The Opportunity in NCE P2P – New Updates and How to Stay Ahead

What’s happening with Microsoft NCE?

The New Commerce Experience (NCE) has transformed how Microsoft Partners and customers engage with subscription services. As of the latest update, customers now have the flexibility to change Partners during an ongoing NCE contract (otherwise known as Partner-to-Partner (P2P) NCE subscription transfers). This shift introduces new dynamics and opportunities for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) to navigate. In essence, this update means that customers can transfer their subscriptions to a different Partner mid-term, a change that poses both advantages for customer demand and opportunities for Partners to grow their existing customer base. Follow along as we explore the implications and strategies to leverage this change effectively.

Previously, once customers upgraded to NCE, they were locked into their service provider for the duration of their contract. This limitation often led to challenges, especially in scenarios such as mergers and acquisitions, regulatory requirements necessitating a transfer, business dissolutions, and consolidations of billing within the same CSP-authorized region. Now, customers can make faster decisions on who they do business with and where they find value; empowering them with the freedom to move their subscriptions to a different Partner. This ultimately offers them more control over their business relationships and aligns their needs more closely with their service provider’s capabilities.

For Partners, this change means customers can now shop around more freely. As a result, MSPs must ensure that they consistently provide value to their customer base. This increased opportunity for Partners opens up new avenues for acquiring customers who are seeking better service or different capabilities. Additionally, customer demand will be higher for those seeking better services and capabilities, placing Partners in a prime place to grow their business. In a market where customers can switch Partners mid-contract, MSPs must enhance their offerings, stay ahead of industry trends, and act as trusted advisors.Partners who can effectively demonstrate their value proposition and adaptability are well-positioned to capitalize on this opportunity.

To thrive in this evolving environment, Partners must prioritize delivering ongoing value and staying updated with the latest advancements. Two key trends that are top of mind for customers are keeping up with compliance and the emergence of AI in business. Compliance standards are continuing to evolve at national and industry levels, and customers need to be aware, understand, and take steps to address new regulations. Additionally, technology like Microsoft Copilot can be exciting to enable in a business but can also drive business risk unless proper guardrails are put in place first. By aligning offerings to a few of the newer trends, Partners can speak to the current challenges their customers face and be viewed as more competitive and relevant in the market.

When thinking about the P2P update also consider other value-added services you could provide, like data protection. Data protection ensures that you are compliant and future-ready. While adding to your offerings. Leveraging solutions like SkyKick Cloud Backup can further solidify your value proposition. Offering robust data protection through SkyKick ensures that customer data is always secure and recoverable, enhancing your service reliability and giving customers peace of mind. Stay agile, communicate clearly, and leverage the new capabilities of NCE to meet your customers’ evolving needs effectively.

The time is now

As NCE continues to evolve, understanding the opportunity in these changes can position you at the forefront of customer satisfaction and business growth. By focusing on continuous value delivery and staying informed about platform updates, you will not only retain but also attract customers in this new competitive landscape.