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Understanding the changes
The world and how we work is rapidly changing. The opportunities for Microsoft partners—whether you build and sell services, software solutions, or devices—are significant.
As the capabilities required by the customers are always in evolution, Microsoft is also transforming the partner programs to meet the demand.
Adapting for digital acceleration
A new single tier solutions partner designation, aligned to six solution areas and the Microsoft Cloud. Demonstrate your organization’s capabilities in delivering customer success aligned to how Microsoft goes to market and where there is customer demand.
The partner capability score measures performance, skilling, and customer success. It’s what you know and use every day.
The updated benefits aligned with the new designations will continue to support you as you grow your business.
There’s time to assess how the new designations fit into your strategic plans. And you can keep the benefits you receive today, aligned to competencies already attained.
How to attain a Solutions Partner Designation
As a partner, you have to re-evaluate your competencies, skills, and capability strategies to maximize your profitability and build a future-proof business. We can help expand your capabilities to create value in the market, to better connect with customers, and to win new business.
The new solutions partner designations will help identify your broad technical capabilities and experience in high-demand Microsoft Cloud solution areas. They’ll also showcase your demonstrated ability to deliver successful customer outcomes.
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 category. There are 100 points possible in total.
Performance
This category is measured by net customer adds.
Skilling
This category verifies and demonstrates your dedication to skilling and training by intermediate and advanced certifications.
Customer Success
This category is measured by usage growth and the number of solution deployments
*Partners who attain all six solutions partner designations receive a Microsoft Cloud badge, recognizing your capabilities across the Microsoft Cloud.
Benefits for Solutions Partner Designations
Encouraging Business Development
Product benefits (formerly IUR) have been designed to align to the solutions partner designations, including:
- Azure bulk credits for your organization.
- Access to development environments.
- New cloud product subscriptions that are most relevant in market.
Increasing Customer Reach
- Co-selling with Microsoft to expand your customer footprint.
- Go-To-Market services, assets and personalized consultation to help you along your marketing journey.
- Microsoft solutions provider placement to increase exposure.
- Customer-facing badges to showcase your capabilities.
Expanding Technical Skilling, Enablement And Support
Personalized assistance, comprehensive courses, and world-class Microsoft experts to build your knowledge.
- Technical presales and deployment services to help you deliver solutions faster.
- Product (on-prem and cloud), platform, and technical support to help you troubleshoot specific issues.
Key information and dates
Partner associations playbook
Associations are the sole mechanism by which customer success, performance, and skilling category points are acknowledged and calculated towards achieving solutions partner designation(s).
Without these associations in place, partner capability score points are not recognized.
Download our Partner Associations Playbook to learn more!
*All dates and requirements are subject to change without notice.