This month’s Dynamics 365 and Power Platform updates give partners new ways to grow, from a refreshed Presales Advisor incentive and Microsoft’s GrowthLab program to new bundles that pair Business Central with Microsoft 365 Copilot Business. There are also a few licensing changes worth planning around, including a Power Apps Premium price change and a new license key model for Business Central 28 and later.
Here’s what to have on your radar, and what each change means for you and your customers.
TLDR: Dates and program changes
Short on time? Here’s what’s time-sensitive this month.
Dates to watch
- October 1, 2026: The refreshed Business Applications Presales Advisor incentive took effect. (Jump to section.)
- October 1, 2026: Business Central versions 28 and later use a forward-compatible “28+” on-premises license key instead of version-specific keys. (Jump to section.)
- January 1, 2027: Power Apps Premium increases by $2 USD per user per month. (Jump to section.)
- January 1, 2027: The new Business Central and Microsoft 365 Copilot Business bundles become available. (Jump to section.)
- September 30, 2028: Certain standalone Azure Communication Services capabilities used in Dynamics 365 Contact Center retire. (Jump to section.)
Program changes
- Refreshed: The Presales Advisor incentive now covers CSP-based customers, with new Business Central and Contact Center levers. (Jump to section.)
- New: GrowthLab offers coaching, workshops and peer learning for eligible partners. (Jump to section.)
Pricing updates
What’s changing with Power Apps Premium pricing?
Starting January 1, 2027, Power Apps Premium will increase by $2 USD per user per month, billed annually. Microsoft identified this as the first price increase to Power Apps Premium in five years.
What this means for you: If Power Apps Premium is part of an implementation or managed solution you deliver, incorporate the new price into proposals, renewals and total-cost discussions now. Review any proposals and customer roadmaps that extend into 2027, and walk customers through the change ahead of time so it doesn’t come up for the first time on an invoice.
New Business Central and Microsoft 365 Copilot Business bundles
New bundles combining Dynamics 365 Business Central and Microsoft 365 Copilot Business arrive on January 1, 2027, giving you a new way to bring Copilot to both new and existing Business Central customers.
What this means for you: This gives you a new entry point to connect Business Central modernization with productivity, adoption and AI-readiness services in a single conversation.
Two things to do before the launch:
- Identify Business Central customers who could benefit from a combined AI and productivity conversation
- Get your sales and delivery teams ready for the January 1 launch
Admin and licensing updates
How does the new Business Central 28+ license key model work?
As of October 1, 2026, Business Central versions 28 and later now use a forward-compatible “28+” on-premises license key instead of version-specific keys. Before each upgrade to a new release, customers need to download a refreshed 28+ key so the latest objects are unlocked. Earlier releases continue to use version-specific keys.
What this means for you: This introduces a new dependency for Business Central on-premises and Dual Use Rights upgrade projects. You should build refreshed-key retrieval and validation into every version 28+ upgrade plan.
Recommended actions:
- Confirm that the latest 28+ key has been downloaded before each upgrade
- Add license-key validation to your upgrade readiness and deployment checklists
For more information, you can visit the Microsoft 365 admin center, view license download instructions and read the latest Business Central updates.
Plan for affected Azure Communication Services scenarios
Certain standalone Azure Communication Services (ACS) capabilities used in Dynamics 365 Contact Center scenarios will retire on September 30, 2028. Microsoft recommends moving affected voice scenarios to Microsoft Teams Phone extensibility, and supported alternatives are available for SMS and WhatsApp.
What this means for you: No immediate action is needed, but it’s worth starting the assessment early so you can evaluate dependencies and plan a phased migration.
Recommended actions:
- Add ACS dependency checks to your Contact Center assessments
- Take stock of affected customer architectures and integrations
- Coordinate with voice and contact center specialists before recommending a migration path
To learn more, you can access these resources:
Migration guidance | Calling Plan | Direct Routing | Operator Connect
Microsoft Partner Program updates
What’s new with the Business Applications Presales Advisor incentive?
Microsoft’s refreshed FY27 Business Applications Presales Advisor incentive launched October 1, 2026. The main changes:
- Partners can now claim CSP-based customers, as long as the claiming partner isn’t also the Transacting Partner of Record for the claimed subscriptions
- The Finance and Supply Chain Management rate has been updated
- New workload levers have been added for Contact Center and Business Central
To be eligible, you need FastTrack Portfolio Partner status or an eligible Business Applications specialization.
What this means for you: The expanded scope opens up more opportunities to support presales activity across Business Central, Contact Center, Finance and Supply Chain Management.
Recommended actions:
- Validate eligibility, partner-of-record conditions and claim requirements early in the opportunity cycle
- Review active opportunities against the new workload levers and eligibility criteria
- Confirm the Transacting Partner of Record before preparing a CSP-based claim
To learn more, you can read the incentives policy guide.
Grow your Business Central practice with GrowthLab
Microsoft’s FY27 GrowthLab program gives eligible partners partner-specific coaching, practical workshops and peer learning to help them build capabilities, work toward a Solutions Partner designation and scale their business.
What this means for you: If you’re building or expanding a Business Central practice, GrowthLab gives you structured support to do it. Review the eligibility requirements in the GrowthLab FY27 playbook, and if you qualify, submit the GrowthLab nomination form to apply.
Reminder: Updated Business Applications specializations
As we covered in September, Microsoft has updated the Sales, Service, Finance and Supply Chain specializations. Eligible deployments are now measured by monthly active users rather than monthly consumed value, the gross growth performance requirement is being removed and Microsoft Marketplace tags are being updated to match current products.
What this means for you: If you’re pursuing or maintaining one of these specializations, reassess your readiness and performance tracking against the updated deployment measure and requirements.
Webinars and events
Microsoft Business Applications FastTrack AI Bootcamp (November 9 to 11, Redmond).
- A three-day, in-person event led by FastTrack Engineering for experienced Dynamics 365 solution architects, implementation leads and business process owners.
Build AI-first customer experiences with Copilot and AI Agents in Dynamics 365 (November 11 to 12 for the Americas and EMEA).
- Two days of partner skilling across Customer Service, Field Service, Contact Center, Sales and Customer Insights.
Convergence 2026 (December 8 to 11, Miami).
- A Dynamics 365 community event, with a Partner Pre-Day on December 8 covering CRM, ERP and Business Central, product roadmaps and partner opportunities.
Staying ahead of Dynamics change
If you have questions about how any of these updates affect your Sherweb account or your customers, reach out to your account manager. We’re here to help you turn Microsoft’s changes into opportunities for your business.
Catch up on past updates: October 2026 | September 2026
