How Microsoft Advanced Support for Partners (ASfP) Can Elevate Your Business

Picture of Mandy Brar - Performance Lead
Mandy Brar - Performance Lead

Summary:

Let's look at what Microsoft Advanced Support for Partners (ASfP) is and how it can elevate your business with cloud-focused support.

How Microsoft Advanced Support for Partners (ASfP) Can Elevate Your Business

Picture of Mandy Brar - Performance Lead
Mandy Brar - Performance Lead
Let's look at what Microsoft Advanced Support for Partners (ASfP) is and how it can elevate your business with cloud-focused support.

How Microsoft Advanced Support for Partners (ASfP) Can Elevate Your Business

Estimated Read Time: 3 minutes 

Intended Audience: Microsoft Partners

Revised August 2023

Microsoft provides Partners with various benefits, including access to the Commercial Marketplace, the CloudAscent Program and Digital Marketing Content (DMC) OnDemand, the Co-Sell Program, and Advanced Support for Partners (ASfP). Let’s dive further into how Microsoft provides support for Partners, what Microsoft Advanced Support for Partners entails, and the benefits that come with it.

Microsoft Partner Support Plans

Being part of the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program automatically comes with benefits, and depending on the Solutions Partner designation, includes technical pre-sale and deployment services (TP&D), go-to-market services, product benefits, and eligibility for incentives. However, while Solutions Partner designations provide various benefits, they are limited in that they are self-service benefits, meaning Partners are expected to familiarize themselves with the services provided all on their own.   With these benefits, Partners are not given any management or a ‘navigator’ to help them understand the various facets of the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program. While the benefits are available, they are quite general and may not represent the specific interests of the organization. This is where Microsoft’s Partner Support Plans come in:

Microsoft Premier Support for Partners

Premier Support offers complete end-to-end managed support for Partners across the entire Microsoft platform to meet their complex needs, expand their cloud capabilities, and strategically collaborate with Microsoft. With Premier Support, Partners are given an account manager and a full catalog of proactive services, but this plan can be quite cost-prohibitive for many organizations.

Microsoft Advanced Support for Partners

We will focus on Advanced Support for Partners, as it offers a managed cloud-focused service experience but at a fixed price for every partner, no matter where they are geographically located. Advanced Support, starting at $16,500 USD yearly (2023), is at a more accessible price than the Premier Support plan, and is a good fit for organizations looking for elevated support to help grow their Microsoft practice.

Chart showing comparison between Microsoft Advanced Support for Partners and Premier Support
Comparing the Microsoft Partner Support Plans

The Value of Microsoft Advanced Support for Partners (ASfP)

Microsoft Advanced Support for Partners comes with plenty of benefits, including:

  • Technical Cloud Support: Gain access to prioritized technical break-fix support for Azure, Microsoft 365, and Dynamics 365, for both you and your customers, giving you the opportunity to resolve issues as soon as they come up.
  • Account Management: Gain direct access to a Partner Success Account Manager (PSAM) who will advocate for and represent your organization within Microsoft and act as an extension of your team, helping you with your top cloud priorities and escalation management.
  • Cloud Enablement Services: Accelerate cloud adoption and growth of your business by accessing Cloud Consults, Cloud Optimization Reports, or Support Practice Enablement.
    • Cloud Consults: One-on-one technical consultations with a Microsoft Cloud Expert, designed to guide you on best practices to optimize your cloud projects.
    • Cloud Optimization Reports: Review a monthly in-depth view of your Advanced Support partnership, offering insights on customer renewals, deployments, and seats sold.
    • Support Practice Enablement:  Optimize your support, help your business plan, and enable your team to better support customers.

Is Microsoft Advanced Support for Partners a Good Fit for Your Business?

Microsoft Advanced Support for Partners is the right choice for Partners looking to accelerate their cloud business, as they can benefit from cloud enablement services and best practices guidance. By having a Partner Success Account Manager (PSAM), Partners can have a closer relationship with Microsoft as the PSAM can act as a trusted advisor and help with resource coordination.

 

If your organization is looking for proactive cloud enablement services, elevated technical support benefits, and a closer relationship to Microsoft, then Microsoft Advanced Support is a good fit for you, especially if you are a Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) working directly with customers.

Leverage All the Microsoft Benefits for Microsoft Partners

With all the benefits Microsoft offers to Partners, it can be difficult to decide which ones are most relevant to your organization, which is why we are here to help.

 

Engage the Mavens to help you elevate your brand with our measurable expertise in Microsoft Partner marketing and knowledge of the Microsoft ecosystem.

Picture of Mandy Brar - Performance Lead

Mandy Brar - Performance Lead

Mandy Brar is a Digital Marketing Specialist at Maven Collective Marketing. With a an intensive background in scientific research and psychology, Brar brings a creative and analytical results-driven approach to every project that she works on. Brar’s keen eye for design coupled with her passion to bring every story to life helps Brar create captivating content with beautifully designed artwork. Brar thrives working on content marketing, copywriting, graphic design, SEO, and website maintenance.
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