Microsoft backs off on pulling Internal Use Rights for Partners after all

Apparently, Microsoft didn’t want to face the hornet’s nest of complaints from partners at next week’s Inspire conference, as it has backed off and now says there will be no changes to the Microsoft Action Pack subscriptions available to partners after all.

As noted by Mary Jo Foley, this morning Microsoft’s head of channel Gavriella Schuster posted a note on the Microsoft Partner Network site, backing off on the earlier changes:

Your partnership and trust matters to us. Given your feedback, we have made the decision to roll back all planned changes related to internal use rights and competency timelines that were announced earlier this month. This means you will experience no material changes this coming fiscal year, and you will not be subject to reduced IUR licenses or increased costs related to those licenses next July as previously announced.

We listened to you, and we have acted.

About a week ago, Microsoft quietly announced changes to the Microsoft Action Pack subscription, which has granted partners “internal use rights” for years for Microsoft software and services. Those changes were to have eliminated the rights, which allowed partners to use the software and services for free within their own organizations. As recently as yesterday, Microsoft was sticking to its guns on the changes, but this morning they had a change of heart, apparently.

At least Inspire will be a bit less contentious!