Microsoft Partner Incentives

Azure | FAQ
October 1, 2014 September 30, 2015
Last Update July 2014

Overview
The Microsoft Azure Incentive rewards Partners for driving consumption of Microsoft Azure Services on Microsoft
Customer subscriptions, including the Microsoft Online Services Agreement (MOSA) and Enterprise Agreements
(EA) only.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are the changes from the previous year?
Through the introduction of partner-facing reporting through Channel Incentives Platform (CHIP), Partners
now have monthly visibility into their forecasted earnings as well as the capability to download their final
quarterly earnings statements.
2. What are the partner eligibility requirements?
Partner eligibility: Partner must be an Azure Circle partner and must have at least one valid Azure incentive
opportunity, entered through PSX, between July 1, 2012 and September 29, 2014.
3. What are the incentives rates?
Year

Rate

Year 1

20%

Year 2

20%

Partners are eligible for a 20% incentive on consumption on a Microsoft Azure Subscription for up to 24
months starting from the month of Microsoft validation of the incentive request, as long as the Subscription
remains current.
4. What is eligible revenue for the incentives?
Eligible Microsoft Azure Services are only billable services that result in Microsoft revenue.
5. Are Public sector deals eligible for these incentives?
Partners may only earn the Microsoft Azure Incentive for subscriptions involving Public Sector customers if the
customer resides in one of the countries listed in the Public Sector Country Eligibility List.
6. Is there a maximum limit on the incentives earnings?
Eligible Partners can earn a maximum amount of $100,000 USD (or equivalent in local currency) per
subscription from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015.

7. What activities do I have to perform to earn the incentives?

The partner must request Azure incentives through PSX. Also, the partner must influence the consumption of
Azure. Influencing consumption includes building/migrating an app or enabling Infrastructure as a Service.
Below is a list of examples of these services:
Build/Migrate an app

Build a custom app for the customer on

Azure
Migrate an app (e.g. Sharepoint testing)

Enable Infrastructure as a service

Deploy Sharepoint on Azure

Implement multifactor authentication solution
for a customer
Migrate data/file to StorSimple/Azure Storage
Configure SQL Server disaster recovery or
backup
Test compatibility for Windows Server upgrade

8. How often will I receive incentives payments?

Incentives payments are disbursed quarterly, along the following schedule:
Eligible Consumption Incentive Period

Disbursement By Date

October 1, 2014 December 31, 2014

January 31, 2015

January 1, 2015 March 31, 2015

April 30, 2015

April 1, 2015 June 30, 2015

July 31, 2015

July 1, 2015 September 30, 2015

October 31, 2015

9. Where can I find additional information on this incentives offering?

The following documents are posted here:
https://mspartner.microsoft.com/en/us/Pages/Membership/Premium/partner-incentives.aspx
Public Sector Eligibility Country List
FY15 Azure Incentive Guide
FY15 Azure Incentive Implementation Guide will be available October 1, 2014
FY15 Azure Incentive One Page Summary
10. How do I access support?
Support options for Microsoft Partners including self-help articles searchable by Topic, Community Support
and submission of a Support Ticket can be accessed through the Microsoft Partner Network on
https://mspartner.microsoft.com.
11. If I earn the Cloud Platform MPN competency, am I eligible for the FY15 Azure Incentive?
No, unless the partner has met the eligibility criteria.

12. If I do not earn the Cloud Platform MPN competency but am an Azure Circle partner that has had at
least one valid Azure Incentive opportunity entered through PSX between July 1, 2013 and September
29, 2014, am I eligible for the FY15 Azure Incentive?
Yes.
13. What is a valid Azure incentive opportunity for the purposes of eligibility for the FY15 Azure
Incentive?
All the required fields need to be accurately entered in PSX and the all business rules must be met. Please refer
to the FY14 Azure Incentive Execution Guide for additional details.
14.Will the FY15 20% incentive payout rate change?

The 20% Incentive rate applies only during the FY15 Azure Incentive term, but is subject to change with proper
advanced notice. Microsoft will design the FY16 Azure Incentives offering to align to company and product
strategy.
15. My opportunity has been registered, how can I get it approved?
Microsoft will determine whether the Opportunity meets the Incentive Registration Requirements. Once the
Opportunity Validation Process is complete, the incentive status in PSX will be set to Approved. Please refer
to the FY15 Azure Incentive Implementation Guide for additional details.
16. What is a Subscription ID?
An Azure Subscription ID is used to connect the Customers information (Consumption of Microsoft Azure)
with the partner. The partner must submit a Subscription ID per PSX opportunity.
17. Can there be multiple partners earning Azure Incentive for the same Subscription ID?
No, only one partner can earn Azure Incentive for a given Subscription ID.
18. The calculations don't look correct to me, how can I verify them?
With onboarding partners onto the Channel Incentives Platform (CHIP), they will have monthly visibility into
their incentives payment earnings. If you find discrepancies upon reviewing these earnings, please submit a
support ticket through https://mspartner.microsoft.com.
19. I was expecting payment, why haven't I received it yet?
One of the primary reasons is that the partner has not met the minimum incentives earnings payout threshold
of $200 USD. If this is not the reason upon reviewing your statement, please submit a support ticket through
https://mspartner.microsoft.com.
20. How would I know when Microsoft have made the incentive payment?

Partners can check their monthly incentives payment earnings on the Channel Incentives Platform (CHIP).
21. If I have multiple Azure opportunities that are qualified for the incentive, do I receive one payment for
all, or are they paid out individually per Subscription ID?
The eligible incentives payments for multiple Azure opportunities are aggregated into one payment.