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The Microsoft Partner Network has changed to the Microsoft Cloud Partner Program today. This Program will build on the foundation and success of the Microsoft Partner Network and will be a place for all the partners to align with the critical areas of technology that customers need to be successful.
For partners, the Microsoft Cloud Partner Program is the foundation for growth and profitability. It offers a portfolio of tools, resources, and services that partners can use to work with customers. Partners can use this network to find new opportunities, innovate using the cloud, join a community of partners who are committed to helping customers, and deliver successful solutions to the businesses all over the world.
Microsoft is offering clear pathways for partners to enable them to grow their business, deliver customer success, and invest in their partnership with Microsoft. Microsoft has simplified its partner program, focusing on differentiating services solution capabilities for meeting customer needs, and introduced the Solutions Partner designation.
Benefits of Microsoft Cloud Partner Program
Partners can tap into the largest technology ecosystem
The Cloud Partner Program enables partners to utilize the Microsoft technology stack, purpose-built partner offerings, and extensive customer reach to quickly develop and sell competitive solutions to customers around the world. Partners will be able to grow their business at the scale of Microsoft and expand their customer connections in markets and industries across the globe.
Opportunity to build on the most comprehensive, end-to-end cloud platform
The cloud partner program enables Microsoft partners to develop or extend on the Microsoft Cloud, to provide customers with best-in-class solutions and services or sell cutting-edge devices. Partners can also leverage Microsoft’s investments to keep them and their customers at the forefront of cloud innovation.
Grow business with a partner you can trust
By partnering with Microsoft, partners will get a strong foundation of trust built over the decades. The Cloud Partner Program is how Microsoft remains accountable to the partners and their customers. It will enable partners to meet the evolving opportunities and drive long-term profitability and together work to empower people and organizations everywhere to achieve more.
What are Solutions Partner designations?
The new Solutions Partner designations replace the legacy silver and gold competencies. The six designations aligned to the Microsoft Cloud, now generally available to all Microsoft partners, are an important method to validate partner skills and experience. These are Business Applications, Data & AI (Azure), Digital & App Innovation (Azure), Infrastructure (Azure), Modern Work, and Security. The new model provides two qualifying levels: Solutions Partner and specialist/expert.
A Solutions Partner designation enables customers to easily identify partners who have experience in high-demand Microsoft Cloud solution areas and have delivered successful customer outcomes.
By attaining a Solutions Partner designation, partners will be able to demonstrate their commitment to skilling and training and put light on the innovations and successful solutions they are building to contribute to customers’ success. Partners will also be able to demonstrate their organization’s range of capabilities in delivering customer success in the solution area aligned to how Microsoft goes to market. The new partner capability score holistically measures an organization’s technical capabilities and experience across performance, skilling, and customer success.
According to Microsoft, “The Solutions Partner designation is the first opportunity for you to set yourself apart from the competition by demonstrating your organization’s breadth of capabilities in solution areas with high customer demand and opportunities to scale.”
Microsoft is investing more to help partners with business development, expanding customer reach, and increasing technical skilling and enablement. Read the guide to benefits of Solutions Partners here.
Difference between Microsoft Cloud Program and Solutions partner
The Microsoft Cloud Partner Program is for all organizations that want to partner with Microsoft, whether they build or sell services, software, or devices. The program is designed for the Microsoft Cloud and gives partners access to the Microsoft technology ecosystem, platforms, benefits, and incentives so they can deliver customer success, drive growth, and stay ahead of the curve in cloud transformation.
The Solutions Partner designation is for partners that want to show their technical ability and customer success. This will help them to stand out from other partners and customers. The initial six Solutions Partner designations are now generally available. Microsoft is working on future designations.
How to attain Solutions Partner designation?
Partners can choose to earn one Solutions Partner designation or more, if applicable to their organization. Once they have attained a Solutions Partner designation, they can work towards subsequent designations by meeting certain requirements; this will not require them to pay any additional fees.
The partner capability score provides flexibility to partners to demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and experience across subcategories of performance, skilling, and customer success. For each designation, there is a specific number of possible points that can be earned per category. Partners have the flexibility to choose which categories they want to focus on within a solution area to match their business needs.
Requirements for each Solutions Partner designation
Legacy competencies and associated badging will no longer be in the market after general availability on October 3, 2022. Partners can, however, choose to retain their legacy competency benefits.
For organizations eligible to attain the new Solutions Partner designation:
If an organization meets the criteria for Solutions Partner designation, earning 70 points or more, partners will receive the new designation between general availability (GA) and the first-anniversary date. There won’t be changes to their benefits until the first-anniversary date after GA. They can download their new customer-facing badge from the Logo Builder in Partner Center.
For those looking to continue with the new Solutions Partner designation after the first-anniversary date following GA, they can renew into Solutions Partner designation with the badge, choose between new Solutions Partner benefits or legacy benefits package, and take the next step in their Microsoft partner journey and earn a specialization with access to incremental product benefits.
What if you are not eligible?
If an organization does not meet the criteria for Solutions Partner designation, there will be no change to their benefits until their first-anniversary date after general availability. They can meet the requirements any time after October 3, 2022, and earn the Solutions Partner designation.
After the first-anniversary date following GA, partners who have not met the requirements for a Solutions Partner designation and have renewed a legacy competency by September 30, 2022, have the option to continue to pay a fee (aligned to your legacy competency fee) and retain their legacy benefits. If they do not want to purchase legacy benefits, they also have the option to purchase a Microsoft Action Pack.
Read next: 98% of Microsoft partners expect to grow or maintain Microsoft-related revenue in 2022, finds IDC
