Inaugural Biz Apps Partner Summit Unveils FY25 Priorities, How to Scale Biz Apps Practices, Dazzle Customers
Co-created by Microsoft and Dynamics Communities, the inaugural Biz Apps Partner Summit – featuring 28 industry leaders, 10 hours of content, and 18 sessions – took place from July 24-25 in Bellevue, Washington, and was built on two primary foundations – informing partners on how to scale their business applications’ practices and dazzling customers.
“Microsoft wins in Biz Apps when the community comes together,” said Joe Corigliano, Biz Apps Partner Summit Strategic Advisor and EVP of Ciellos, during the introduction to the event. This is exactly what 300 attendees – including ISVs, Partners, System Integrators, thought leaders, and Microsoft executives – did last week during the 24-hour immersion.
Day 1
Following the introduction to Day 1, delivered by Dynamics Communities and Community Summit NA CEO John Siefert and Joe Corigliano, Microsoft’s VP of Business Copilot AI and Distinguished Engineer, Donald Kossman, took the stage to deliver the opening keynote “Microsoft Copilot Keynote: The Innovation & Opportunity of AI in the Partner Ecosystem.”
Kossman focused on Copilot as the “new era of computing,” which occurs every 10-15 years. In the second year of its availability, Copilot’s capabilities for automation and collaboration are expanding, and Kossman suggested even further developments in the near future. With Copilot, 1 billion new applications are expected to be built by 2028, with Microsoft favoring on the side of “Copilot-first development.”
Brion Reusche, Microsoft’s Technology Sales Director for Business Applications, took the stage to give insights into Microsoft’s customer segmentation, which is made up of three primary segments: SMB (managed accounts), SMC (unmanaged accounts), and Enterprise (strategic accounts and majors accounts). Additionally, he unveiled FY25 SMB strategy and updates for Business Applications, which includes working with top indirect/direct partners to accelerate sales cycles and key updates such as:
- Partner Solutions Sales (previously Channel Sales) now cover both the U.S. and Canada
- 5,000 accounts are transitioning from SMC & Enterprise to SMB
- Microsoft is increasing programs, funding opportunities, resources, tools, content for SMB customers
Switching gears to the SMC segment, Alistair Butler, Microsoft Mid-Market West Leader, and Alexandre Pombo, WW GTM Lead SMC Business Applications, told attendees about the “new” SMC – which has been completely redesigned in the last 15 months.
“The future is now for SMC,” Pombo tells the crowd, as SMC – which is 75% partner-led and 25% Microsoft-led – is now the fourth addressable market following the Americas, Asia, and EMEA.
Following Butler and Pombo’s 30-minute discussion, John Roth, Managing Director – Partner Business Development, Microsoft, and Erik Opsahl, GM of Business Applications, US West, Microsoft joined Brion Reusche to tell partners about the best ways to work with Microsoft SMC Field Sales to co-create and co-sell. They advised attendees on how they can execute the new SMC strategy, and answered questions relating to:
- What partners should do to ensure they’re top-of-mind for Microsoft
- What the field thinks about Copilot – and how partners should be considering it
- What’s important for partners to know about Microsoft Customer Engagement Methodology (MCEM)
- How partners can leverage Microsoft’s programmatic funding
- Best ways to approach sellers – and get them to pay attention
Later in the afternoon, Howard Swerdloff, Director, Technology Specialist Management, Microsoft discussed in front of attendees how they can best work with Microsoft Enterprise Field Sales to co-create and co-sell. Opposite of the SMC segment, the Enterprise segment is 75% Microsoft-led and 25% partner-led. In addition to sharing how partners can best work with Enterprise Field Sales, Swerdloff advised partners across a few key areas, including:
- Make sure Microsoft knows who you are
- Understand the team you’re working with and what’s imporant to them
- Be able to deliver – and protect – revenue
- Inform Microsoft on what you’re capabilities are and what it means for the customer
- Envision how the two can best work together
To round out the sessions on Day 1, John Scandar, SVP, Alithya, Tom Galambos, President & COO, Hitachi Solutions, Greg Kaupp, CEO, ArcherPoint, and Andy Kurtz, CEO, Kopis, joined Biz Apps Partner Summit Strategic Advisor Terry Petrezelka on a panel titled “Vision, Adaptation, and Scale in the Microsoft Partner Ecosystem.”
The panelists delivered insights into how to scale in the partner ecosystem through:
- Leveraging technology
- How – and why – being a Microsoft partner helps businesses grow
- Working collectivley with the community
- Collaborating versus competing
Panelists also shared what’s worked – and what hasn’t – when scaling business, and the value of sharing that knowledge with other partners.
Day 2
To kick off Day 2, Cecilia Flombaum, Senior Director, Scale Growth, Microsoft, and Peter Jensen, Director, Business Application Partner Strategy, Microsoft delivered the morning keynote – “Winning in FY25 with Partners at Scale.” Jensen covered Microsoft Customer and Partner Solutions (MCAPS) priorities and advised attendees on the areas Microsoft needs help from its partners. He suggested that the company needs help from partners in the following areas:
- Accelerating customers getting out of Salesforce
- Bringing in industry expertise
- More low-code partners
- Executing end-to-end ERP replacement in SMC
He also shared FY25 priorities, which include the six Solution Plays:
- Accelerate revenue generation
- Modernize service
- Innovate with AI and low-code
- Modernize ERP
- Scale business operations
Following Jensen’s presentation, Flombaum addressed the crowd to discuss the SMB segment – for which business applications is the fastest-growing product portfolio. She shared what’s top-of-mind for SMB in the new fiscal year, including “winning” with AI and Copilot, scaling customer acquisition, and supporting deals of all sizes.
Mike Gillis, Principal, RSM US, and Tom Patterson, Principal, Microsoft Dynamics Practice Leader, BDO, joined Joe Corigliano on stage to discuss the partner perspective on SMB/SMC priorities. “We all want to build successful, growing, profitable businesses based on our partnership with Microsoft,” explained Gillis, which includes focusing on the people your company can help, building strong relationships, and adopting new technologies such as Copilot.
Becky Lymberis, Director of Product Marketing, Microsoft gave a high-level overview of FY25 Solution Plays. There are six in total, including the newly added “AI-powered business with Copilot.” Others include:
- Innovate with AI in Low Code
- Modernize ERP
- Accelerate revenue generation
- Scale Business Operations
- Modernize Service
Later, Sanju Nair, Senior Partner Marketing Manager, Microsoft, informed the crowd on SMB & SMC Programs that drive partner success, focusing on AI-powered business with Copilot, and FY25 priorities and how they’re executed.
One of those programs, the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program (MAICPP) was the focus of Ben Reid, Microsoft Partner Accelerator, Ciellos, and Microsoft’s Senior Director of the MAICPP Dan Rippey’s discussion. Rippey gave an overview of the program, which is built to service partners of all types and sizes, and discussed program shifts, new ISV designations, and what’s new in FY25.
The last panel discussion of the event, moderated by Velosio’s Joseph Longo, featured Microsoft’s Cecilia Flombaum, Peter Jensen, and Uriel Rootshtain. This discussion helped attendees understand how to win in FY25 by understanding Microsoft, through:
- Utilizing Microsoft programs and resources
- Taking advantage of the Modern Workplace and Biz Apps ecosystem
- Opportunities with low-code and AI capabilities
During lunch, attendees heard from HandsFree ERP President and Founder Peter Joeckel about the Seer 365 Partner Opportunity, a free assessment that helps companies navigate and make decisions relating to their ERP migration journey.
To close out the event, Cloud Wars Founder and Acceleration Economy Co-Founder Bob Evans joined John Siefert on stage to explore why now is the time to be a Microsoft – #1 on the Cloud Wars Top 10 – partner. In the current era of AI, and given all Microsoft is doing with Copilot, Evans defined the unique opportunities that Microsoft partners have in today’s business landscape.
Final Thoughts
To round out the 24-hour immersion, John Siefert announced the Biz Apps Partner Preconference Workshop, taking place during Community Summit North America 2024 on October 13.
Additionally, the Biz Apps Partner Summit will be taking place in Seattle, WA (exact location TBA) from July 23-24, 2025.
Lastly, a massive thank you to the Biz Apps Partner Summit Underwriter, BDO Digital, and the other supporting partners, including Armanino, Ciellos, Dynamic Web, Experlogix, Martus, Paystand, Red Maple, RSM, and HandsFree ERP.
