OpenAI officially launched its OpenAI Partner Network on 14 June 2026, its first formal global partner programme, alongside a Partner Portal and Partner Locator, to help consulting firms, systems integrators and technology partners build, sell and deploy AI solutions using OpenAI.
Key elements of the launch included:
• Three partner tiers: Select, Advanced and Elite.
• A public directory referred to as Partner Locator where customers can find accredited partners.
• A secure Partner Portal for enrolled partners for onboarding, acquiring certifications, managing co-selling opportunities and technical resources.
The programme launched with major partners including Accenture, AWS, Bain & Company, BCG, Capgemini, Cognizant, Databricks, EY, Fujitsu, HCLTech, Infosys, KPMG, McKinsey, NTT DATA, PwC, Slalom, Snowflake, TCS , Tribe AI and Unit8.
The initiative takes OpenAI into the IT channel, from once selling AI primarily through direct relationships to building a global ecosystem of systems integrators, consultancies and technology partners.
Partners were assessed on technical expertise, customer deployments, sales performance and co-selling with OpenAI. Future specialisations are planned to include areas such as Codex, AI agents and cybersecurity. OpenAI aims to train 300,000 certified consultants by the end of 2026.
GPT 5.6 is to be the preferred model in Microsoft 365 Copilot
Last week, OpenAI announced its latest flagship model series GPT 5.6, which, in the companies words:
“will become the new preferred model in Microsoft 365 Copilot—in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Chat and Cowork.”
For Microsoft 365 customers, the update brings OpenAI’s latest flagship model series into productivity tools people use every day, helping them create, analyse, and collaborate with the latest AI model assistance across workstreams.
Nitin Agrawal, President, Copilot & Agents Core at Microsoft, has said:
“We can’t wait for customers to see what GPT 5.6 in Microsoft 365 will do, enabling them to work even more effectively with AI in the tools they use every day. Using Copilot powered by OpenAI’s latest model, customers will be able to produce more polished outputs in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Cowork, and Copilot Chat, whether they are drafting documents, analyzing data, creating presentations, or collaborating across teams. We’re excited to continue building with OpenAI to bring more powerful AI experiences to people and organizations around the world.”
With GPT 5.6, Microsoft 365 users will be able to:
• In Word, help end users draft, edit, and refine documents with fewer rounds of prompting.
• In Excel, it can support deeper analysis while using tokens more efficiently, helping users move faster from data to insights.
• In PowerPoint, it can help turn early ideas into more polished, visually compelling presentations with less manual guidance.
• In Cowork, it can help users complete complex, cross-functional work and produce higher-quality outputs with less manual coordination.
Nikunj Handa, Head of API Product at OpenAI, said:
“Microsoft 365 is where millions of people write, analyze, create, and collaborate every day. By bringing GPT 5.6 to Microsoft 365 Copilot through the OpenAI API, we’re helping organizations get more useful work from every token, and more value from AI in the tools they already use.”
In addition to serving the models natively, Microsoft will also access OpenAI models directly through the API to bring GPT 5.6 to Microsoft 365 customers.
Related Post: OpenAI First Report: How Enterprises adopt AI and what Workers are Gaining
