FARGO, N.D. – April 8, 2026 – Microsoft’s Dynamics 365 2026 Release Wave 1, announced March 18, marks the most significant shift in the platform’s history: agentic AI capabilities are now being embedded across every module — Sales, Customer Service, Finance, Supply Chain, HR, and Commerce. For the thousands of businesses evaluating Dynamics 365 implementation partners, this changes the selection criteria fundamentally.

“For the past 25 years, choosing a Dynamics partner came down to certifications, project count, and industry references,” said George Brown, Co-Founder & CEO of Top Dynamics Partners. “That playbook is now incomplete. Wave 1 introduces autonomous agents that execute multi-step business processes independently. Partners who can’t design, deploy, and govern AI agents aren’t just behind — they’re a risk to your implementation.”

The Wave 1 release is not an incremental update. Microsoft 365 Copilot is now embedded in Dynamics 365 Sales and Customer Service, with public preview launching in early April 2026. Work IQ — a new intelligence layer that bridges Microsoft 365 signals with Dynamics 365 operational data — enters general availability the same month. And the Forrester Wave™: Customer Service Solutions, Q1 2026, has named Microsoft a Leader, validating the platform’s AI-first direction.

Why Traditional Partner Selection Criteria Fall Short

Before Wave 1, a Dynamics 365 implementation was primarily a configuration and customization exercise. Partners needed deep knowledge of modules, data migration, and change management. Those skills still matter, but they’re no longer sufficient.

Agentic AI introduces new implementation dimensions that most partners have never faced:

• AI Agent Design & Orchestration: Configuring autonomous agents that qualify leads, process invoices, or prevent churn requires an entirely different skill set than traditional CRM configuration.

• Copilot Enablement: Copilot’s effectiveness depends on data quality, governance frameworks, and user adoption strategies that partners must plan from day one.

• Work IQ Integration: Work IQ connects Microsoft 365 productivity data with Dynamics 365 operational data. Partners need cross-platform expertise that spans the entire Microsoft stack.

• AI Governance & Compliance: Autonomous agents acting on business data create new compliance, audit, and risk management requirements that partners must address upfront.

Top Dynamics Partners Updates Evaluation Framework

In response to Wave 1, Top Dynamics Partners has updated its partner evaluation framework to include AI-readiness criteria. The updated framework assesses partners across new dimensions including Copilot deployment experience, agent design capabilities, Work IQ integration readiness, and AI governance practices.

“We’ve spent the past decade building the most comprehensive Dynamics 365 partner evaluation platform in the market,” said Brown. “Wave 1 required us to fundamentally rethink what ‘partner readiness’ means. A partner with 200 successful ERP implementations but zero agent deployments is not the right choice for a business that wants to capitalize on agentic AI.”

The updated evaluation is available through Top Dynamics Partners’ free AI-powered partner matching tool, evaluation checklist, and partner comparison features at topdynamicspartners.com. A comprehensive guide to evaluating partners for the agentic AI era is also now available on the site.

Why Timing Matters

The urgency extends beyond technology. Microsoft’s M365 pricing increases of 5–33% take effect July 1, 2026, affecting the total cost of the Microsoft stack for every Dynamics 365 customer. Businesses selecting partners now must factor in both the new AI capabilities and the shifting cost structure.

“The window between now and July is when businesses should be locking in their partner and implementation strategy,” said Brown. “The partners who have already invested in AI readiness will be in high demand. Waiting means fewer choices and higher costs.”

About Top Dynamics Partners

Top Dynamics Partners is the leading independent platform for evaluating and comparing Microsoft Dynamics 365 implementation partners. Cofounded by George Brown, a 40-year veteran of the Dynamics ecosystem and former Chief Revenue Officer at Jet Global, TDP provides AI-powered partner matching, vendor-neutral evaluation tools, and expert advisory services to help businesses find the right Dynamics 365 partner for their specific needs.

Learn more at topdynamicspartners.com.

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