Ready to save 15% on Microsoft 365?

Who is eligible for Corsica’s discounted Microsoft licensing?

Our licensing discount applies only to US licenses. We are not able to offer this discount to customers outside the US.

Do you offer coupons for Microsoft 365 for Business?

Our deals on M365 are only available through our sales representatives. Contact us to start the process of getting discounted corporate licensing. 

Understanding Microsoft Licensing: NCE and CSP

Navigating the world of managed IT services and Microsoft licensing can be complex, but understanding the key components can help you make informed decisions for your organization. In this post, we’ll explore two important aspects of Microsoft licensing: the New Commerce Experience (NCE) and the Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) program.

What is the New Commerce Experience (NCE)?

The New Commerce Experience (NCE) is Microsoft’s modernized approach to licensing, designed to provide more flexibility and capabilities for partners and customers. Introduced to streamline and enhance the purchasing and management of Microsoft products, NCE offers several benefits:

• Flexibility: NCE allows for more flexible management of services, including control over subscription renewals, the ability to upgrade partial seats when moving to new SKUs, and scheduling changes to subscriptions that take effect at the end of terms
• New Pricing and Add-On Options: With NCE, partners can get pricing for services programmatically through APIs and have more flexibility to acquire add-on services. This includes new monthly term options that cater to different business needs
• Simplified Billing: Billing under NCE is more streamlined, with consolidated billing and invoicing using the partner’s currency, consistent billing dates, and support for monthly, annual, or three-year terms for many subscriptions

What is the Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) Program?

The Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) program is a licensing model that allows partners to sell Microsoft cloud services along with their own offerings and services. CSP partners manage the entire customer lifecycle, including billing, support, and customer management. Here are some key points about CSP:

• Comprehensive Management: CSP partners handle everything from creating customers and requesting relationships to purchasing and managing scenarios for software subscriptions, perpetual software, Azure services, and marketplace offers
• Transition to NCE: The CSP model has evolved with the introduction of NCE. While the traditional CSP model is now referred to as ‘Legacy CSP,’ the new NCE model offers enhanced capabilities and flexibility

Key Differences Between NCE and Legacy CSP

While many aspects of how partners do business in Partner Center remain unchanged, there are some key differences between NCE and the traditional CSP model:

• Subscription Management: NCE provides more control over subscription renewals and upgrades, allowing for partial seat upgrades and scheduling changes to take effect at the end of terms
• Pricing and Billing: NCE introduces new pricing and add-on options, as well as simplified billing processes that make it easier for partners to manage their services