-end AI stack, demonstrating how agents, Copilots, data, and orchestration work together using the Microsoft Copilot stack and Azure AI Foundry to deliver real-world impact.
Ongoing Programs
The Azure Cosmos DB Partner Acceleration Program (FY26) is currently live, offering enablement, Proof of Concept (PoC) funding, and direct access to the product group. Furthermore, the Microsoft AI Tour for Partners continues globally, providing in-person demos, peer connections, and valuable real-world insights from the field.
Go-to-Market Resources for Differentiation
New materials are available to accelerate customer engagement and ensure you can effectively showcase your specialized Azure and AI expertise.
Sales-Ready Assets
The Partner Execution Guide for AI Apps and Agents is now available. This comprehensive resource includes use cases, “Win Formulas,” key actions, and questions to ask customers. A full set of supporting assets, including pitch decks, templates, and solution accelerators, makes it easy to take immediate action and engage customers confidently.
Marketing Campaigns and Resources
To streamline your efforts, predesigned campaigns, ready-to-go assets, and marketing resources are available. These enterprise-ready campaigns, such as Innovate with Azure AI Apps and Agents and Migrate and Modernize Your Estate, help partners elevate their marketing strategy without starting from scratch, driving adoption faster.
Serving the SMB Market
Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are transforming quickly, and partners are uniquely positioned to help them. New SMB partner playbooks are available to help these businesses streamline operations, boost security, and harness AI to make smarter decisions, accelerating your impact and growth.
Standing Out from the Competition
Crucially, earning Solutions Partner designations and specializations helps you stand out with customers and clearly highlight your specialized expertise. You must feature these achievements prominently in conversations and presentations.
Let’s Build What’s Next—Together
Microsoft’s latest updates make it clear that partners have more opportunities than ever to build meaningful impact with Azure and AI. With new technical capabilities, expanded funding programs, and stronger skilling pathways, the roadmap ahead is designed to help partners innovate confidently and deliver results that matter to customers. As you continue exploring these updates, keep engaging with Microsoft’s partner communities and resources to stay informed, inspired, and ready for what’s next.