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Three things are all happening on May 1. Two security campaigns expire in 74 days. A billing system change has a hard June 15 deadline that most partners haven't touched yet. And a specialization that a lot of firms built practice identity around just got renamed — with new criteria attached. It's a busy week to be a Microsoft partner CEO who isn't watching closely.
We're sharing a shortlist of what our clients see - if you're interested in the full analysis, DM me.
Bonus: If you're evaluating your firm's Marketplace positioning, our 30 second Microsoft Marketplace Assessment can help you identify where revenue is being left on the table.
MAY 1: Microsoft 365 E7 opens for CSP transactions — at $99/user/month
Beginning May 1, Microsoft 365 E7 "the Frontier Suite" becomes transactable in CSP on monthly, annual, and triennial terms. The list price is $99 per user per month, but the launch promotions bring that down meaningfully: 10% off for 10 to 99 seats on annual terms, 15% off for 100 to 9,999 seats, and 15% off triennial deals for 300 or more seats. Those discounts run through December 31, 2026.
For partner CEOs, this is the biggest new commercial motion of H2 FY26. E7 bundles Microsoft 365 Copilot, security, compliance, and agent capabilities at a price point that looks compelling when you put it next to a component-by-component cost comparison for existing E3 and E5 customers. Partners who are not already positioning E7 into active accounts are behind. Pull the preview SKUs from your Pricing workspace now and get your sellers briefed before a customer's renewal lands without a conversation.
JUNE 15: Your billing integration will break if you don't act
The deadline to update your Partner Center billing integration is June 15, 2026, extended from the original March 11 date after partners pushed back requesting more time. Get your operations or engineering team auditing this now. If you run an indirect reseller network, the issue may be embedded in downstream tools you do not directly control.
JUNE 30: Three security promotions expire on the same day
Microsoft is running three separate security promotions, and they all end June 30, 2026. The Sentinel 50-GB commitment tier promotion. The M365 E5 CSP 15% off for new customers. The Defender and Purview Suites discounts (10% off new-to-E3 or new-to-E5, on CSP three-year terms). That convergence is a close reason: a customer who does not transact before June 30 on any of these pays full price in Q1 FY27. That is a concrete, time-limited financial argument that does not require a lengthy discovery conversation.
JULY 1: The M365 price increase is 11 weeks out
Office 365 E3, Microsoft 365 E3 and E5, Business, Frontline, and standalone components go up on July 1, 2026. New features roll in by August 1. This is not new news, but with 11 weeks to go, the close reason is becoming more concrete. Customers who renew before July 1 lock in current pricing. Customers who let renewals drift past July 1 pay the new rate with the same old feature set while they wait for August 1 rollouts. That is not a complicated conversation, but it requires someone to start it.
This edition of Bits & Bytes covers the Microsoft partner ecosystem for CEOs, operators, and practice leaders. Partner1 is a premier partner advisory firm built by former Microsoft executives. We help B2B companies grow profitably through ecosystem-led growth.
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