Azure Partner Admin Link Preview

[brian_levenson]

Introducing the Partner Admin Link Preview

To further empower the partners doing important work on behalf of other companies, Microsoft is proud to announce the preview availability of the Azure Partner Admin Link. Microsoft Partners are now able to associate a Microsoft Partner Network (MPN) ID with the credentials used to manage resources within a customer's environment. By linking the partner and customer at the account level - rather than subscription or tenant - reporting and insights can be enhanced for greater precision based on actions taken on the resource instance.

Public documentation: https://aka.ms/partneradminlink

[Iulia]

@JanoschUlmer 

We haven't been informed about any plan to take the PAL association into account for cloud competencies. We don't know if this will be in place in the future.
What we can confirm is that PAL only counts towards attaining the Azure Expert MSP program.

[JASA1976]

Any update as its 2 weeks?

[Mihai]

Hi @JASA1976 

Thank you very much for your patience! 

I have read the entire communication and I understand your issue. I saw that you have been provided by Iulia with a series of information.

Until new announcements about PAL, I strongly recommend you to use only the official sources with info provided by Microsoft Partner website. This is the most comprehensive view you can have right know on PAL. Iulia's info and link will guide you accordingly to exactly what particularities you need. 

Thank you!

Mihai

[Iulia]

Hi @JASA1976 

PAL association only counts towards attaining the Azure Expert MSP program. It is not taken into account in case partners want to enroll in any competency.

Azure Expert Managed Services Provider (MSP) is a program which provides full support for the Azure MSPs and enables revenue increase for them and their customers. Click here to learn more about this program.

[OpStackJB]

The whole PAL - CSP -  DPOR revenue attainment is very odd.

You do realize that the only way to get Azure Expert is to become Gold.  The only way to get Gold Cloud  revenue competancy is to be a CSP or DPOR.  

If you are the PS firm working for the customer either directly or on behalf of the CSP, we are the linchinpin in the successful migration and the ones who want the Silver and Gold software offers to build our labs.

---

@Iulia wrote:

Hi @JASA1976 

PAL association only counts towards attaining the Azure Expert MSP program. It is not taken into account in case partners want to enroll in any competency.

Azure Expert Managed Services Provider (MSP) is a program which provides full support for the Azure MSPs and enables revenue increase for them and their customers. Click here to learn more about this program.

---

Feels extremely counter productive.

[JASA1976]

Its not that its counter productive, but does benefit more those that are selling the licenses rather than delivering the work and influencing the spend on Azure credit.

From experience its the larger partners that sell the licenses and smaller ones that deliver the projects, which makes it harder to get the competency intially for smaller partners like ourselves. 

Also its not easy to track either within the partner portal.

[OpStackJB]

It is a pain though, and i would say counter productive to the original announcement. Especially when you have options and you want to prioritize Azure.

With other cloud providers chasing you down .... prioritization is key.  Just a major miss from MS imho, some business plans dont want to be the reseller but rather the enabler.  Especially, when you have influenced far greater Azure attainment numbers than it would suggest.

Be safe and be well

[JanoschUlmer]

Update to the questions(s) before if PAL will count against competencies - Since June 2020 it does. See also https://partner.microsoft.com/en-US/resources/collection/partner-admin-link#/

[JASA1976]

@Iulia Do you happen to know whether it will count towards the advanced specializations? 

In the Partner dashboard there's no link to any information and it doesn't specifically mention DPOR, PALS, etc

[JASA1976]

Doesn't that go against whats previously been said and that PALS will count towrds the competencies?

Wasn't this confirmed earlier by Brian and Janosch and I believe should shows as influenced revenue in the reporting?

If it doesn't count towards the competency then whats the point?

---

@Iulia wrote:

Dear Partners,

We have seen recently numerous questions on the Microsoft Partner Community and requests received by our Support teams around Azure PAL and the possibility to use PAL to count towards Cloud Platform competency.

Azure Partner Admin Link Preview

Partner Admin Link (PAL) enables Microsoft to identify and recognize partners who drive Azure customer success. Optimized for managed services where your organization is acting on behalf of the customer, PAL allows you to associate your MPN ID with the credentials that you use to deliver services within the customer's Azure tenant. More information is available here.

However Azure Partner Admin Link (PAL) is not included in attaining competencies.

The requirements listed for attaining the Cloud Platform Competency include the following : Your company should have achieved the Azure revenue through Digital Partner of Record association, selling as Direct providers, indirect resellers. Offer types Trial, Benefits programs, Support and Internal are excluded.

Please bear in mind only DPOR and CSP count towards Cloud Platform competency.

---

[mohammed_basha]

Dear Brain,

We recently added our MPN ID through Partner Admin Link(PAL) to one of our clients. Following are my queries:

1)For consumption tracking through PAL, do we have to refer My Insights on MPN portal?

2)How do I confirm whether MPN ID is linked to the account? Because we didn't receive any mail or notification saying our MPN ID was attached to the account through PAL.

3)How many days does it take to reflect on My Insights?

4)Do we have to submit POE for PAL as we do for DPOR?

Look forward to your response.

Regards,

Basha.

[Pete_Lilburn]

Basha  - have you reciev a reply as yet??

Regs Pete

---

@mohammed_basha wrote:

Dear Brain,

We recently added our MPN ID through Partner Admin Link(PAL) to one of our clients. Following are my queries:

1)For consumption tracking through PAL, do we have to refer My Insights on MPN portal?

2)How do I confirm whether MPN ID is linked to the account? Because we didn't receive any mail or notification saying our MPN ID was attached to the account through PAL.

3)How many days does it take to reflect on My Insights?

4)Do we have to submit POE for PAL as we do for DPOR?

Look forward to your response.

Regards,

Basha.

---

[mohammed_basha]

Hi @Pete_Lilburn ,

Thanks for reaching out. I connected with @brian_levenson on Linkedin for PAL, looks like he moved to a new role focussed towards- Commercial Marketplace. But he was really helpful enough to answer all my queries:

1. How do I confirm whether my MPN ID is linked to the account? Because once tagged we don't receive any mail or notification saying our MPN ID was attached to the account through PAL. Also, we should receive an email notification if MPN ID through PAL is removed from the account (This can even be taken as feedback to Microsoft)
   The UX in the Azure Portal validates and confirms when the MPN ID has been accepted. There is also reporting in Partner Center that refreshes monthly.
2. Once PAL is done, how many days does it take for consumption to reflect on Partner Center Portal?
   Up to one month
3. Can PAL be done by any of our team member with user account, who has access to client org or the team member should have an admin role?
   Yes, anyone with access to the customer's Azure tenant. They need an RBAC role with permissions that cover resources generating revenue.
4. For EA(Enterprise Agreement) where we don’t have any user accounts, would it count if the customer’s admin accounts tag us as a PAL?
   No, if you don't have access to the customer's infrastructure, you are not delivering management services and acting on their behalf. That is what PAL is designed to recognize. Having a customer apply PAL to their own account is a violation of the intention and policy.
5. azurepartneradmin@microsoft.com email ID doesn't work and emails sent to it bounces back
   That email address was the eng team for the preview release in 2018 and was decommissioned a long time ago. Sorry!

Hope this helps!!! If you have any more queries let me, we are planning to attend PLC and would get more info on this:)

Regards,

Basha,

+91 7338345084

TheDataTeam

[moeka]

Hi @mohammed_basha 
You said that anyone with access to the customer's Azure tenant can set up PAL.
In other words, if i set up PAL with an account who can access Azure, will the consumption amount be reflected in Partner Admin Link on Partner Center?

Below, quote
3.Can PAL be done by any of our team member with user account, who has access to client org or the team member should have an admin role?
Yes, anyone with access to the customer's Azure tenant. They need an RBAC role with permissions that cover resources generating revenue.

[mohammed_basha]

Hi @moeka,

Thanks for reaching out! I meant anybody with administrative privileges ex: a person who has access to client environment should be able to create Azure resources or spin up VM's. Only then for those credentials with admin privileges consumption amount would be reflected in Partner Admin Link on Partner Center

Regards,

Basha,

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mdfbasha

[moeka]

Hi @mohammed_basha 

Thanks you for your reply.
I could understand your answer.

I have another question about azure incentive proguram.

Question1

I understand that PAL shoud only be done for EA contract, PAL is not repuired for CSP contract .

What is CSP incentive proguram? 

Question2
When we are set up PAL, can Azure administorator check the user list who setting PAL ?
If Azure administrator can show it, how can it be displayed?

For exsample, Azure UI,powershell,API...

[mdfbasha]

Hi @moeka,

Question1

I understand that PAL shoud only be done for EA contract, PAL is not repuired for CSP contract .

What is CSP incentive proguram? 

Answer: Attached

Question2
When we are set up PAL, can Azure administorator check the user list who setting PAL ?
If Azure administrator can show it, how can it be displayed?

For exsample, Azure UI,powershell,API...

Answer: Nope, Azure Admin will not have the list of PAL users. If you have attached PAL correctly then you should start seeing consumption on Cloud Product Performance tab on Partner Center through PAL in a month

Regards,

Basha,

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mdfbasha

+91 7338345084

[mohammed_basha]

Hi @brian_levenson,

I had following queries:

1)How do I confirm whether my MPN ID is linked to the account? Because once tagged we dont receive any mail or notification saying our MPN ID was attached to the account through PAL. Also we should receive an email notification if MPN ID through PAL is removed from the account (This can even be taken as a feedback to Microsoft)

2)Once PAL is done, how many days does it take for consumption to reflect on Partner Center Portal?

3)Can PAL be done by any of our team member with user account, who has access to client org or the team member should have an admin role?

4)For EA(Enterprise Agreement) where we don’t have any user accounts, would it count if the customer’s admin accounts tag us as a PAL?

5)azurepartneradmin@microsoft.com email ID doesnt work and emails sent to it bounces back

Look forward to your response

Regards,

Basha,

TheDataTeam

[mohammed_basha]

Dear Brain,

Thank you. It was a great webinar. 

We have a situation at client place, where a client wants to tag two partners as DPoR, one being us. From webinar, I got to know we can do it through PAL.

According to my understanding, PAL will get us consumption recognition towards competency requirements etc, but not usage incentives. Only the DPOR gets the incentive dollars. Correct me if I am wrong.

Look forward to your response.

Regards,

Basha,

BDM,

TheDataTeam.

[brian_levenson]

Hi Basha,

If TheDataTeam has access to the client's environment, you can associate your MPN ID with the credentials to receive recognition for your work and influence on Azure consumption.

Best,
Brian

[Averkinderen]

Hi Brian,

Can you confirm that we can receive consumption recognition towards attaining our silver or gold competency requirements by using PAL?

This document is saying otherwise: 

https://www.microsoftpartnercommunity.com/t5/Microsoft-Partner-Network/Azure-Partner-Admin-Link-Preview/m-p/4625/thread-id/66?attachment-id=283

Kind regards,

Alex