The Cloud Essentials Pack has been launched early this year. It allows any partner to access Azure subscription in addition to other benefits:

• 250 users of Microsoft Business Productivity Online Standard Suite for internal use. This includes Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Office Communications Online and Office Live Meeting.
• 250 users of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online for internal use.
• Windows Intune to administer up to 10 machines
• Windows Azure subscription which includes a block of monthly resource consumption which is free:

You should look up the up-to-date information in this link.

This offer is interesting to companies that are not yet a Microsoft Partner. Microsoft Partners with MSDN subscription should verify if their MSDN subscription level allows them to access Windows Azure subscription under the umbrella of MSDN program because they will get more generous free resource consumption block. You can read about the Windows Azure benefits in this reference and you can look up how to activate this benefit in my previous blog post.

Step by Step Guide How to Activate Azure Subscription in Cloud Essentials Pack

The process can be confusing because it requires you to interact with four different portals: Cloud Essentials Program portal, Microsoft Partner Network portal and Microsoft Platform Ready portal and Microsoft Online Services portal. Each of these portals handles a different part of the entitlement. Also, you will need a credit card to complete the subscription activation. This is required in case you exceed the free consumption block specified in the table above.

The following instructions can help you throughout the process.

If you are not Partner of Microsoft:

• If you do not have Windows Live ID, you need to obtain one in http://www.passport.net . If you have existing Windows Live ID go to step 2.
• Go to the Microsoft Partner Network (MPN) and enroll. In only three steps you can become MPN member free of charge.
• Once you have completed the registration it can take some minutes until your this is reflected in the system.
• From now on you can follow the steps below for the Partners of Microsoft.

If you have problem registering in MPN online please call the Regional Partner Center you can find a telephone list for all countries here.

If you are already Partner of Microsoft:

1. Go to Cloud Essential portal http://www.microsoftcloudpartner.com
2. Click the button Get Cloud Essentials Login Now
3. If this is first time you are logging in you will be redirected to the page prompting you to log on with your Windows Live ID (the same one you used to enroll in MPN) and afterwards you can push the button to verify your MPN membership.

   

4. In the My Cloud Partner page you will see progress bar of the Cloud Essentials program showing 50%. To continue you will have to register basic details of the Windows Azure application that you want to develop. You can to this by clicking Getting Started tab on this page and Qualify and reviewing the requirements. You will see a link to Microsoft Platform Ready there. Click this link to continue.

5. When you access Microsoft Platform Ready website you will need to push the button Initiate session and complete the profile of your company if it is the first time you access it.

6. In the next page you need to register a Windows Azure application. This is accomplished by clicking on the Add an app link at the bottom of the table listing all your applications

7 . In the following dialog you fill out a form that collects basic data about the application. You should select Windows Azure check box for the technology. You also specify the date by which you will certify your application. When you send this form you will see that the application has associated Windows Azure Platform as a technology and that the application is in the Develop stage as in the figure above.

8. When you go back to the http://www.microsoftcloudpartner.com  you will be able to see that the Cloud Essentials progress status will be at 100%. It is possible that you will have to accept additional screen with Terms and Conditions of the program.

9. Now, you can click the Activate Benefits tab on the left

and scroll down to the section Windows Azure Platform. Note the blue arrow to the right. If you click it - you will be redirected to the Microsoft Online Services Portal. If the Live ID that you use throughout the process has been used in this portal you should not need enter additional details – otherwise you may be asked again about your company details.

10. In the Microsoft Online Services Portal the shopping cart will already contain the Azure Cloud Essentials subscription. You need to fill out the subscription name, mark the check box after reviewing legal agreement and press Next to continue with the subscription activation.

11. What is left is to follow the steps indicated by this simple wizard. You will be asked for your credit card details (this is so that Microsoft can bill you if you exceed your free usage quotas of the Cloud Essentials Pack. Then subscription will be activated. At any point you can return to the Microsoft Online Services Portal and edit the service details by entering in the Subscriptions tab and selecting the Edit service details option in Actions list. This allows you to specify a different Live ID (Service Administrator) that will have access to this subscription in the Azure developer portal.

12. You can now log in to Windows Azure developer portal http://windows.azure.com  logging with the Service Administrator ID (or the Live ID you used to purchase subscription in step 10).