Evolving the Microsoft

Partner Network programs

Walking deck

Updated: August 24, 2022

Contents Partnering with Microsoft
Evolving the Microsoft Partner Network programs
• Partnering with Microsoft
• Future state of the Microsoft Cloud Partner Program
• Focusing on customer needs and your growth
• Solutions Partner designations
• Partner capability score
• Value in partner associations
• Partner profitability
• Specializations
Benefits for Solutions Partner designations
Key dates
Next steps
Additional resources
Evolving the Microsoft Partner Network programs

The world and how we work is rapidly In this walking deck, we’ve outlined changes to
changing. The opportunities for Microsoft the Microsoft Partner Network programs—
partners—whether you build and sell services, focused on simplifying our programs,
software solutions, or devices—are significant. delivering greater customer value, investing in
As the capabilities required by our customers your growth in new ways, and recognizing how
have evolved, our partner programs must also you deliver customer value.
evolve to meet that demand.
Partnering with Microsoft
Our partners have access to a variety of opportunities with the Microsoft Cloud to innovate, scale, and
differentiate the types of solutions they provide—empowering people across their work and digital lives.

Cloud Innovation Differentiation Scale

Through the Microsoft Cloud, Partners can build differentiated Partners can quickly scale with our
partners drive innovation that is solutions based on the unique unique go-to-market approach
relevant to people and technical extensibility, secure and the Microsoft commercial
organizations around the world, foundation, and the broadest marketplace that connects millions
leaving lasting impact. business model. of customers around the globe.
 ➢ Microsoft Partner Network will be renamed to Microsoft Cloud Partner
Program.

➢ We are simplifying our Microsoft Network programs. We will move away

Future state of from silver and gold legacy competencies and anchor to six, single tier
Solutions Partner designations aligned to the Microsoft Cloud.
the Microsoft ➢ Modern Work, Business Applications, Security, Infrastructure (Azure),
Digital & App Innovation (Azure), Data & AI (Azure)
Cloud Partner ➢ Advanced Specializations renamed to ‘Specializations’.
Program
➢ To attain the new Solutions Partner designations, partners will need to
demonstrate their organization’s capability in 1) performance 2) skilling and
3) customer success (as measured by the partner capability score).
GA – Oct 3rd '22
➢ Partners have access NOW to the partner capability score dashboard in
Partner Center that shows how each partner is tracking towards new
designations and where they can take action to increase their score.

➢ As partners attain the new designations from October 2022, they’ll have the
choice to move to updated benefits or retain their legacy benefits.

As part of these changes, we’re not removing the benefits partners receive today. Partners who attain designations will have access to additional benefits and investments.
Focusing on customer needs and your growth
We want to help you grow a profitable business and to continue to deliver successful customer outcomes.

Simplifying Delivering greater Investing in your You have time

our programs customer value growth in new ways to prepare
A new single tier Solutions Introducing a new partner We are making investments to We are providing you with six
Partner designation, aligned to capability score that holistically help encourage business months’ notice before these
six solution areas and the measures your organization’s development, increase changes begin. Start now and
Microsoft Cloud. technical capabilities to drive customer reach, and expansion review what these changes
customer success. through technical skilling and mean for your organization and
Demonstrate your enablement. assess how they align to your
organization’s capabilities in strategic business plans.
delivering customer success
aligned to how Microsoft goes
to market and where there is
customer demand.
 We are introducing the Solutions Partner designation,
anchored on the Microsoft Cloud in six solution areas
We are aligned to how Microsoft goes to market.

simplifying our
Microsoft
These changes will act as a catalyst boost in the future for
partner capability to sell through and sell with Microsoft.

Network
programs Admins can sign in to Partner Center to see how your
organization is progressing towards a Solutions Partner
designation.
Solutions Partner designations
The Solutions Partner designation becomes the first opportunity for you to set yourself apart from the
competition by demonstrating your organization’s breadth of capabilities aligned to solution areas. That’s
valuable for you, because it’s where we see customer demand, and where the opportunity is for partners to
scale to meet customer needs.

Easily identifiable Choose one or more Opportunity

Customers want to work with Partners can choose to earn one There are significant opportunities
partners who have a deep Solutions Partner designation, or for partners in this new world of
knowledge and expertise. more, if applicable to your work—whether you build and sell
A Solutions Partner designation organization. services, software, or devices.
identifies partners with specific Once you attain a Solutions Partner
capabilities and experiences in high designation, subsequent
customer demand solution areas. designations can be attained, after
requirements are met, with no
additional fee.
 70 Partners need a minimum of 70 points out of a possible 100
points to attain a Solutions Partner designation.

We are Holistic qualifications will measure your organization’s

introducing a technical capabilities, allowing you to showcase solutions

you have delivered to help customers succeed and grow.

new, holistic
partner New telemetry-based partner capability score model
provides you with flexibility to demonstrate your

capability score knowledge, skills, and experience.

New customer-facing badges to help you stand out and

market your capabilities.
How to attain a Solutions Partner designation
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.

A minimum of 70
points must be
earned, with points
in each category. Performance Skilling Customer success

There are 100

This category is This category verifies This category is
measured by net and demonstrates your measured by usage
points possible in customer adds. dedication to skilling growth and the number
total. and training by of solution deployments.
intermediate and
advanced certifications.

Admins can sign in to Partner Center to see how your organization is progressing towards a Solutions Partner designation..
Partner capability score: Alignment across the Microsoft Cloud
70+ points
With >0 points for
# each metric meets Solutions Partner for
requirements for Solutions Partner for Solutions Partner Solutions Partner Infrastructure, Data & AI and
Solutions Partner
Business Applications for Modern Work for Security Digital & App Innovation
(Azure)

Performance Net customer adds 15pts Net customer adds 20pts Net customer adds 20pts Net customer adds 30pts

Intermediate Certs 20pts Intermediate Certs 10pts Intermediate Certs 40pts Intermediate Certs 20pts

Skilling

Advanced Certs 15pts Advanced Certs 15pts Advanced Certs 20pts

Usage Growth 30pts Usage Growth 30pts Usage Growth 20pts Usage Growth 20pts
Customer
Success
Deployments 20pts Deployments 25pts Deployments 20pts Deployments 10pts
Value in partner associations

Partner associations are the mechanism by which partners get recognized and earn
points for performance and customer success sub-categories including net customer
adds, usage growth and deployment.

Start ensuring your partner associations are connected now as you prep to attain
Solutions Partner designations starting Oct. 3, 2022, and beyond.
Two paths to points – (1) Partner associations

Partner association type Solutions Partner designation

Data & AI (Azure)
Modern Work Business Applications Security Infrastructure (Azure)
Digital & App Innovation (Azure)

Claiming Partner of
X X X
Record (CPOR)

Digital Partner of Record (DPOR) X X X

Partner Admin Link (PAL)* X X X

Cloud Services Provider (CSP) X X X

*This association type is not available in China or Government clouds.

Two paths to points – (2) Certified professional associations

• Microsoft certifications are linked to an individual's

learning account. To ensure your organization is
benefiting from relevant certifications earned by
employees, it's important to link the individual's
certification to their organization's account in
Partner Center.
• Once you’ve associated an employee with your
Partner Center account, have your employees take
the following steps:
– Log in to Partner Center using their work
credentials
– Click on the setting icon at the top right and
select Account
– Go to My Profile and follow the instructions to
associate both a Partner University and
Microsoft Learning account

To learn more about how to make this association, go here: https:/assetsprod.microsoft.com/mpn/how-to-link-learning-

credentials-to-your-companys-partner-center-account.mp4
Introducing Solutions Partner designations

Solutions Partner Solutions Partner Solutions Partner Solutions Partner Solutions Partner Solutions Partner *Solutions Partner
for Data & AI for Digital & App for Infrastructure for Business for for for Microsoft
(Azure) Innovation (Azure) (Azure) Applications Modern Work Security Cloud

Designations aligned to the Microsoft solution areas that recognize your broad technical capabilities and
demonstrated success delivering technology solutions.

Demonstrate your breadth of skills and knowledge and set yourself apart from the competition. Once you
attain a Solutions Partner designation, you can further validate deep technical expertise and experience by
earning a specialization (currently called advanced specializations).

Benefits aligned to your Solutions Partner designation including product benefits, go-to-market services,
co-sell eligibility, skilling and sales enablement resources, and customer-facing badges to help you market
your expertise.
*Partners who attain all six Solutions Partner designations receive a Microsoft Cloud badge, recognizing your capabilities across the Microsoft Cloud.
How competencies map to Solutions Partner designations
LEGACY COMPETENCIES SOLUTIONS PARTNER DESIGNATIONS

• Cloud Platform
• Data Center Solutions Partner for Infrastructure (Azure)

• App Integration
• Data Analytics Solutions Partner for Data & AI (Azure)
• Data Platform
• Application Development
• App Integration Solutions Partner for Digital & App Innovation (Azure)
• DevOps
Specialized
• Cloud Productivity and
• Collaboration expert
• Communications
Solutions Partner for Modern Work programs
• Messaging
• Small and Midmarket Cloud Solutions
• Windows and Devices

• Enterprise Mobility Management

Solutions Partner for Security
• Security

• Cloud Business Applications

• Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Solutions Partner for Business Applications
• Project Portfolio Management
We are investing in your growth in new ways

Updated benefits aligned to All the valuable categories you’re New incremental product benefits
Solutions Partner designations familiar with: Product benefits for specializations and expert
will continue to support you as (including IURs), go-to-market programs to further accelerate
you grow your business and are services, technical pre-sales and your business.
optimized to focus on new cloud deployment services, and
technology, and tailored placement in the commercial
quantities of cloud services marketplace to increase your
subscription. exposure to customers.
How specializations map to solutions partner designations
Infrastructure Digital & App Business
Data & AI (Azure) Modern Work Security
(Azure) Innovation (Azure) Applications

Windows Server and SQL Windows Server and SQL Adoption and Change
Kubernetes on Microsoft Microsoft Low Code
Server Migration to Server Migration to Cloud Security
Azure Application Development Management
Microsoft Azure Microsoft Azure

Linux and Open Source Modernization of Web Linux and Open Source
Small and Midsize Business Calling for Microsoft Teams Identity and Access
Database Migration to Applications to Microsoft Database Migration to
Management Management
Microsoft Azure Azure Microsoft Azure

AI and Machine Learning Data Warehouse Migration Customer Solutions for Information Protection and
SAP on Microsoft Azure Microsoft Teams
on Microsoft Azure to Microsoft Azure Governance

Microsoft Azure Virtual DevOps with GitHub on Kubernetes on Microsoft Meetings and Meeting
Rooms for Microsoft Teams Threat Protection
Desktop Microsoft Azure Azure

Hybrid Operations and Modernization of Web

Microsoft Azure Vmware Applications to Microsoft Teamwork Deployment
Management with
Solution Azure
Microsoft Azure Arc
Hybrid Operations and Hybrid Operations and Analytics on Microsoft Modernize Endpoints
Management with Management with Azure
Microsoft Azure Arc Microsoft Azure Arc
Hybrid Cloud Infrastructure
with Microsoft Azure Stack Microsoft Low Code AI and Machine Learning
HCI Application Development on Microsoft Azure

Networking Services in Hybrid Operations and

Microsoft Azure Management with
Microsoft Azure Arc
Hybrid Cloud Infrastructure
with Microsoft Azure Stack
HCI
New Solutions Partner designations Options for existing Microsoft partners to transition to the new Solutions Partner designations.

We’re evolving our partner program to meeting Eligible to attain the new Solutions Partner designation(s)? Looking to continue with the new
customer needs and grow your business, and
our partnership, for the future.
If your organization meets the criteria for Solutions Partner designation Solutions Partner designation(s)?
after general availability (GA), earning 70 points or more: After meeting all requirements for your Solutions
• New Solutions Partner designation and
updated benefits. • Between GA and first anniversary date, partners will receive the new Partner designations, select one of the benefits
designation if they meet the requirements. package options:
• No change to your existing anniversary dates.
• No change to your benefits until your first anniversary date after GA. • Solutions Partner benefits; OR
• Options to retain your legacy benefits.
• Go to Logo Builder in Partner Center and • Legacy benefits; OR
• Time to learn more and assess for your
download your new customer-facing badge. • And pay the associated annual
organization.
membership fee.

Announcement General availability (GA) First anniversary date after GA

March 16, 2022 October 3, 2022

Learn more about the new designations

Still not eligible?
and check your progress towards attaining For partners who don’t meet the requirements
a Solutions Partner designation and for a Solutions Partner designation and have
Not eligible, need more time?
benefits in Partner Center. renewed a legacy competency by September 30,
If your organization doesn’t meet the criteria for Solutions Partner 2022, you’ll have the option to continue to pay a
Visit the Microsoft partner website to learn designation at general availability (GA), 70 points or more: fee (aligned to your legacy competency fee) and
more: aka.ms/Solutionspartner.Overview • No change to your benefits until your first anniversary date after GA. retain your legacy benefits.
• Legacy competencies and associated badging are no longer in market, If you choose not to purchase your legacy
but partners can choose to retain their legacy competency benefits. benefits, you also have the option to purchase
Microsoft Action Pack.
• At any time after October 3, 2022, meet the requirements and earn the
Solutions Partner designation.

*Available between anniversary dates with benefits change only available at anniversary date.
**Available only on your anniversary date.
© Copyright Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
***Dates subject to change.
Benefits for Solutions Partner designations
Benefits for Solutions Partners have been updated to ensure they are effective, helpful, and relevant to your organization.
We’re investing more to help you with business development, increasing customer reach, and expanding technical skilling,
enablement and support.

Encouraging business Increasing Expanding technical skilling,

development customer reach enablement and support
• Product benefits (formerly IUR) • Co-selling with Microsoft to • Personalized assistance,
have been designed to align to the expand your customer footprint comprehensive courses, and
Solutions Partner designations, • Go-To-Market services, assets and world-class Microsoft experts
including: personalized consultation to help to build your knowledge
o Azure bulk credits for your you along your marketing journey • Technical presales and deployment
organization • Microsoft solutions provider services to help you deliver
o Access to development placement to increase exposure solutions faster
environments • Customer-facing badges to • Product (on-prem and
o New cloud product showcase your capabilities cloud), platform, and technical
subscriptions that are most support to help you troubleshoot
relevant in market specific issues

For details about benefits specific to each Solutions Partner designation, click here.
 Key dates
We understand that these updates may require you to adjust your business plans. We’re providing time for
you to learn about the new opportunities and requirements and identify a plan for your organization.

Your anniversary date up Your anniversary date

September 30, 2022* October 3, 2022*
until Sept. 30th after Oct. 3, 2022

• Attain and/or renew your competency by • Last day partners can attain • Solutions Partner designations • Scenario 1: you qualify for Solutions
September 30th to keep your legacy competencies. are available to attain. Get the Partner designation
benefits until your next anniversary date. designation badge in between
• Renew into Solutions Partner
• Last day competency badges anniversary dates if you reach 70
designation with badge .
will be in market, but partners points in any Solutions Partner
can retain their legacy benefits. designation • Choose between legacy OR new
benefit package.
• Partners will need to meet the
required partner capability score • Scenario 2: you don’t qualify for
to attain Solutions Partner solutions partner designation
designations.
• Renew your legacy benefits.
• Get the designation badge in
between anniversary dates if you
reach 70 points in any Solutions
Partner designation.

*All dates and requirements subject to change.

Next steps
How should I prepare?

Admins can sign in to Partner Center to see how your

organization is progressing towards a Solutions Partner
designation and see the associated benefits.

Go to Training Gallery & Microsoft docs to learn about the

requirements needed to attain a Solutions Partner designation.

For more information visit the Microsoft partner website and

Microsoft partner blog.
Additional resources
Training asset gallery Microsoft partner blog Partner capability score dashboard

Solutions Partner Solutions Partner Solutions Partner

for Infrastructure (Azure) for Data & AI (Azure) for Digital & App Innovation (Azure)

Solutions Partner for Solutions Partner for Solutions Partner for Digital & App
Infrastructure overview page Data & AI overview page Innovation overview page

Solutions Partner
Solutions Partner for Modern Work Solutions Partner for Security
for Business Applications

Solutions Partner for Solutions Partner for Solutions Partner for

Modern Work overview page Security overview page Business Applications overview page
Solutions Partner for
Data & AI (Azure)
Requirements & Benefits
Solutions Partner for Data & AI (Azure)
As a Solutions Partner for Data & AI (Azure), you demonstrate your broad capability to help customers manage their data
across multiple systems to build analytics and AI solutions.
Becoming a Solutions Partner for Data & AI (Azure) gives customers a way to identify you as a partner that has both the
commitment to training, accreditation, and has delivered solutions that lead to customer success.

If these activities describe the work that you do, consider Solutions Partner for Data & AI (Azure):
⚫ Analyzing existing workloads, generating schema models, and performing
extract, transform, load (ETL) operations to migrate data to cloud-based data
warehouses and enable cloud-based analytics solutions.
⚫ Planning and delivering tailored Microsoft analytics solutions using Azure
Synapse Analytics, Azure Data Lake, Azure Data Factory, and Azure Databricks.
⚫ Enabling customer adoption of Al and implementing Azure solutions for Al-
powered apps and machine learning life cycles.

For more information about measurements specific to Solutions Partner for Data & AI (Azure), click here.
Benefits for Data & AI (Azure)
Benefits will include all common Solutions Partner benefits, like go-to-market services, TP&D advisory hours, technical
support incidents, as well as unique product benefits designed specifically for Solutions Partner for Data & AI (Azure).

Product Group Solutions Partner for Data & AI per Azure specialization*

Azure Production Credits $6,000 per year (bulk) $12,000 per year (bulk)
Incremental

Bulk offer delayed – in interim, dev/test credits are provided with Bulk offer delayed – in interim, dev/test credits are provided
Azure Dev/Test Credits
Visual Studio Enterprise with Visual Studio Enterprise

Visual Studio Subscriptions 25 Visual Studio Enterprise subscriptions 10 Visual Studio Enterprise subscriptions

Dynamics 365 (D365) D365 Operations Application Partner Sandbox, D365 Sales, -
Core among Solutions Partner for Infrastructure,

Field Service and Customer Service Partner Sandbox

Data & AI, and Digital & App Innovation

Power BI 100 Power BI Premium users -

Microsoft 365 (M365) 100 M365 E3 users 30 M365 E3 users

Microsoft Project Online 20 users (Plan 5) -

Visio Online 5 users (Plan 2) -

Software Licenses 100 Windows Server Standard 2022, 32 Windows Server 2022 -
Data Center, 16 SQL Server, 100 System Center Standard, select
CALs, and more

*Max stacking of 5 specializations across all Azure specializations and expert programs (shared across Solutions Partner for Infrastructure, Data & AI and Digital & App Innovation designations).
This asset is intended only for reference purposes as a high-level overview. Benefits are subject to change. Full details and terms and conditions are subject to applicable program guide.
Requirements for Data & AI (Azure)
Three categories make up the framework for Solutions Partner for Data & AI (Azure): Performance, skilling, and customer
success. Points will be earned through performance, certifications and exams and the number of successful deployed
customer solutions.
Eligible attributions Threshold Max points
Performance 30
Net Customer Adds PAL, DPOR, CSP 3 30
Skilling 40
*Intermediate Certifications N/A 5 Unique individuals 20
**Advanced Certifications N/A 5 Unique individuals 20
Customer Success 30
Usage Growth PAL, DPOR, CSP 20% 20
Deployments PAL, DPOR, CSP 5 10
TOTAL 100
Minimum total points required for Solutions Partner designation 70

*Intermediate Certifications: Must have two or more Azure Administrator certifications to be eligible.
**Advanced Certifications: Must have two or more Azure Solutions Architect Expert certifications to be eligible.

All dates and requirements subject to change.

 Requirements for Data & AI (Azure): Performance

Net customer adds – M365

⚫ Net Customer Adds from the trailing 12 months.

⚫ Net Customer Adds = End of Period (EOP) customers (new tenants from past 12 months) above thresholds –
EOP customers below thresholds for two consecutive months.
⚫ Threshold: A consuming customer is defined by having ACR >= $1,000/month.
⚫ A customer drop (churn) is calculated if the customer drops below the monthly threshold for a consecutive
2 months.

*All dates and requirements subject to change.

 Requirements for Data & AI (Azure): Skilling

Intermediate Certifications Advanced Certifications

⚫ Requires at least two Azure Administrator ⚫ Requires at least two Azure Solutions Architect
Associate certifications to qualify. Expert certifications to qualify.
⚫ # of individuals certified with any of the ⚫ # of individuals certified with any of the
following: following:
• Azure Database Administrator Associate • Customer Data Platform Specialty
• Azure AI Engineer Associate • Azure Cosmos DB Developer Specialty
• Azure Data Scientist Associate
• Azure Data Engineer Associate
• Data Analyst Associate

*All dates and requirements subject to change.

 Requirements for Data & AI (Azure): Customer Success

Number of deployed solutions ACR Growth (YoY)

⚫ Total number of advanced Azure services ⚫ 20% growth Year over Year
represented in ACR (Service Level 2) over the last =ACR today – ACR from 12 months ago divided
12 months (one point for any one of the below, by ACR from 12 months ago x 100.
max of 5 points). ⚫ Requires Min. threshold of $1K ACR.
⚫ Service Level 2 = all except:
• Virtual Machines
• Virtual Machines Licenses

*All dates and requirements subject to change.

 Key dates
We understand that these updates may require you to adjust your business plans. We’re providing time for
you to learn about the new opportunities and requirements and identify a plan for your organization.

Your anniversary date up Your anniversary date

September 30, 2022* October 3, 2022*
until Sept. 30th after Oct. 3, 2022

• Attain and/or renew your competency by • Last day partners can attain • Solutions Partner designations • Scenario 1: you qualify for Solutions
September 30th to keep your legacy competencies. are available to attain. Get the Partner designation
benefits until your next anniversary date. designation badge in between
• Renew into Solutions Partner
• Last day competency badges anniversary dates if you reach 70
designation with badge .
will be in market, but partners points in any Solutions Partner
can retain their legacy benefits. designation • Choose between legacy OR new
benefit package.
• Partners will need to meet the
required partner capability score • Scenario 2: you don’t qualify for
to attain Solutions Partner solutions partner designation
designations.
• Renew your legacy benefits.
• Get the designation badge in
between anniversary dates if you
reach 70 points in any Solutions
Partner designation.

*All dates and requirements subject to change.

Next steps
How should I prepare?

Admins can sign in to Partner Center to see how your

organization is progressing towards a Solutions Partner
designation and see the associated benefits.

Go to Training Gallery & Microsoft docs to learn about the

requirements needed to attain a Solutions Partner designation.

For more information visit the Microsoft partner website and

Microsoft partner blog.
Additional resources
Training asset gallery Microsoft partner blog Partner capability score dashboard

Solutions Partner Solutions Partner Solutions Partner

for Infrastructure (Azure) for Data & AI (Azure) for Digital & App Innovation (Azure)

Solutions Partner for Solutions Partner for Solutions Partner for Digital & App
Infrastructure overview page Data & AI overview page Innovation overview page

Solutions Partner
Solutions Partner for Modern Work Solutions Partner for Security
for Business Applications

Solutions Partner for Solutions Partner for Solutions Partner for

Modern Work overview page Security overview page Business Applications overview page
© Copyright Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.