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Microsoft will be introducing the Microsoft Customer Agreement. The Microsoft Customer Agreement is a simplified purchase agreement that provides consistent purchase terms for customers – regardless of the way customers choose to buy.
An existing customer can still transact under the Microsoft Cloud Agreement during the transition period before Microsoft Customer Agreement becomes mandatory on 1st February 2020. A new customer buying through rhipe can continue to accept Microsoft Cloud Agreement between now to November 30th 2019. On December 1st 2019, Rhipe PRISM portal will be transitioning from accepting the Microsoft Cloud Agreement to Microsoft Customer Agreement and only the Microsoft Customer Agreement will be accepted.
This blog will provide an overview of the important information for rhipe CSP indirect resellers, what the new Microsoft Customer Agreement is and what are the important dates to keep in mind when presenting this to your end customers.
What is Microsoft customer agreement?
The new Microsoft Customer Agreement is a contractual agreement between the end customer and Microsoft, which is meant to streamline the purchasing terms for end customers, regardless of the way channels and partners the customer is buying from. In the CSP program, the new agreement will essentially replace the current Microsoft Cloud Agreement, previously introduced back in November 2018.
You can review the Microsoft Customer Agreement today at http://aka.ms/customeragreement.
How is the new Microsoft customer agreement different from the Microsoft cloud agreement?
Microsoft Cloud Agreement is the current customer agreement that a customer accepts from Microsoft. However, a customer will need to sign multiple Microsoft Cloud Agreement if they are purchasing through multiple CSP partners. They will also need to accept multiple agreements from Microsoft if they are purchasing through multiple licensing channels.
The Microsoft customer agreement is the replacement agreement for the CSP customers. Once signed, there is no expiration or renewal of the agreement requirement. It is portable, as it can be used by the customer for purchasing of licenses across multiple Microsoft licensing channels.
What do I need to do to prepare for Microsoft Customer Agreement as a Partner?
Until Microsoft Customer Agreement is available in PRISM Portal on December 1st 2019, you will be asked to continue doing the current Microsoft Cloud Agreement Partner Attestation through PRISM portal, just as what you have been doing today.
For existing customers in PRISM, you can continue to add and edit the subscription for them under rhipe CSP like what you are doing today. Having said that, It is recommended that you present a copy of the new Microsoft Customer Agreement to your customer so that you can attest that they have signed the Microsoft Customer Agreement in PRISM portal from December 1st 2020.
For new customers, you will need to attest that your customers have accepted the Microsoft Cloud Agreement before December 1st 2019, or that they have accepted the Microsoft Customer Agreement from December 1st 2019 to add new subscriptions. Therefore, it is recommended that you ask your customers to accept both the Microsoft Cloud Agreement and the Microsoft Customer agreement.
What you should do on during the transition period and when Microsoft Customer Agreement becomes mandatory milestones?
| Important Dates | Activity | What is required from you? |
| December 1st 2019 | The new Microsoft Customer Agreement becomes available for partner attestation through PRISM Portal | For new customer, they might need to sign both the Microsoft Cloud Agreement and Microsoft Customer Agreement. You should:
For your existing customers who have accepted the Microsoft Cloud Agreement in PRISM portal, you should:
|
| Early January 2020 | Partner can invite the customer via a URL to review and accept the Microsoft Customer Agreement in authenticated Microsoft Portal from rhipe PRISM portal |
- Partner to present the new Microsoft Customer Agreement to customer
- Partner notifies the customer that they will need to sign the Microsoft Customer Agreement in authenticated Microsoft Portal (Microsoft Admin Center) - Partner invite customer to accept the Microsoft Cloud Agreement in authenticated Microsoft Portal from rhipe PRISM portal.
|
| January 31st, 2020 | Microsoft Cloud Agreement no longer available or purchasing in CSP | By this date, all partners should have their customer acceptance to Microsoft Customer Agreement to add and edit customer subscriptions in CSP. Failure to do so might also affect the renewal of their subscriptions.
Partners can continue to invite customer to accept the Microsoft Cloud Agreement in authenticated Microsoft Portal from rhipe PRISM portal.
|
How does my customer accept the new Microsoft Customer Agreement?
Since the confirmation of the Microsoft Customer Agreement is the responsibility of the partner, the above question becomes very relevant to this blog. To make things simple, rhipe PRISM portal would incorporate the ability to you to invite the customer via a URL to review and accept the Microsoft Customer Agreement in authenticated Microsoft Portal. The detailed process of Microsoft customer agreement acceptance consists of two stages which are as following:
First stage:
- Partner Attestation between Dec 1st 2019 to Jan 31st 2020 in PRISM Portal
- Partner fills the Information required in Prism: First name, last name, email, signing date and optionally phone number.
- Partner proactively keeps the record of the information which is also available in Prism.
Second Stage:
- Available from early January 2020, a partner can initiate an invite to the customer via a URL to review and accept the Microsoft Customer Agreement in authenticated Microsoft Portal (Microsoft Admin Center) from the PRISM portal.
- Partners will be notified once the MCA is accepted. (Details to follow)
- Subscription can be created once the customer has signed the MCA.
- A partner can also check and see whether customer has signed Microsoft Customer Agreement before. If yes, then can provision subscription without needing the customer to sign Microsoft Customer Agreement again.
Can I still use the current Microsoft Cloud Agreement?
The Microsoft Cloud Agreement will remain available in PRISM Portal as an option for purchasing during a transition period until November 30th 2019. On December 1st 2019, Rhipe PRISM portal will be transitioning from accepting the Microsoft Cloud Agreement to Microsoft Customer Agreement and only the Microsoft Customer Agreement will be accepted.
Where can partners or customers review the most current version of the Microsoft Customer Agreement?
The most current version of the Microsoft Customer Agreement for viewing and download at http://aka.ms/customeragreement.
For more information around the Microsoft Customer Agreement, please reach out to your respective rhipe Account Manager. Also, check out the FAQ which gives details around Microsoft Customer agreement.
This blog is brought to you by Mikki Chopra from the Strategy and Enablement Team.
If you have any question, please contact me at Mikki.chopra@rhipe.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikki-chopra-b1854214a/
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