Specialisation mergers and what partners should review now
Microsoft is consolidating several Partner Specialisations, and partners should treat this as more than just a name change. The merged Specialisations introduce new performance measures, skilling requirements, audit checklists and, in some areas, Marketplace expectations.
The update affects three key areas of partner capability. Analytics on Azure, Data Warehouse Migration to Azure and Business Intelligence are moving into Analytics on Microsoft Azure. Low Code Application Development and Intelligent Automation are moving into the new Agentic Business Solutions Specialisation. Kubernetes on Microsoft Azure and Migrate Enterprise Applications to Azure are being consolidated into App Modernisation on Azure.
For enrolled partners moving into one of the merged Specialisations, anniversary dates remain the same. Renewal planning should therefore continue against the existing timeline, with the focus now on understanding what the merged Specialisation requires and making sure performance, skilling and evidence are ready.
The new Analytics on Microsoft Azure Specialisation brings a wider set of data and analytics capabilities under one banner, with performance measured against recent Azure consumed revenue. Partners will need to show 15,000 US dollars of ACR across three customers in the last three months, spanning Azure Databricks, Fabric F SKUs and wider analytics workloads. Skilling also needs to be reviewed, with two of the four eligible exams held by at least two people across Fabric Data Engineer, Fabric Analyst, Power BI Data Analyst and Azure Databricks Data Engineer.
Agentic Business Solutions brings low code application development and intelligent automation into a single Specialisation, making the connection between Power Apps, Power Automate and Copilot Studio clearer for partners and customers. Rather than treating apps, workflow automation and AI agents as separate conversations, partners need to show how these capabilities come together in practical deployments.
The performance requirement reflects that broader scope. Partners can meet it through two new customer deployments, one using Power Automate Flow and one using Power Apps, or through two new Copilot Studio customer deployments at a minimum of 10,000 US dollars TTM each.
The skills requirement also spans a wider mix of capabilities, including Power Platform, Intelligent App Builder, AI Agent Builder, Power Platform Developer, Power Automate RPA Developer and AI Agent Business Solutions Architect. Partners also need at least one relevant Marketplace consulting service offer for Power Apps, Power Automate, Copilot Studio or Power Virtual Agents.
For App Modernisation on Azure, partners should check ACR across eligible pillars such as App Platform Services, Developer Services, GitHub Copilot, Integration Services and Serverless. Skilling requires three people, each holding one exam from the relevant certification groups, including DevOps Engineer, Azure Developer Associate or Azure AI Developer, and Azure Administrator Associate. A new audit checklist will also be posted.
Partners can start by mapping their current Specialisations to the merged areas, confirming the relevant criteria, closing exam gaps and preparing performance, audit and Marketplace evidence. To talk through what applies to your business, speak to your Arrow PDM.
Copilot CoWork billing and what to set up first
Copilot CoWork gives customers a new way to use AI across Microsoft 365, with an agentic system that can plan, execute and deliver multi-step tasks across apps. That could include preparing for meetings, pulling together research, managing inbox activity or coordinating workstreams, so the opportunity is not only in what CoWork can do, but in making sure the billing model is understood before customers start to use it.
Because CoWork is not billed like a traditional per-user licence, partners should treat the commercial setup differently from a standard Microsoft 365 deployment. Usage is measured in Copilot Credits, with customers charged when Copilot performs actual work, such as tasks or compute usage, rather than when CoWork is simply opened.
This changes the way partners should plan customer deployments. Before customers start using CoWork, partners need to help them understand likely usage patterns, how agents will be deployed, where consumption will be monitored and which Azure subscription will carry the billing. The Copilot Studio Credit Pack does not fully support CoWork, so customers need an Azure subscription to pay for usage.
In practice, partners should make sure an Azure subscription is ordered or already in place via CSP billing, then configure the default environment so consumption points to that subscription. This can be done through the Microsoft Power Platform Admin Center or directly in Copilot Studio.
With the billing route in place, the customer can configure the agent, enable generative AI capabilities, add data connectors and plugins, and publish it. Usage can then be monitored through the Power Platform Admin Center or Azure Cost Management, giving customers a clearer view of consumption once activity begins.
Credit planning also needs to be covered before deployment, particularly as Microsoft has introduced new options for buying credits. These include an annual Azure pre-purchase plan where unused credits can carry over for up to 12 months, using Copilot Credit Commit Units. One CCCU equals 100 credits and can be used in areas such as CoWork and agents. As these are non-refundable reservations and require an Azure subscription in the customer’s tenant, customers need to understand the commitment before ordering.
Where customers are considering CoWork, partners should bring the commercial setup into the deployment plan early. To scope the right setup with a customer, speak to your Arrow PDM.
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