Maximizing Microsoft Value: Navigating Incentives and Opportunities

By Chris Weinfurt, Microsoft Alliance Manager, Synergy Technical

Microsoft’s customer incentive programs are powerful—but they’re not always clear.

Between CSP, Enterprise Agreements, dozens of add-ons, solution assessments, co-investment funds, funded workshops, partner incentives, and engineering support—it can feel like you need a map just to know where to start. And that map keeps changing.

Most customers don’t have time to untangle all of that, and frankly, they shouldn’t have to. That’s our job.

At Synergy Technical, one of the most valuable things we do as a CSP isn’t transactional—it’s programmatic navigation. We live in Microsoft’s ecosystem every day, and we’ve made it our mission to help customers get every dollar of value available to them, not just from licensing—but from Microsoft’s full portfolio of support, funding, and enablement programs.

Read The Ultimate Guide: What is Microsoft CSP?

What Customers Don’t Always See

Microsoft’s priorities shift constantly. Some programs run out of budget. Others change mid-year. Some are tied to specific solution areas (like Security or Modern Work), while others are only available if you meet certain licensing thresholds.

If you’re not in it every day, it’s easy to miss out.

Here’s what we often uncover:

• Customers paying full price for add-ons that could be subsidized through available funding
• Organizations missing workshops Microsoft would have paid for—if they’d known to ask
• Teams unaware of the engineering or architectural support tied to their licensing level
• Inconsistent or conflicting guidance that creates delays, confusion, or missed opportunities

You shouldn’t have to manage this alone. And with us as your CSP, you don’t have to.

How We Cut Through the Noise

We’ve built our CSP practice around more than just license fulfillment. We’re experts at translating Microsoft’s internal mechanics into meaningful customer outcomes.

Here’s how we make the complexity actionable:

• Map Microsoft’s incentives to your goals
  • Whether you're deploying Microsoft 365 E5, adopting Copilot, rolling out Defender, or retiring third-party tools, we align you with the programs that accelerate—and help fund—that journey.
• Track workshop eligibility in real time
  • Workshops like Teams Governance, Copilot Readiness, Security Assessments, and Entra ID Planning are often fully funded by Microsoft. We monitor what’s available and proactively match you to the right offers.
• Validate and escalate when answers conflict
  • If two different Microsoft resources tell you two different things, we work through the backend to find the real answer. We understand the systems, the incentive structures, and the escalation paths.
• Connect the dots between add-ons and built-in capabilities
  • Not every solution needs an extra license. Sometimes it just needs configuration. Our team helps customers avoid buying what they already own—and get the most out of what they’ve invested in.

More Than a Partner—We’re Your Program Navigator

As your Microsoft CSP, we don’t just process your licenses—we manage the entire Microsoft relationship on your behalf.

We know what programs you’re eligible for, what funding you can access, and which workshops Microsoft will pay for based on your goals, licensing tier, and strategic direction. From proof-of-concepts to customer briefings to enablement workshops, we coordinate it all.

Our job is to make sure you're maximizing your Microsoft investment—and getting every possible dollar in incentive and deployment funding. That means fewer surprises, faster progress, and more value without more spend.

If you’re not sure what you’re entitled to—or whether you’re leaving money on the table—you probably are. And we’re here to fix that.

Ready to transform your licensing strategy? Contact us today to schedule a consultation, learn more about the Microsoft CSP licensing benefits, or start optimizing your Microsoft cloud services with a trusted partner by your side. Let’s modernize your cloud journey together!