April 2026 announcements

This page provides the announcements for Microsoft Partner Center for April 2026.

Update: Effective date change for ReferenceId format update in reconciliation files

• Date: April 06, 2026
• Workspace: Billing
• Impacted audience: Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) direct bill partners and distributors.

Effective June 15, 2026, the ReferenceId attribute in Billed Reconciliation and Unbilled Reconciliation files will be updated to use a structured JSON format.

What's changing

• The ReferenceId value will be updated to the following structured JSON format:

{
  "osId": "ab12Cdef-GiJ3-ab12-Cdef-ab12CdefGiJ3",
  "id": "ab12CdefGiJ3",
  "v": 2
}

Date update Microsoft is updating the effective date for the previously announced change to the ReferenceId attribute in reconciliation files.

• Original effective date: April 15, 2026
• New effective date: June 15, 2026

This change applies to:

• Billed Reconciliation files
• Unbilled Reconciliation files

The change was originally announced on March 11, 2026. Based on partner feedback requesting additional time for readiness, Microsoft is extending the timeline to help partners plan, test, and deploy updates.

Why this change is happening

This update is part of Microsoft’s broader effort to standardize identifiers and improve traceability across billing and reconciliation workflows.

Specifically, the structured ReferenceId:

• Improves consistency when correlating records across billing systems
• Enables version awareness, reducing ambiguity as reconciliation formats evolve
• Lays the groundwork for future enhancements without requiring disruptive changes

This approach aligns with Microsoft’s ongoing focus on strengthening partner supportability and system reliability, as outlined in the Validate your support capabilities and prepare for the future of partner support (UfP) announcement.

Partner impact

• Partners who parse or process ReferenceId as a string must update their logic to handle the JSON structure.
• Billing logic, pricing, charges, and invoice totals are not impacted.
• Download locations and access methods remain unchanged.

Required partner action

• Review and update any reconciliation processing or reporting solutions to support the new ReferenceId JSON format before June 15, 2026.

Validate your support capabilities and prepare for the future of partner support

Access new resources on Unified for Partner.

• Date: April 3, 2026
• Workspace: General
• Impacted audience: CSP distributors and direct bill partners

Unified for Partner (UfP), announced at Microsoft Ignite 2025, is Microsoft’s next-generation partner support offering. It modernizes partner support with revenue‑based pricing aligned to Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) cloud business. It includes unlimited, as-needed, 24-7 reactive support for CSP workloads, and is driven by a partner‑first model where partners lead support and Microsoft acts as a backstop —supported by unified tooling, proactive services, and performance‑based incentives.

UfP is being introduced through a deliberate phased approach, beginning with pilots with select partners, followed by gradual expansion in H1 of fiscal year 2027 ahead of planned general availability in H2 of FY 2027.

However, now is the time to lay the foundation for transforming your customer support. The Support Services designation is your starting point in this next chapter, giving customers a clear signal that you deliver proven, Microsoft‑validated support.

Attain the designation to establish your credibility, gain a competitive edge, and unlock performance‑based discounts of up to 40% on UfP, along with expert guidance and support tools.

Next steps

• Learn more about how to attain the Support Services designation.
• Review the partner data sheet to understand the scalable pricing model for UfP.
• Stay tuned for future updates on UfP availability.

SKU Naming Update: Microsoft Teams Premium and Microsoft Teams Events

SKU naming update: Microsoft Teams Premium and Microsoft Teams Events

• Date: April 3, 2026
• Workspace: General
• Impacted audience: Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) direct bill partners and distributors

Microsoft identified a naming inconsistency affecting a subset of Microsoft Teams Premium and Microsoft Teams Events SKUs in Partner Center. To better align with our updated product naming and reflect the intended use case, these SKUs will be renamed. This update is naming-only. There are no changes to product functionality, pricing, eligibility, service plans, or customer entitlements. The new names will appear on the May 1 pricelist.

What is changing

The following SKUs will be updated, while preserving their existing segment qualifiers (Education, Government, Non-profit) and term structure (including Extended Service Terms).

SKUs in scope:

The following SKUs are impacted by this naming update for Product Microsoft Teams Premium (ID CFQ7TTC0RM8K) and Teams Events (ID CFQ7TTBZZJP0):

What's not changing

• Pricing
• Billing terms or renewal behavior
• Product ID or SKU IDs
• Service plans or provisioning behavior
• Eligibility by segment (Education, Government, Nonprofit)

Existing subscriptions continue without interruption. The updated name appears in Partner Center pricing, billing, and customer workspaces.

Partner impact

Partners may see the updated SKU name reflected in Partner Center catalog views, price lists, and reporting. No action is required. We recommend using the updated name in customer-facing materials going forward to maintain consistency.

Next steps

This naming update supports Microsoft’s broader Teams product positioning and doesn't introduce a new offer or SKU. For questions related to licensing behavior or eligibility, existing guidance continues to apply.

Download targeted offers for your customers using AI assistant in Partner Center

• Date: April 01, 2026
• Workspace: Customers
• Impacted audience: Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) direct bill partners and distributors.

We’ve introduced a new AI assistant capability in Partner Center that helps Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) partners discover and download targeted offers applicable to their customers.

Targeted offers are customer‑specific promotions assigned by Microsoft and aren't available through public promotion listings. With this update, partners can use the AI assistant to automatically evaluate customer eligibility and generate a downloadable report of applicable targeted offers.

What's new

Using the AI assistant in the Customers workspace, partners can now:

• Identify targeted offers applicable to customers associated with their partner account
• Automatically evaluate customer eligibility
• Download a report containing customer‑specific targeted offers
• Use the data for sales planning, customer outreach, and internal workflows

The downloaded file includes only targeted offers that are applicable to the partner’s customers at the time of evaluation.

Where to access

• Go to Partner Center.
• Navigate to the Customers workspace.
• Select the AI assistant (sparkle icon) in the upper‑right corner.
• Use prompts such as “Download targeted offers applicable to my customers”.

Why this matters

Partners can use the targeted offers download to:

• Plan proactive customer outreach.
• Equip sales teams with customer‑specific offers.
• Validate offer applicability before transactions.
• Combine with internal reporting or CRM workflows.
• This enables more accurate, timely, and relevant engagement with customers.

Learn more

For details on how the feature works, sample mockups, example prompts, and CSV schema, see: Download targeted offers with AI assistant in Partner Center

Important considerations

• Targeted offers are customer‑specific and can't be applied to other tenants.
• Availability and eligibility are determined by Microsoft and may change over time.
• The downloaded report represents eligibility at the time it was generated.
• Pricing details are governed by the price list, which remains the source of truth.

Announcing reduced Microsoft Dragon Copilot pricing

We’re pleased to share an update to Dragon Copilot’s commercial model, designed to better reflect the current market environment and support partner growth.

• Date: April 1, 2026
• Workspace: General
• Impacted audience: CSP authorized partners

Beginning May 1, 2026, the Dragon Copilot per-user license type will be available at a reduced list price across all geographies where Dragon Copilot is currently offered, including the United States, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Austria, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Switzerland. Thanks to this update, partners can expand Dragon Copilot adoption with a simpler and more competitive pricing structure.

As part of this change, the Dragon Copilot Physician Practice offer will reach end of sale on May 1. Customers will now have access to the full set of Dragon Copilot enterprise capabilities through the standard per‑user license at the new price point.

Additionally, beginning on May 1, Dragon Copilot will introduce a simplified consumption model for ambient encounters and generative AI capabilities. Consumption fees will now be applied per encounter, rather than per individual ambient note or generative AI action—making usage easier to understand and manage.

Key takeaways

• A reduced list price for Dragon Copilot per-user license launches on May 1, 2026, in all available Dragon Copilot geographies.
• We’re introducing simplified consumption fees for ambient encounters and generative AI capabilities.
• The end of sale date for the Physician Practice offer is May 1, 2026.

Next steps

Connect with your account representative for further guidance and details on this announcement. More details will be added to the Dragon Copilot Partner Assets page on May 1.

License Mobility for Windows Server and SQL Server subscriptions

Windows Server and SQL Server CSP subscriptions include License Mobility rights starting April 1, 2026.

• Date: April 1, 2026
• Workspace: General
• Impacted audience: All CSP partners (direct bill, indirect resellers, and distributors) who sell or support Windows Server or SQL Server subscriptions under the Microsoft Customer Agreement.

Microsoft is simplifying the product terms for Windows Server and SQL Server subscriptions purchased under the Microsoft Customer Agreement (MCA) through Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) partners.

Starting April 1, 2026, these subscriptions will be eligible for License Mobility rights, giving customers benefits equivalent to Software Assurance in legacy Volume Licensing.

With License Mobility rights, customers can run eligible server application workloads in shared environments and with authorized outsourcing partners. This simplifies licensing and delivers clearer customer value through the new commerce experience.

CSP perpetual licenses remain unchanged and don't gain License Mobility.

No action is required from partners or customers to activate this benefit. The updated product terms will take effect automatically on April 1, 2026.

Next steps

• Review the updated product terms.
• Review the partner FAQ.
• Update your sales scripts and customer-facing materials to reflect License Mobility rights for CSP subscriptions.
• Understand the License Mobility eligibility distinction between subscriptions and perpetual licenses.

SKUs and promotions for CSP transactability May 1

Microsoft 365 E5 + Entra Suite, Copilot, and Agent 365 become transactable as Microsoft 365 E7, the Frontier Suite. Price list preview for one-year terms available on April 1.

• Date: April 1, 2026
• Workspace: General
• Impacted audience: CSP direct bill partners and distributors (worldwide)

Beginning May 1, 2026, Microsoft 365 E7 will be available to transact in Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) channels on monthly, annual (one-year), and triennial (three-year) terms. Microsoft 365 E7 brings together Microsoft 365 E5 for secure productivity, Microsoft Entra Suite for identity and access control, Microsoft 365 Copilot for AI in the flow of work, and Microsoft Agent 365 as the control plane to govern and scale agents.

To support these new offerings, the following promotions are planned to be available on May 1, 2026:

• Annual (one-year) promotional offers:
  • 10% off Microsoft 365 E7 annual terms (one-year) License minimum 10 | License maximum 9,999
  • 15% off Microsoft 365 E7 annual terms (one-year) License minimum 100 | License maximum 9,999
• Triennial (three-year) promotional offer:
  • 15% off Microsoft 365 E7 triennial terms (three-year) License minimum 300 | License maximum 9,999

Partners can begin positioning Microsoft 365 E7 with customers ahead of the May 1, 2026, launch and can prepare order workflows in advance of transactability. 

Promotions may experience a slight delay in transactability and may be available later than May 1. Promo eligibility, terms, and ordering guidance are available through standard CSP channels. Microsoft 365 E7 CSP promotions will be available through December 31, 2026.

Next steps

• Review the April 1, 2026 price list preview for SKUs (three-year SKUs won't be included on the April 1 price list preview).
• Prepare internal ordering and sales teams for May 1 transactability.
• Begin customer conversations aligned to Microsoft 365 E7 availability and promo timelines.

Questions

Refer to the launch guide and Global Promo Readiness guide, or contact your Partner Development Manager for support. 

Global Tax ID modernization launch

To support evolving global tax compliance requirements, Microsoft is enhancing the way Tax IDs are collected, validated, and stored, thus improving accuracy, and regulatory alignment across all countries/regions.

• Date: April 1, 2026
• Workspace: Account Settings
• Impacted audience: Impacts all countries/regions. If you're an indirect provider, direct bill partner as a Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) or enrolled in Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program (MAICPP).

Review the following information to understand how the changes may affect your organization and what actions may be required.

• Rollout window: April 1 through April 13 2026 (partners may begin seeing the updated experience during this period).
• Workspace: Partner Center > Account Setting > Organization profile > Billing page/Legal Info > Bill to Info page.

What’s New?

• Country/region-specific Tax ID types that dynamically adjust to local requirements.
• Enhanced experience to support multiple Tax IDs required by local regulations (for example: Brazil, India, Italy, Egypt, and Serbia).

Why does this matter?

• Helps meet country/region-specific tax regulations and documentation requirements.
• Reduces billing errors and tax-related support escalations.
• Provides a scalable foundation for future Tax ID requirements and country/region expansions for future countries/regions like France.

Next steps

• Review your Tax ID details and ensure one or more Tax IDs for your legal address are complete and accurate. Missing or incorrect Tax IDs may result in billing disruptions, delayed transactions, or noncompliance with local requirements.
• If your organization operates in Brazil, India, Italy, Egypt, or Serbia, you may be required to provide multiple Tax IDs due to local regulations. Partner Center shows any other mandatory Tax ID fields required for those jurisdictions.

Questions?

• For Partner Center navigation or operational questions, contact your Microsoft representative or Submit a Support ticket through Partner Center.
• For questions about tax treatment or business impact, consult your tax advisor or local tax authority. Microsoft can't provide tax advice.

Related content

• Registration ID number information
• Value added tax (VAT) information in Partner Center registration
• Understand Taxes and Credits