Microsoft revamps its Microsoft Cloud Partner Program for partner growth

Microsoft has recently announced the evolution of the “Microsoft Partner Network” to the “Microsoft Cloud Partner Program”, and will be in effect from October 2022 at Microsoft’s State of the Partner Ecosystem. 

This announcement is about more than a name; this change better reflects the enormous and ongoing transition of business operations to the cloud, and how Microsoft intends to support partners in the future. It aligns partners’ go-to-market motions with the way customers buy today.

The new program is focused on proficiency in six solution areas aligned with the Microsoft Cloud and marks a shift to two qualifying levels to help customers better understand a partner’s capabilities.

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

Microsoft is also evolving the way to categorize partner capability and measure success. To help customers better understand a partner’s capabilities, offering two qualifying levels:

• The solutions partner level is a designation that is based on meeting specific requirements across what we call the partner capability score (see below) for each solution area.
• Specializations and expert programs will give solutions partners a way to differentiate their organizations and demonstrate deep technical expertise and experience in specific technical scenarios under each solution area.

These two designations clearly and immediately validate a partner’s capability to meet specific and evolving customer requirements and give customers an easier way to identify partners with technical capabilities, knowledge and a history of delivering innovative solutions in specific areas. They also provide a road map for helping build partner capability and guiding the way to invest in partners.

Read to Microsoft's official blog for more info.