The Microsoft Partner Network program is evolving to stay committed to growing partner relationships and to help you grow your business. This includes simplifying the partner programs and aligning how you go to market, validating partner capabilities to deliver successful customer outcomes and investing in your growth and profitability. 

The partner programs are being simplified to focus on differentiating services solution capabilities, to meet customer’s needs and introducing the solutions partner designations, anchored on the Microsoft Cloud in six solution areas aligned to how Microsoft goes to market: Data & AI (Azure), Infrastructure (Azure), Digital & App Innovation (Azure), Business Applications, Modern Work and Security. This new model provides two qualifying levels: solutions partner and specialist/expert. For more information, please visit our Microsoft Partner Network Evolution webpage.    

When are changes coming to the Microsoft Partner Network? 

From September 30, 2022, legacy competencies and associated badging will no longer be valid, although if you have a competency by that date, you will retain your benefits. Starting on October 3, 2022, the new solutions partner designations will be available for partners to attain.   

What are solutions partner designations?  

Microsoft is introducing the solutions partner designations, anchored on the Microsoft Cloud in six solution areas aligned to how Microsoft goes to market. By attaining solution area designations, you can demonstrate your organization’s capabilities in delivering customer success in the solution areas. 

This is valuable for you, because it’s where we see customer demand, and where the opportunity is for you to scale to meet your customer’s needs. The six designations will be Solutions partner for Infrastructure (Azure), Data & AI (Azure), Digital & App Innovation (Azure), Business Applications, Modern Work, and Security. 

The solutions partner designations help to easily identify partners with experience in high demand Microsoft Cloud solution areas, and that have delivered successful customer outcomes. Success is measured by customer success, skilling, and performance.  

How to Attain a Solutions Partner Designations? 

Success is measured by performance, skilling and customer success. Each area will have a specific number of possible points. You have the flexibility to focus more on one category versus another depending on what is right for your business. There will be holistic qualifications to measure your organization’s technical capabilities, allowing you to showcase solutions you have delivered to help customers succeed and grow. There will be new customer-facing badges to help you stand out and market your capabilities. 

A minimum of 70 points must be earned, with points in each of these three categories. There are 100 points possible in total.

Why should you attain solutions partner designations?

Customers want to work with partners who have the right skills and capabilities to meet their needs, along with demonstrated ability to deliver customer success. The solutions partner designations clearly differentiate you from your competition. By attaining a solutions partner designation, you demonstrate your commitment to skilling and training and highlight the innovations and successful solutions you are building and delivering that contribute to customers’ success. 

By attaining solution area designations, you will demonstrate your organization’s breadth of capabilities in delivering customer success in the solution areas aligned to how Microsoft goes to market. This drives customer demand, and the opportunity is for partners to scale to meet customer needs.

By attaining solution area designations, you will demonstrate your organization’s breadth of capabilities in delivering customer success in the solution areas aligned to how Microsoft goes to market. This drives customer demand, and the opportunity is for partners to scale to meet customer needs. 

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