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Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program

We guide you through the details, tactics, and readiness required to acquire Microsoft Solution Partner designation.

The Microsoft AI 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 AI Cloud Partner Program.

Read on to learn more, check how Companial supports you or contact us today!

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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 (announcements: MCPP announcement, leveraging AI announcement).

This change simplifies Microsoft’s competency structure and clearly aligns with Microsoft’s cloud go-to-market strategy:

  • Rewards AI, 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.

Partners who attain all six Solutions Partner designations receive a Solutions partner for Microsoft Cloud badge, recognizing capabilities across the Microsoft Cloud.

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 AI 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 AI 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?

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).

Requirements for Microsoft Solutions Partner Business Applications designation

Category Subcategory Threshold SMB track Threshold Enterprise track  Max points 
Performance Net Customer Adds 5 Customer Adds, >250$ Adjusted revenue 5 Customer Adds, >1.500$ Adjusted revenue 15 points 
Skilling Intermediate certification 5 functional consultants + Devs 20 functional consultants + Devs 20 points 
  Advanced certification 2 Architects 7 Architects15 points 
Customer Success Deployments 5 Production deployments, MIN 5.000 monthly consumption value 5 Production deployments, MIN 10.000 monthly consumption value 20 points 
  Usage growth Monthly Consumption value growth of 30%+ across all customers with a minimum of 25,000 Monthly Consumption Value Monthly Consumption value growth of 30%+ across all customers (vs baseline >=50.000) 30 points 
Total points 100 points 
Minimum total points required for Solutions Partner Designation 70 points 

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.

After achieving the Microsoft Solutions Partner Business Applications designation, you can pursue one of the following specializations:

Stressed out by the overwhelming amount of information to digest?  Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! 

Companial is here to help you navigate the maze of information and guide you towards a clearer understanding of the program. 

Let's talk

How Companial supports you

Competency

For program details, please see:

Resources for Companial partners

  • 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

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.

Ray Dilsons Managing Director at Garage Hive Limited

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