Over the past moths, I’ve had many conversations with partners about Microsoft Copilot, where Copilot is at and what it means. Interestingly, most of those conversations are never about the technology itself, the question I’ve been hearing is 'what does all this actually mean for my business?'
For me, that’s always the most interesting conversation, particularly now, when we look at the direction Microsoft is taking, with ‘The New Copilot’.
I don’t see a product story. I see now is the time. I see now it a partner’s opportunity to take.
The AI Conversation Has Changed
A year ago, most customer discussions were fairly predictable. Partners were explaining what AI was, demonstrating what Copilot could do and helping customers take their first steps.
Today, that’s changing. Customers are no longer asking whether AI matters. Most have already made that decision. What they’re now trying to work out is how to make AI work inside their business.
- How do they govern it?
- How do they roll it out?
- How do they measure success?
- How do they avoid creating another technology project that never delivers real business outcomes?
Those aren’t product questions. They’re partner questions. And that’s why I believe we’re entering the most interesting stage of the AI journey.
Where I Think the Biggest Opportunity Is
If I were running a partner business today, I wouldn’t be asking myself how many Copilot licenses I could sell. I’d be asking myself:
How do I become the trusted advisor that helps customers operationalise AI?
That’s where the long-term value sits. Customers need help connecting AI initiatives to business outcomes, identifying opportunities and bringing governance, security, adoption and business stakeholders together.
Most importantly, they need help turning experimentation into repeatable value.
That’s not a one-off project. That’s an ongoing relationship.
AI Is Creating a New Services Conversation
Every major technology shift creates new service opportunities. Cloud did. Cybersecurity did. Modern workplace did. AI will too.
Partners that have built successful cloud businesses weren’t necessarily the ones that sold the most licenses. They were the partners that built practices around migration, optimization, governance, adoption and managed services.
I think we’re about to see a very similar pattern emerge with AI. The customers deploying AI today are going to need support tomorrow, not because the technology is difficult, but because managing organizational change is difficult.
That’s where great partners add value.
Don’t Underestimate the SMB Opportunity
I spend a lot of time working with partners focused on SMB customers, and I think there’s a misconception in the market that AI transformation is primarily an enterprise conversation. Microsoft's new focus on the SMB market and its pricing model ensures that’s true.
Today, SMB customers are asking many of the same questions as enterprise customers. That creates an enormous opportunity for partners that can simplify the journey. It's time to stop thinking SMB is lesser, means they don't have the same challenges – the only difference today is SMB pricing to give you the opportunity to deliver those same outcomes, for a fair price.
The winning partners won’t necessarily have the biggest consulting teams. They’ll have the most repeatable approach: the ability to consistently help customers move from interest to adoption, and from adoption to business value.
What I’d Be Thinking About Right Now
If I were sitting in a partner leadership meeting today, I’d be asking four questions:
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Do we have a clear AI services story?
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Can we help customers measure business outcomes?
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How do we create recurring revenue around AI?
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What skills do we need to develop over the next 12 months?
Notice that none of those questions are about features. They’re all about building a sustainable practice. Because that’s ultimately where I think this market is heading.
My Take
The technology will continue to evolve. Microsoft will continue to innovate. New capabilities will continue to arrive. But I don’t think that’s what will determine which partners succeed.
The partners that win over the next few years will be the ones who can bridge the gap between technology and business outcomes. They’ll be the partners who can help customers answer: “How do we actually use this to run a better business?”
That’s a much bigger conversation than AI. And it’s a much bigger opportunity than licensing.
From where I sit, that’s the real story behind Microsoft’s latest Copilot announcements: not the technology itself, but the opportunity it creates for partners who are prepared to lead their customers through the next phase of transformation.
Further Reading
For a deeper overview of Microsoft’s latest Copilot announcements, including the new user experiences, platform innovations and commercial model changes, read our companion article:
1. The New Copilot Is Here
2. M365 Copilot Business Billing is changing: What partners need to know before 2 November
This article focuses on what those announcements mean for your partner business, rather than repeating the product and commercial detail covered in the companion article.
How Dicker Data Can Help
Over the coming weeks, Dicker Data will incorporate these announcements into our Copilot, Agent 365 and AI transformation programs, helping partners develop the skills, methodologies and service offerings required for the next phase of AI adoption.
The market is moving from AI assistance to AI execution.
Microsoft has made its direction clear.
The opportunity now is for partners to lead customers on that journey.
