Enhanced Cloud Revenue Visibility in Partner Center
Microsoft has announced the general availability of the Estimated Azure Consumed Revenue (ACR) field in the Referral Submission experience within Partner Center. This new capability enables partners to better communicate the expected Azure consumption associated with opportunities, helping Microsoft sellers gain clearer insights and allocate appropriate resources to high-potential cloud deals.
What's New
Optional Estimated ACR Field: Partners can now provide an estimate of the Azure Consumed Revenue that an opportunity is expected to generate when it closes. This field complements the existing Estimated Contract Value (ECV) by specifically capturing expected Azure usage for cloud-driven solutions.
Azure-Specific Opportunities: The Estimated ACR field appears for IP Co-Sell referrals that involve Azure products or services. The field is aligned to the currency selected for the deal value, ensuring consistency across financial projections.
Why This Matters
Providing an Estimated ACR delivers several strategic benefits:
Improved Seller Understanding: Microsoft sellers gain a clearer picture of the cloud potential within an opportunity, moving beyond just license revenue to understand consumption-based value.
Better Resource Allocation: With visibility into expected Azure consumption, Microsoft can prioritize engagement and align the right technical expertise early in the sales cycle.
Faster Deal Progression: Better information leads to more informed decisions, reducing friction in the co-sell process and accelerating time-to-close.
Stronger Co-Sell Outcomes: Enhanced transparency around cloud consumption potential leads to more strategic collaboration between partners and Microsoft sellers.
How to Use This Feature
When submitting IP Co-Sell referrals in Partner Center that involve Azure products or services, partners will now see the optional Estimated ACR field. To maximize the value of this feature:
- Assess the expected Azure consumption associated with the opportunity
- Provide a realistic estimate based on customer usage patterns and solution architecture
- Ensure the estimate aligns with the currency used for the overall deal value
- Update the estimate as the opportunity progresses and projections become more refined
Best Practices
While the Estimated ACR field is optional, providing this information can significantly enhance co-sell effectiveness. Partners should:
- Base estimates on actual customer requirements and historical consumption data where available
- Consider both initial deployment consumption and ongoing usage patterns
- Update estimates if solution scope or architecture changes during the sales cycle
- Use conservative estimates to maintain credibility with Microsoft sellers
Availability
This feature is available now for all partners submitting IP Co-Sell referrals in Partner Center. No configuration or setup is required—the Estimated ACR field will automatically appear for eligible Azure-related opportunities.
Effective Date: February 6, 2026
Impacted Audience: All partners submitting IP Co-Sell referrals in Partner Center
Source: Microsoft Partner Center Announcements - February 2026