Microsoft Shifts Partner Network Action Pack to One Subscription Price

On February 24, Microsoft (MSFT) will switch its redesigned Partner Network (MPN) Action Pack to one subscription model, requiring a flat rate $475 annually for access to software licenses, marketing, technical, and readiness tools tailored to help partners capitalize on SMB, mobile, social cloud and big data opportunities.

The vendor’s Action Pack provides MPN members with access to internal use software licenses and technical, sales, and marketing resources. The program, which was split into two tracks a number of years ago based on a partner’s business model, now has been reworked to reflect how partners use Microsoft’s products, solutions and platforms to meet customers’ needs, wrote Diane Golshan, Microsoft Digital Marketing Manager and U.S. Partner Community Lead, in a blog post.

“As the market rapidly evolves, and as Microsoft shifts to its devices and services strategy, the Microsoft Partner Network is changing to better position our partners to build Microsoft-based practices that meet customer demands,” she wrote.

Microsoft has made the Material applicable to six partner business models, including Application development and design, Device design and development, Hosting, Managed services, Professional services and Reselling.

Benefits include:

• Internal-use Microsoft software licenses to support up to a 10-person organization, deployed through Microsoft Cloud Services or on-premises software
• Access to online and telephone support for presales, technical, and deployment issues
• Developer tools, including Visual Studio, and MSDN subscriptions to support development across Microsoft platforms—desktop, phone, server, and web
• Bing Ad credits for partners and their customers to market products, services, and solutions

The current pricing for Action Pack solution providers–partners who support, install, maintain, and sell solutions on the Microsoft platform–is $329 per year; and, current pricing for Action Pack Development and Design, which includes the Action Pack solution provider package and tools for businesses that design and develop applications for the Microsoft platform, is 429 per year.

Action Pack Solution Providers and Action Pack Development and Design subscribers will gain access to the new benefits and resources starting February 24 and need not do anything until their next subscription renewal. For partners with an impending Action Pack renewal, subscriptions can be updated up to 30 days prior to the renewal date at the current price. New subscribers signing up before February 24 also will pay the current price.

The Action Pack changes augment updates to the vendor’s MPN competencies, which the vendor first announced at the Worldwide Partner Conference last July and modified in late November. The modifications span requirements around sales, pre-sales and technical capabilities to more accurately map to the vendor’s technology and go-to-market strategies.

Partners have until their anniversary date to meet the new requirements.