Fast Track to Microsoft Cloud Partner Program
We guide you through the details, tactics, and readiness required to acquire Microsoft Solution Partner designation.
The Microsoft Cloud Partner Program aims to overhaul and elevate the Microsoft Partner Network Program: a new name and new terms.
On this page, we provide a brief overview of how we simplify, explain, and guide Companial partners through the new Microsoft Cloud Partner Program.
Read on to learn more, check how Companial supports you or contact us today!
What is it?
Microsoft evolves Microsoft Partner Network programs for partner growth and customer success to reflect the transition of business operations to the cloud, and Microsoft’s intention to support partners in the future (see the announcement).
This change simplifies Microsoft’s competency structure and clearly aligns with Microsoft’s cloud go-to-market strategy:
- Rewards cloud and growth
- Simplifies 18 MPN competency areas into six solution areas (Microsoft Solutions Partner Designations) plus a few Specializations to be added on top:
- Data & AI (Azure),
- Infrastructure (Azure),
- Digital & App Innovation (Azure),
- Business Applications,
- Modern Work,
- Security.
Watch the Companial Talkie with Martina Plathe and Erik Kaae.
This episode of #CompanialTalkie is about what to expect from the new Microsoft Cloud Partner Program and what partners need to be prepared for.
What are the benefits for you as a Microsoft Partner?
The Microsoft Cloud Partner Program holds an extensive list of valuable benefits for the Microsoft Solutions Partner:
Marketing benefits (or ‘go-to-market’)
- Partner Go-To-Market Toolbox
- How to Market with Microsoft Consultation
- Profile Optimization and Referral Management
- Digital Marketing Content OnDemand (DMC)
- Ready-to-Go Marketing Assets (Partner Marketing Center)
- Geo Expansion Readiness Assessment
Support and advisory benefits (formerly ‘technical benefits’)
- Technical presales and deployment services (TP&D)
- Advisory hours for architecture and deployment scenarios
- Assistance with technical presales scenarios
- Signature Cloud Support incidents Unlimited
- Microsoft Product Support (on-premise) incidents
Product benefits (formerly ‘Internal Use Rights’)
Differs per designation, with additional benefit extensions provided by specialization or expert programs
The good news is that Microsoft Cloud Partner Program Product benefits include Microsoft cloud services (e.g. Microsoft Solutions Partner for Business Applications could benefit with 100 users of Dynamics 365 Business Central Premium).
See the full 22-page Solutions Partner Benefits Guide >
What do you need to know?
Many Microsoft Silver and Gold Partners feel threatened by the loss of the benefits that come with the Microsoft Partner Program (like Internal Use Rights or Channel Incentives) as these are secured only through the Microsoft Solution Partner Designation. But don‘t worry – you can rely on Companial‘s expertise! We will not only guide you through the new Microsoft program, but also assess your current status and advise you where to invest to get to your Solution Designation as fast as possible.
To qualify for the Microsoft Solutions Partner Designation, partners have to achieve success and collect at least 70 Partner Capability Scores (PCS) across the Performance, Skilling, and Customer Success categories (category weighting differs per designation).
The annual fee for the Microsoft Solutions Partner benefits is similar to an investment into the soon-to-expire Gold Competency within the Microsoft Partner Network Program.
What do you need to do?
- Check how far you have already come in the qualification process towards a solutions partner designation at your membership dashboard in the Partner Center.
- Decide on the Designation you are aiming to achieve. Assess the need to renew the Microsoft Partner Network legacy competency.
- Plan training and certification preparation to fulfil the skilling requirements.
- Assess what is missing to get to the required 70 PCS points and plan how to close the gap through customer migrations, acquisition, accelerating deployments, and usage.
How Companial supports you
Competency
For program details, please see:
- Companial Talkie with William McIntee talking about the new Microsoft Cloud Partner Program (10 min)
- Companial Talkie with Martina Plathe about the key details of the Microsoft Cloud Partner Program (5 min)
- Companial Talkie with Agne Balkeviciute-Lajiene and Michael Hartmann talking about the changes in the Microsoft Cloud Partner Program and two new paths to attain the Business Application Solutions Partner designation badge: the SMB track and the Enterprise track. (6 min)
- The Microsoft Cloud Partner Program Part 1: Program Overview
- The Microsoft Cloud Partner Program Part 2: When to consider what Microsoft Solutions Partner Designation
- The Microsoft Cloud Partner Program Part 3: Partner capability score - Performance
- The Microsoft Cloud Partner Program Part 4: Partner capability score - Skilling
- The Microsoft Cloud Partner Program Part 5: Partner capability score - Customer success
- The Microsoft Cloud Partner Program Part 6: Specializations and expert programs
- SMB Track for Business Applications Designation
- Holistic overview of changes Microsoft introduces on October 1, 2022
- Navigation guide into details on the Microsoft Cloud Partner Program topic on Microsoft Partner portals.
Consultation with your Companial Partner Success Manager on the program details and tactics.
Capacity
On-prem to cloud migrations. Companial is the only official SMB ERP Distributor and Indirect Provider serving the full Dynamics 365 (on-prem and cloud) and therefore support you on migration struggles:
- Complete licensing for Dynamics 365: the On-premises world, Cloud world and migrations.
- Technical expertise and services to migrate your or customer’s Dynamics 365 solution
- Success in Cloud
- Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) services
- Extension maintenance for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
- Cloud Partner Panel for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales & Services and Microsoft Power Platform
Capability
Companial Academy facilitates your readiness needs for exams linked to the new Microsoft Cloud Partner Program (MCPP). From Dynamics, Power Platform to Modern Workplace or Azure, we’ve got you covered.
Community
Benefit from the Collective Knowledge of Companial community: through our events, we facilitate and stimulate collaboration. Stay informed, meet, discuss, hear concerns, learn, benchmark with other Partners and develop on both product and commercial level.
Good job, Companial! You made this complex topic of Microsoft Cloud Partner Program sound easy to understand. I found it very valuable.
Not a Companial member yet? Contact us to discuss how Companial can support you!