Meta Tech Partner Migration 2024
Tech Provider Migration & Onboarding for Bird ISV Partners
Meta’s new WhatsApp Business Messaging tech provider program (“Tech Partner Program”) enables an Independent Software Vendor (“ISV”) to team up with a premier Meta business partner, like Bird, that are Solution Partners under the Tech Partner Program. Meta is opening up its ecosystem to third party developers such as ISVs that build value added solutions on top of the WhatsApp application programming interface (“API”).
With the launch of the updated Tech Partner Program, Bird is notifying its existing ISVs that leverage the WhatsApp channel to migrate to the Tech Partner Program as this is a requirement from Meta.
With a developer’s migration to Meta’s Tech Partner Program, developers can onboard as part of Bird’s updated ISV construct for WhatsApp partners and can integrate directly with Bird on the Meta platform.
Please continue reading below for important information and deadlines.
1. What is the updated Tech Partner Program?
Meta is making it easier for partners to scale growth through ISVs and offer new solutions to end-customers. With account sharing, ISV’s (also called “Tech Providers” in the Tech Partner Program) can collaborate with a Solution Partner to offer a single solution to end clients. Tech Providers can host embedded sign ups for the joint solution, so that end-customers can onboard the API directly through the Tech Provider’s website. Both the Solution Partner, Bird, in this case, and Tech Provider will be able to manage the WhatsApp Business Account (“WABA”). For example, the Tech Provider manages templates, while Solution Partner manages message sending and billing.
2. When is the deadline to enrol in Meta’s updated Tech Partner Program? All ISVs that want to continue using the WhatsApp channel are required to enrol as a ‘Tech Provider’ with WhatsApp by December 31, 2024.
Note: if the ISV does not enrol in the Tech Partner Program by Meta’s deadline, the ISV is prohibited from sending WhatsApp messages.
3. What steps does the ISV need to take to enrol in Meta’s Tech Partner Program?
The ISV needs to complete the following:
4. Is Bird Updating its Legacy Platform to Align to the Meta Tech Partner Program?
No. Given the change in the Meta Tech Partner Program, Bird is decommissioning certain aspects of its legacy platform, which means ISVs will no longer be able to onboard ‘new end-customers’* on the Bird platform unless the ISV follows the instructions in this section. Bird is doing this to ensure its platform properly aligns and supports Meta’s Tech Partner Program.
*‘new end-customers’ means an end-customer not currently using the WhatsApp channel on the ISV’s service.
If an ISV wants to continue to onboard new end-customers on Bird’s platform after December 31, 2024, in addition to the requirements in Question #3 above, the ISV is required to migrate from the Bird legacy platform (dashboard.messagebird.com) to the Bird next-gen platform (app.bird.com) AND complete all instructions below no later than December 1, 2024. For clarity, if the ISV does not follow these instructions and timelines, the ISV will not be permitted to onboard new end-customers on Bird’s platform.
September 18, 2024
We will communicate with the account owner of the ISV organisation with the milestones and key dates outlined in this guide. The communication contains a link to this guide.
We will also inform the ISV that we will be sending the ISV an invite to register for the Bird next-gen platform and accept an invite to a new organisation. If the ISV already has a Bird CRM account, the ISV can also log into its existing account.
September 23, 2024
We will invite the account owner of the ISV organisation to the Bird next-gen platform. Account owners should then invite any other users to create accounts on the Bird CRM platform.
October 4, 2024
By October 4, 2024 the ISV should complete the following steps to onboard as a Tech Provider with Meta
November 15, 2024
After the ISV has been accepted as a Tech Provider by Meta, the ISV will need to complete development of a new integration with the latest Bird APIs. There is an extensive guide on how to complete this integration here.
December 1, 2024
By this date, the ISV should begin to onboard net new clients only onto the next-gen Bird platform.
December 31, 2024
From this date, it will no longer be possible to create new ‘child’ workspaces to onboard new customers within Bird’s legacy platform.
March 31, 2025
By this date, the ISV will need to migrate its existing customers from Bird’s legacy platform to the Bird next-gen platform.
We are currently developing migration tooling and will update this guide with information on how to migrate existing customers.
5. Are the terms and conditions between Bird and the ISV going to be updated?
Yes. There are some updates to the terms and conditions from Meta to Bird. Therefore, Bird needs to update its terms and conditions with respect to you, the ISV. Your usage of our WhatsApp channel is governed by our General Terms and Conditions (“GTC”).
In accordance with your GTC, Bird is updating the GTC governing your usage of our Services. For the purposes of aligning to Meta’s updated Tech Partner Program, we are updating the terms and conditions applicable to your usage of the WhatsApp channel as a Tech Provider on our platform, which, as of the date of this notice, is Section 19.2 of our Product Specific Terms seen at https://bird.com/legal/product-specific-terms (as may be amended from time to time). You can find Bird’s then-current GTC as of the date of this notice at https://bird.com/legal/terms (as may be amended from time to time).
Bird strongly recommends you to read and familiarise yourself with the updated terms and conditions as the usage of our Services will be governed by such terms and conditions..
6. How does Bird’s and the ISVs relationship change from the prior Meta program?
You can review the frequently asked questions at Tech Provider, Partner Program and Account Sharing
7. How will this impact the pricing in my current Order Form? The pricing and services that the ISV currently has under Bird’s legacy platform will not change until the your Order Form expires at the end of the current term. The existing Order Form shall not automatically renew for an additional term. For any subsequent renewal of services, pricing may be updated.
8. What happens if the ISV does not follow the instructions in this document? The ISV will no longer be able to use the WhatsApp channel as an ISV on the Bird platform.
9. Who should I contact if I have more questions? Please reach out to partners@bird.com.
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