Microsoft is intensifying its focus on artificial intelligence by expanding training, incentives and marketplace support for channel partners across the Asia Pacific region.
The company trained 500 partners last year and aims to significantly exceed that number as AI adoption accelerates among enterprise and mid-market customers. “We aim to train more channel partners in the Asia Pacific region to bolster AI focus. We are investing 20 percent more on AI related areas,” said Foong Chee Ngiem, Asia Channel Partner Marketing Leader, Microsoft.
Speaking at the Canalys Forums APAC 2025 in Vietnam on December 3, Foong Chee Ngiem said Microsoft is bringing its AI bundles together to better support customers and partners as they design and deploy AI-driven solutions. “Microsoft offers incentives to channel partners. Our main focus is on pre-sales and pro-sales areas in order to enhance AI customers,” she said, highlighting the company’s growing emphasis on customer-ready AI expertise within the channel.
Heather Gordon, Chief Partner Officer, Asia, Microsoft, reinforced the importance of internal readiness among partners in the region. She urged partners to invest more in their own capabilities by adopting the best tools, strengthening resources and embracing change management practices that guide customers through AI transformation. “Adoption of AI and change managements are important aspects of AI,” she said.
Industry analysts also noted the rising need for partner enablement. Nicole Peng, VP Research, Consumer, Omdia, emphasized that AI demand continues to surge across consumer and enterprise segments, requiring deeper collaboration between technology vendors and partners to accelerate deployment.
Microsoft’s broader AI channel strategy is centered on reshaping how partners build, sell and deliver next-generation solutions. The company is moving firmly toward an AI-first model in which partners are expected to adopt AI internally and showcase real-world results before advising customers. This “Customer Zero” philosophy strengthens partner credibility as organizations across the region explore AI for automation, productivity improvements and cloud modernization.
Central to this strategy is Microsoft’s unified Marketplace, which consolidates all app catalogs into a single platform for discovering, purchasing and deploying AI solutions. The Marketplace makes it easier for partners to publish AI apps and agents, while also helping customers evaluate offerings more efficiently. A major enhancement is the introduction of resale-enabled offers, allowing ISVs to authorize partners by geography and opening new revenue streams across the channel ecosystem.
Microsoft has also realigned incentives to prioritize recurring service-led business models rather than transactional sales. Increased funding supports Copilot adoption, Azure AI services and cloud-led modernization projects. The company’s go-to-market framework now centers on AI business solutions, cloud and AI platforms, and security — empowering partners to address industry-specific challenges rather than simply promoting products.
Overall, Microsoft aims to expand the reach of its AI platforms through a highly skilled partner ecosystem that can deliver outcome-driven innovation. With increased investment, enhanced training and a more streamlined Marketplace, Microsoft is positioning Asia Pacific partners to play a central role in accelerating AI adoption across the region.
Baburajan Kizhakedath
