microsoft dynamics ® certified software advisor (csa) · 01.07.2012 · partner faq – microsoft...

Partner FAQ – Microsoft Dynamics Certified Software Advisor (CSA) Program v2 Update

(June 2012)

Microsoft Dynamics ® Certified

Software Advisor (CSA) Program

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) –– Partners

General Information

What is the Microsoft Certified Software Advisor (CSA) program?

The Certified Software Advisor program compensates Microsoft partners that assist Microsoft in

selling Microsoft Dynamics CRM or Microsoft Dynamics AX.

What is the objective of the program?

The objective of the Certified Software Advisor program is to create a competent ecosystem of

partners that assist in the pre-sales evaluation and deployment of Microsoft Dynamics CRM and

Microsoft Dynamics AX. The program is designed to help offset partners’ cost of marketing and

selling Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Microsoft Dynamics AX.

How does it work?

Partners can earn CSA fees by providing software evaluation and deployment services for Microsoft

Dynamics CRM, Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online (when commercially available) and Microsoft

Dynamics AX. As a Microsoft software advisor that assists in pre-sales assessment of Microsoft

Dynamics CRM or Microsoft Dynamics AX and is retained as the primary post-sales

implementation partner for the deployment of Microsoft Dynamics software, partners become

eligible to claim a Certified Software Advisor payment. A partner does not need to be the

ordering partner of the software to be eligible for Certified Software Advisor payments.

Where do I find information about the Certified Software Advisor program?

Partners can read detailed information regarding the CRM or AX market opportunity on the

Microsoft Partner Network Portal. Additionally, specific information about the CSA program can

be found on the dedicated Microsoft Dynamics Certified Software Advisor page on MPN Portal.

Is the CSA program a worldwide program?

Yes. Any partner in any country where Microsoft Dynamics CRM or Microsoft Dynamics AX is

sold can participate in the CSA program. Sales of Microsoft Dynamics CRM or Microsoft

Dynamics AX in the eligible Volume Licensing programs are entitled to CSA fee claims,

unless otherwise noted in the CSA documentation. Partner


(June, 2012)

must meet the requirements of the CSA program and the transaction must occur in order to

be eligible to receive fees.

How do I sign up for the CSA program?

Solution providers can begin the signup process by navigating to the Certified Software Advisor

signup page. Important Link – CSA Signup Process

https://mbs2.microsoft.com/public/crmsignup/relationshiptype.aspx

Do sales of Microsoft Dynamics CRM or Microsoft Dynamics AX licenses count towards

Inner Circle, President’s Club and other sales recognition programs?

Yes. Partners can make CSA claims and receive payment while also receiving revenue credit

towards recognition.

CSA Program – Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Microsoft Dynamics AX

On Premises Software

Regarding on-premise software, how does the CSA program compensate partners?

Microsoft compensates partners based on flat rate. In the flat rate model, for each eligible CRM

or AX transaction, partners will receive CSA payments based on estimated retail price (defined

below) of licenses multiplied by the percentage.

How does the model work?

CSA payment for Licenses or Licenses with Software Assurance will continue to be based on the

total estimated retail price for each deal; on each individual deal partners will receive the total

of:

17%% for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 25% for Microsoft Dynamics AX Software Assurance Renewal: Partners will receive a flat rate of 5% for total value of contract renewal. Deals closed under the Enterprise Application Program (EAP) count as Software Assurance and earn 5% in advisor fees.

Sales of CRM or AX licenses to the same end-user customer within a 365 day period

(from date of first claim) will be considered part of the original sale and paid at the

marginal rate. Microsoft reserves the right to change the percentage payouts at any

time with notice to partners. This means that a percentage payout (i.e. 17%) could

change in the future.

https://mbs2.microsoft.com/public/crmsignup/relationshiptype.aspx


(June, 2012)

What is Estimated Retail Price?

Estimated retail price is the total estimated price in USD for CRM or AX licenses purchased by

a customer. It is calculated based on Microsoft’s invoice price (to the partner) for licenses

multiplied by an uplift factor that is used to estimate the market price. Uplift factors may vary

by region. Estimated Retail Price = Microsoft Invoice Price x Uplift Factor

What are some typical CSA claim scenarios?

Scenario 1 A CRM Software Advisor in the United States assists the direct marketing reseller

(DMR) for XYZ Corporation with a Microsoft Dynamics CRM evaluation and is retained to deploy

the software. The customer purchases the CRM licenses from the DMR. The estimated retail

price of the CRM licenses is USD 100,000. The CSA partner will receive USD 17,000 in CSA

payment.

CSA Calculation: USD100,000 * 17%= USD 17,000.

Scenario 2 A CSA partner in Australia assists XYZ Corporation with a Microsoft Dynamics AX

evaluation and is retained to implement the software. The partner orders the AX licenses from a

distributor and resells them to XYZ Company for an estimated retail price of AUD 250,000. The

partner will receive AUD 56,029 in CSA payment.

CSA Calculation: AUD 250,000 *25% = AUD 62,500


(June, 2012)

What happens if I sell additional CRM or AX licenses to the same customer?

CSA claims for sales of Microsoft Dynamics CRM or Microsoft Dynamics AX on-premise licenses

to the same end-user customer within a 365 day period (from date of first claim) will be

considered part of the original sale and paid at the marginal rate.

Does the Volume Licensing program (i.e. Open, Select, etc...) matter for CSA payment

calculation?

No. The choice of which Volume Licensing program to use for Dynamics CRM purchases is

completely the decision of the customer. The CSA payment amount will be exactly the same,

regardless of which Volume Licensing program is used.

Dynamics AX only qualifies with an Enterprise Agreement.

How will renewals of Software Assurance be paid?

There will be no change for payments on renewals of Software Assurance. Partners will continue

to receive 5% of the estimated retail price for renewals of Software Assurance.

CSA Program -– Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online and Dynamics CRM

Mobile

Will subscriptions of CRM Online be eligible for CSA?

Yes.

How are CSA payments calculated for Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online and Dynamics

CRM Mobile?

Partner fees are defined across two elements: sell and deploy and managed fees for your

support of customers. Partners earn 12% of the first year’s value associated with all new CRM

Online subscription licenses purchased by the customer from Microsoft, and 6% ongoing fees

for renewed subscriptions. Software Advisor fees on newly acquired CRM Online subscription

licenses (12% fee) are paid out up front for the full year subscription. The managed fee of 6%

is paid out monthly through the life of the subscription.

NOTE: July 1, 2012 – December 31, 2012 the managed fee = 6% / January 1, 2013 – June

30, 2013 the managed fee = 4%

CSA Fee payments are automatically processed upon being assigned partner of record (POR)

for the subscription. Payments are disbursed monthly when the partner reaches a $100


(June, 2012)

minimum payment threshold.

If a customer purchases additional licenses throughout their subscription period, the partner will

receive a fee based on the value of the newly added seats, prorated to the end of the 1 year

subscription period. Please, see the scenario below for detailed explanation of calculations.

M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 M6 M7 M8 M9 M10 M11 M12

POR Association POR

Sold 100 Seats of CRM Online 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100

Total Seats 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100

Max seats sold 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100

Sell Fee 12% Sold 100 Seats 1,440

Promo Fee 14% Sold 100 Seats 1,680

Monthly Manage Fee 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60

Total Monthly Fee $3,180 $60 $60 $60 $60 $60 $60 $60 $60 $60 $60 $60

Running balance $0 $60 $120 $60 $120 $60 $120 $60 $120 $60 $120 $60

Partner Payment Amount $3,180 $120 $120 $120 $120 $120

Q4

Subscription

Seats

Managed Fee

6%

Partner

Payment

Q1 Q2 Q3

Partner FAQ – Microsoft Dynamics Certified Software Advisor (CSA) Program v2 Update (June, 2012)

If standard Software Advisor fee rates for CRM Online are 12% + 6% (or 18%) on newly

added licenses, why am I receiving a different percentage?

Microsoft may offer partners a promotion as part of existing Microsoft Dynamics CRM Software

Advisor program. We recommend that partners periodically check the Software Advisor

community pages of MPN portal (here) and PartnerSource (here) to view most recent

promotional announcements and documentation

CSA Program Requirements and Certification

What agreements are necessary to be a part of the Certified Software Advisor

program?

Partners must sign a Certified Software Advisor Agreement in conjunction with their Microsoft

Partner Program (MPN) Agreement. Partners must be at least a Registered Partner in the

Microsoft Partner Program and have a current Software Advisor Agreement on file in order to be

eligible for CSA payments. In addition, certification requirements apply (see below). Please refer

to the MPN web site for more details.

For Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online and Microsoft Dynamics CRM Mobile, a Microsoft Online

Services Partner Agreements (MOSPA) is also required.

How do customers register their CRM on-premise software?

Customers will receive a Product Identification (PID) key to activate the product. This PID

key should be used as part of the installation procedure. You still need to register your

customer by going to the Self-Service Web Site

(https://mbs2.microsoft.com/MbsRegistration/ChooseRelationship.aspx) in order to

activate the Software Assurance benefits and CustomerSource account for your customer. This

is a pre-requisite step before you can claim fees.

https://mbs2.microsoft.com/MbsRegistration/ChooseRelationship.aspx)


What are the CSA certification requirements for Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Microsoft

Dynamics AX?

For Microsoft Dynamics CRM On-Premise, 2 or more employees or contractors from the partner

organization are required to collectively pass the following exams to earn the Microsoft Dynamics

CRM Certification for the Program.

Exam requirements: Microsoft Dynamics CRM (on-premise)

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Customization MB2-866

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Installation and Configuration MB2-867

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Applications MB2-868

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Sales Accreditation

Implementation Methodology Exam MB5-858

For Microsoft Dynamics AX, 15 or more employees from the partner organization are required to collectively pass the following exams to earn the Microsoft Dynamics AX Certification for the Program:

Exam requirements: Microsoft Dynamics AX

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Development Introduction Exam MB6-869

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Trade and Logistics Exam MB6-870

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Financials Exam MB6-871

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation and Configuration Exam MB6-872

Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Implementation and Maintenance or Administering Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Databases

Exam 70-432 or

Exam 70-462

Microsoft SharePoint 2010, Application Development Exam 70-573

Please refer to the web for the latest exam requirements and your specific geography exams on PartnerSource


(https://mbs.microsoft.com/partnersource/partneressentials/partnerreadiness/partneracademy/MSD_ERPTechnicalExams) or the MPN Partner Portal https://partner.microsoft.com/global/productssolutions/dynamics/40012663

For Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online, one or more employees or contractors from the partner organization are required to collectively pass the following exams to earn the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Certification for the Program:

Exam requirements: Microsoft Dynamics

CRM Online

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Customization MB2-866

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Sales Accreditation

Implementation Methodology Exam MB5-858

Please refer to the web for the latest exam requirements and your specific geography exams on PartnerSource (https://mbs.microsoft.com/partnersource/partneressentials/partnerreadiness/partneracademy/MSD_ERPTechnicalExams) or the MPN Partner Portal https://partner.microsoft.com/global/productssolutions/dynamics/40012663

https://mbs.microsoft.com/partnersource/partneressentials/partnerreadiness/partneracademy/MSD_ERPTechnicalExams

https://mbs.microsoft.com/partnersource/partneressentials/partnerreadiness/partneracademy/MSD_ERPTechnicalExams

https://partner.microsoft.com/global/productssolutions/dynamics/40012663

https://partner.microsoft.com/global/productssolutions/dynamics/40012663


Where can I find additional information on training and certification for Microsoft

Dynamics CRM and Microsoft Dynamics AX?

Information on training and certification requirements for Microsoft Dynamics Products can

be found on PartnerSource ( https://mbs.microsoft.com/partnersource/solutions/CRM/) or

on the Microsoft Partner Program website (https://partner.microsoft.com/ )

Additional information on other training and events can be obtained by partners on MPN

Training & Events Portal: http://www.msreadiness.com/mslearningplans.asp (US only)

Partners in other subsidiaries should contact their local subsidiary for training and

certification information.

Claims Eligibility

When am I eligible for applying for the CSA Fees?

As a Microsoft Certified Software Advisor, partners are eligible to apply for fees if they provide

pre- sales software evaluation services and are retained as the primary post -sales

implementation partner for Microsoft Dynamics CRM or Microsoft Dynamics AX software.

Partners do not need to be the ordering partner to be eligible for Certified Software Advisor

fees; customers can purchase licenses from any authorized source. Although partners may

meet eligibility requirements, they will not be able to apply for fees until the transaction is

complete and invoiced by Microsoft

In what Volume Licensing programs can Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Microsoft

Dynamics AX be licensed and qualify for CSA payments?

Microsoft Dynamics CRM can be licensed through many but not all of Volume Licensing

programs and qualify for CSA.

The list of applicable programs will be kept current in the Microsoft Dynamics Software

Advisor Program Guide for Microsoft Dynamics CRM .

Microsoft Dynamics AX can only be licensed through an Enterprise Agreement to qualify for

CSA fees.

Are there any licensing programs that are ineligible for CSA payments?

Yes. A list of licensing programs ineligible for CSA payments is available in the Microsoft

Dynamics Software Advisor Program Guide for Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

Microsoft may update the exclusion list from time to time and provide notice to partners by

updating the Guide

https://mbs.microsoft.com/partnersource/solutions/CRM/)

http://www.msreadiness.com/mslearningplans.asp


Claims and Payments Process

Where do I claim CSA fees? For CRM or AX on premise sales, you can claim CSA fees at:

http://www.microsoft.com/BusinessSolutions/MBSRegistration/

For CRM Online sales, payments will automatically be processed upon being assigned as the

Partner of Record (POR) for the subscription. Once assigned POR, an email will be

delivered with notification of the POR designation.

Following month end, a statement will be emailed outlining the CSA fees for the month.

There is a 5 day deadline for disputes.

At month end the payment will be disbursed via the chosen method (check or wire

transfer).

Note: There is a $100 monthly minimum threshold. If that is not met, the payment wil l be

added to a running balance and paid once the minimum is met.

In what currency will I be paid?

Microsoft will pay you in the currency designated in your Software Advisor profile.

How will I receive CSA payments?

Partners can receive payment via bank wire transfer or check. Partners can choose their payment

method at signup or change it later in their profile.

When will I receive payment for a valid CSA claim?

On Premise Sales:

Day Description 9th & 22nd Last day for software advisors to make claims for

the monthly processing cycle 10th & 23rd Automatic fee calculations are executed

11th & 24th Microsoft fee administrators begin reviewing and approving claims

Last day of the month/middle of following month

Fees are paid, software advisors can expect to receive claims during the following week.

CRM Online and Mobile subscriptions: payments are calculated at month end and disbursed

the following month upon reaching a $100 minimum payment threshold.

http://www.microsoft.com/BusinessSolutions/MBSRegistration/


Additional Information and Resources

Where can I find additional information? Please consult PartnerSource for frequently updated information. If PartnerSource does not

answer your question, please contact your Microsoft Regional Operating Centers (ROCs)

listed below. As always, you may also contact your Microsoft Partner Account Manager or the

MBS Partner Resource Desk (US only) for additional information:

PartnerSource

Certified Software Advisor Information

Important Link: https://mbs.microsoft.com/partnersource/communities/CSA/

Additional CRM Information

Important Link: https://mbs.microsoft.com/partnersource/products/mscrm

Microsoft Regional Operating Centers (ROCs)

America, Europe, Middle East & Africa: o please, enter a new request here

o view your existing request here

Asia Pacific: please, contact [email protected]

https://mbs.microsoft.com/partnersource/communities/CSA/

https://mbs.microsoft.com/partnersource/products/mscrm

mailto:[email protected]

microsoft dynamics ® certified software advisor (csa) · 01.07.2012 · partner faq – microsoft...

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