A partner is inquiring if it would be possible for a user with Windows 10 Home to upgrade to Windows 10 Professional by purchasing Microsoft 365.

A:

I’m sorry to report that the upgrade benefit included in Windows 10 Enterprise through CSP or Microsoft 365 is a benefit that ONLY takes Windows 7 Pro or Windows 8.1 Pro to Windows 10 Pro. It does not move Windows 7 Home, Windows 8.1 Home, or Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro.

  Steve]]> https://docs.microsoft.com/archive/blogs/uspartner_ts2team/skype-for-business-to-microsoft-teams-automated-upgrade-dashboard-for-partners Fri, 25 Jan 2019 00:47:12 GMT https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/uspartner_ts2team/?p=20455

Tim Tetrick

Hello Microsoft Partners!

In Microsoft’s ongoing efforts to support the transition from Skype for Business Online to Teams, we have made your customer’s upgrade status available on My Insights. You, as a partner, will be able to view each tenant upgrade status with whom you are associated (via DPOR, DAP, CSP, FastTrack Ready): if a customer’s tenant is eligible for upgrade, the date their upgrade is scheduled, and the date their upgrade has been completed (if applicable). Eligibility is met based upon features to which users have access in Teams.

Partners can check the automated upgrade tenant information at My Insights dashboard by taking the following steps:

1. Log in to your MPN account at https://partner.microsoft.com
2. Under the Membership menu, select Your Accounts and Reports
3. Select My Insights to view the dashboard
4. In your My Insights dashboard, select the Cloud Product Performance tab
5. Select Office 365, and at the bottom of the page, partners can find tenant information regarding upgrade eligibility, status, the date scheduled for the upgrade, and actual upgrade date.

The information can then be exported to Excel.

You can also check out the new training video explaining how to access and use the Automated Upgrade Dashboard in My Insights.

Get Started

1. Watch this short video and presentation to ensure you get the most from the Automated Upgrade Dashboard in My Insights
2. Check out additional Skype for Business to Microsoft Teams upgrade resources for partners at https://aka.ms/icpartners.

Thanks for reading and hope this information is useful!

Todd Sweetser

Hi Cloud Sellers!  Just wanted to drop a quick blog on the upcoming Azure Applications & Infrastructure Community Call!  This week’s topic is on Using the Azure Calculator.  Jeff Wagner will walk everyone through building out a price estimate and what the caveats are.  This is a common ask from our partner community so please join!  (Note the recording will be available after as well.)

Go to Azure Applications and Infrastructure December Call: Using the Azure Calculator to register!

]]> https://docs.microsoft.com/archive/blogs/uspartner_ts2team/get-15-off-office-365-and-microsoft-365-for-your-new-smb-customers Thu, 06 Dec 2018 23:51:04 GMT https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/uspartner_ts2team/?p=20395

Tim Tetrick

Hello Microsoft Partners!

If you work with SMB customers, I want to make sure you’re aware of a recent offer that was just announced.  Microsoft is offering 15% off the first year of Office 365 Business Premium and Microsoft 365 Business subscriptions to new U.S. customers when transacted via the Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) program.  This provides a great opportunity to add new customers and move your existing customers into the cloud while increasing your revenue.

The 15% offer applies to:

For full offer details, as well as campaign materials and product pitch resources, go to https://aka.ms/CSPoffer

Happy Selling!

Tim Tetrick

Hello Microsoft Partners!

Do you have questions about upgrading to the newest Windows Server OS? Are you looking for guidance on how to upgrade from one OS to another? And what consideration needs to be taken before and after upgrading?

If so, take a look at the Windows Server Upgrade Center which provides step-by-step guidance for modernizing your datacenter.

When you upgrade a Windows Server in-place, you move from an existing operating system release to a more recent release while staying on the same hardware. Windows Server can be upgraded in-place at least one, and sometimes two versions forward.  For example, Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2016 can be upgraded in-place to Windows Server 2019.

The following graphic shows the upgrade paths for Windows Server. Downward pointing arrows represent the supported upgrade path moving from older versions up to Windows Server 2019. You can upgrade from an evaluation version of the operating system to a retail version, from an older retail version to a newer version, or, in some cases, from a volume-licensed edition of the operating system to an ordinary retail edition.

Hope you find this resource helpful!]]> https://docs.microsoft.com/archive/blogs/uspartner_ts2team/windows-virtual-desktop Thu, 11 Oct 2018 23:11:58 GMT https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/uspartner_ts2team/?p=20235

Tim Tetrick

Hello Microsoft Partners!

I was really excited to see Windows Virtual Desktop officially announced at Ignite a couple weeks back.  Windows Virtual Desktop (formally known at RDmi (Remote Desktop Modern Infrastructure)), is a new service that enables you to host a complete modern desktop experience on Azure with built-in security and compliance, and access it from any device.

Windows Virtual Desktop is the best virtualized Windows and Office experience delivered on Azure.  It is the only cloud-based service that delivers a multi-user Windows 10 experience, optimized for Office 365 ProPlus, and includes free Windows 7 Extended Security Updates. With Windows Virtual Desktop, you can deploy and scale Windows and Office on Azure in minutes, with built-in security and compliance.

I wanted to provide you with some resources to quickly get you up to speed on this new solution.

1. Read the blog post at Microsoft 365 adds modern desktop on Azure
2. Watch the Ignite session BRK2300 - Windows Virtual Desktop overview
3. Sign up to be notified when the Public Preview is available (coming soon!) at https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/virtual-desktop/#sign-up

For additional information, you can check out

• Windows Virtual Desktop website
• Watch the Ignite session BRK3312 - Windows Virtual Desktop deep dive

Enjoy!

Tim Tetrick

Hello Microsoft Partners!

Did you know that 78% of SMBs worldwide will be fully adapted to cloud computing by 2020*? Cloud migration and modernization is top of mind for small and midsized business customers and you don’t want to miss out on the evolution. Help your customers make the transition to the cloud with our brand new Azure Cloud Migration and Modernization Partner Journey.

Whether you are just starting your cloud practice, looking to expand your offering, or somewhere in between, this new go-to guide has everything you need to develop your Azure practice, market your business and move your SMB customers to the cloud.

* Jointly produced study from Intuit (INTU) and Emergent Research report titled Small Business Success in the Cloud

Tim Tetrick

Hello Microsoft Partners!

Your customers have heard the scary statistics: 55% of small businesses have been hit by cyberattacks, 60% who are attacked go out of business, and 58% of users accidentally share sensitive information.¹ But while they want to safeguard their business, customers may not know where to start. Some may not be aware of their risk.

I wanted to let you know about this upcoming StepUp four-part technical training on how to keep your customers’ data and business safe with Microsoft 365 Business.

Analyze customer risk with Secure Score

Use Secure Score to assess a customer’s risk level and uncover vulnerabilities. Then start a conversation about how Microsoft 365 Business can help keep them secure.

Register here. Thursday, October 11, 2018

Guard against online threats and keep data secure

Learn how Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection & Data Loss Prevention protects customers from unknown malware and viruses and safeguards against harmful links. Discover Microsoft 365 Business features that help customers protect sensitive information, prevent inadvertent disclosure and stay compliant with business standards and industry regulations.

Register here. Thursday, October 18, 2018

Leverage the newest capabilities to protect from security threats

Windows Defender Exploit Guard helps you manage and reduce the attack surface of apps used by your customers. See how it works! Also, learn how Device Management Policies can help protect users from themselves.

Register here. Thursday, October 25, 2018

Protect and classify sensitive documents

See how Azure Information Protection (AIP) can help your customers classify and optionally, protect sensitive documents and emails by applying labels and encryption.

Register here. Thursday, November 1, 2018

After you attend these StepUp webinars, take the information you learn and start a security conversation with customers. You can help protect them from cybersecurity nightmares. They’ll be so thankful you did.

¹CYBER SECURITY STATISTICS – Numbers Small Businesses Need to Know, Jan. 3, 2017]]> https://docs.microsoft.com/archive/blogs/uspartner_ts2team/the-us-smb-partner-insider-is-today-september-5 Wed, 05 Sep 2018 13:33:48 GMT https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/uspartner_ts2team/?p=20155

Todd Sweetser

Stay in the know and join the Microsoft One Commercial Partner US, GTM team for the Partner Insider call on Wednesday, September 5, 2018 where you’ll get valuable, actionable information to help your Microsoft business grow.

• Time: 10:00 AM PT
• Register at: https://msuspartner.eventbuilder.com/event?eventid=y7k8g8&source=blog
  
  

September Agenda:

• Insider Scoop | David Cunningham, Partner Channel Engagement Manager will cover events, training, and more
• Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery | Matt Hester, Senior Partner Technology Strategist will show you how to quote and position these technologies for your customers
• Azure marketing campaign | Suzanne Ross, Senior Marketing Consultant will give you guidance to create a campaign for Azure Backup & Disaster Recovery
  
  

PARTICIPATE IN THE US SMB PARTNER INSIDER COMMUNITY

• Connect with Insider Joe on Twitter: https://twitter.com/smbinsiderjoe
• Join the conversation on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/us-smb-insider-joe
• Join the Insider Yammer group: https://aka.ms/InsiderJoeOnYammer
  
  

We look forward to you joining us on the September Partner Insider call!]]> https://docs.microsoft.com/archive/blogs/uspartner_ts2team/partner-technical-readiness-webinars-and-consultations-for-august-october Fri, 31 Aug 2018 22:04:13 GMT https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/uspartner_ts2team/?p=20145

Tim Tetrick

Hello Microsoft Partners!

Do you and your teams need technical guidance to help grow your cloud practice?  I would encourage you to expand your technical skillset by engaging in one of the many technical webinars and technical consultations available for the upcoming months.

Between now and the end of October partners have over 340 remote, technical webinars to choose from – all available at NO COST to MPN partners. Through these live instructor-led webinars (level 100-400), MPN partners will receive interactive training with real-time Q&A capabilities! For one-on-one technical guidance, partners can engage with a Partner Technical Consultant during one of the 40+ consultations available by practice area. Focused on real-world scenarios, these consultations include proof of concept, demos, architecture review, migration guidance, and more!

Use the links below to find a listing of webinars & consults by solution or practice area for August, September & October.  You will find webinar listings across various languages and timezones.

• Modern Workplace: Intelligent Communications, Teamwork, Modern Desktop, Security & Compliance
• Business Applications
• Data & AI
• Cloud Infrastructure and Management
• Application Innovation