Innovations in Teams, Azure and security plus radical changes to the vendor’s partner program – from New Commerce Experience to partner capability scores – defined 2022 as a pivotal year for Microsoft.

Leadership for the Redmond, Wash.-based tech giant exits 2022 acknowledging some vulnerability to customers tightening spending and lengthening the time it takes to close a sale, but unwavering in its belief that the quality of and demand for its core technologies – including cloud computing, security and workplace applications – can prove attractive in a potential recession.

“Technology is a deflationary force in an inflationary economy,” CEO Satya Nadella said in his annual letter in October “Every organization in every industry will need to infuse technology into every business process and function so they can do more with less. It’s what I believe will make the difference between organizations that thrive and those that get left behind.”

[RELATED: Top 10 Biggest Google Cloud News Stories Of 2022] 

Microsoft Changes In 2022

Entering 2023, Microsoft has to make moves to earn back some partner trust and enthusiasm – especially among smaller partners that help the vendor reign supreme with workplace IT for Main Street.

Microsoft saw revenue of $198.3 billion for its full 2022 fiscal year – which ended June 30 – an increase of 19 percent year over year ignoring foreign exchange rates.

Partners and the stakeholders will watch the company to see if it can best that growth rate this current fiscal year even with a slowing economy, growing competition in cloud and security and partner program changes that have left some partners disappointed and frustrated.

For now, let’s look back on the biggest news stories of the year for Microsoft channel partners.