The end for cheap on-prem licenses: Microsoft discontinues Action Pack
Microsoft will discontinue the Action Pack for partners at the beginning of 2025. The successors will have a lot of cloud and AI instead of on-premises licenses.
(Image: iX)
The Microsoft Action Pack and Learning Action Pack are history: with both, partners were able to purchase many licenses, especially for on-premises software, at more favourable conditions. Partners can still purchase and extend these packages until January 21, 2025, after which they will switch to Partner Success Core Benefits or Partner Success Expanded Benefits.
According to Microsoft, the reason for the change is the changing tech landscape: the new packages mainly contain cloud and AI products, including those from Microsoft's Copilot portfolio. While the announcement presents the move as a reaction to current trends, Microsoft's business interests are also clearly behind it.
On the one hand, the new packages are significantly more expensive than their predecessors –. Partners who have made public statements assume that costs will double. However, the fact that Microsoft has been making its turnover and profits with its cloud products for some time is more important. At the same time, the company clearly sees AI services as another future mainstay, as underlined by the high level of investment.
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However, traditional on-premises products are increasingly playing a less important role in Microsoft's business. Consequently, the Group wants to secure partners and customers – as future users of its own cloud and AI services with comparatively favorable conditions from the partner program, even if they have not yet switched to –. Anyone who wants to extend their Action Pack one last time must be able to do so by the deadline of January 21, 2025. This excludes many customers who booked it this year.
Full details of the changes can be found in the announcement.
(fo)
