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

[shikanem]

We have been consulted by a partner with cloud competency and posted it here.

There are multiple partner admins with a PAL-enabled role in the customer's Azure subscription. The Partner want all admins to get a proper evaluation, but is it necessary to have only one representative PAL? or does each account need to PAL with the same PartnerID?

[moeka]

Hi,

I have a question regarding PAL incentive.

When a resource is linked one partner, partner is recieved 8% incentive of  Azure consumption.

When it is linked two partners, each partner ase recieved 3% incentive of Azure consumption.

In the case of over three partners, can each partner are recieved 3% incentive as well linked two partner?

[jspiers]

My company has starting recieving an error alert when we try to add PAL that our Partner ID is invalid even though we have used this in the past to assign PAL and our ID is still active. We have gotten this error message on two different accounts. Is anyone else experiencing this issue? Is there an alias I can reach out to to resolve the issue?

[ggalloway]

At my company we originally used our corporate “virtual organization” partner ID. That ID stopped working for Partner Admin Link and we we had to use our location specific partner ID sometime in the last year.

[tammyshannon1]

Hello, 

We have linked our customers awhile back but it is still not showing in partner center. Who do we contact in regards to getting this resolved?

[JASA1976]

You need to raise a support ticket within the partner center. They can then check to see whether you are receiving anything via PAL's.

[timd]

Hello - Is there any ability to set/modify PAL via an API? I only see reference to UX, CLI, and PS but no REST API.

This should be an expected method for MSPs and large Partners to onboard PAL at scale through automation without the need for modules.

Thanks.

[ggalloway]

In case you don’t get an answer... If you want to figure out the REST API behind PowerShell you can just run Fiddler to monitor what REST API is called behind the scenes.

[Mihai]

Hi @timd,

Thank you very much for getting in touch with us on Microsoft Partner Community!

I will do an investigation on this and will try to reach someone with this kind of knowledge. 

Keep in touch and have a nice day!

Mihai

[Iulia]

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.

[JanoschUlmer]

@Iulia : Can you comment on plans that PAL will count for cloud competency in the future? And can you add information what PAL can actually be used for? 

[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