I designed Microsoft's $5B EA channel architecture in 2001. The 2026 transition is missing what made it work
The Register published an opinion piece by an individual who designed Microsoft's Enterprise Agreement (EA) channel architecture in 2001. The author argues that the upcoming 2026 transition of this architecture is missing key elements that made the original successful. The piece suggests that the new version overlooks the importance of the channel, which could lead to significant costs for Microsoft. AI
IMPACT This article discusses enterprise software architecture and transitions, with a minor mention of LLMs in a separate section, thus having minimal direct impact on AI operators.