The Microsoft Gold Partner program is now the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program (MAICPP). We walk through the changes and benefits of working with a Microsoft AI Cloud Solutions Partner so you can identify the best focus areas for your business.
Even with an integrated suite of products like Microsoft 365, managing your tech stack is never a one-and-done. You need a flexible technology roadmap to chart your way through changing technologies and countless terminologies. For example, Microsoft has now rolled out different Copilots, their initiative to integrate generative AI throughout their suite of products. How can you identify the best partner to help you navigate such a big technological change?
For more than 20 years, IT leaders looked to certified Microsoft Gold Partners. Microsoft Gold Partners were companies that met stringent criteria as Microsoft technology experts.
However, late in 2022, Microsoft evolved the Microsoft Gold Program into the Microsoft Cloud Partner Program. At the same time, Microsoft replaced the previous Gold and Silver Partner levels and badges with new solution areas and specializations. These changes reflected the company’s strategic focus on cloud services and computing.
Even more recently, the company evolved the program again to reflect its generative AI focus. But what do the new Microsoft AI Cloud Partner solution areas and specializations mean for you the customer and the potential client of these certified partners? Let’s break it down.
What’s in a Name: Microsoft Gold Partners vs. Microsoft AI Cloud Partners
Any company can join the MAICPP. But similar to the Microsoft Gold Program, MCPP members can earn designations in any or all of six Microsoft’s AI Cloud Partner solution areas:
- Business Applications (Dynamics 365, Business Central, Power Platform).
- Data & AI (Azure).
- Digital & App Innovation (Azure).
- Infrastructure (Azure).
- Modern Work (Microsoft 365, Teams, SharePoint, Viva).
- Security (Azure Security, M365 Security).
For each solution area, Microsoft evaluates and scores partners in three areas:
- Performance – Measures the partner’s ability to successfully implement solutions for new customers.
- Skilling – Measures the number of specific intermediate and advanced certifications the partner’s employees have earned in a given solution area.
- Customer Success – Measures customers’ ongoing adoption and usage rate of the solutions implemented.
As a result, working with certified experts in these Microsoft solution areas gives you confidence that your partner has demonstrated expertise in implementing Microsoft technology.
When a partner earns all six designations, they become a Microsoft AI Cloud Partner. Currently, just over 25 Microsoft partners have earned this rare distinction from among the thousands of Microsoft Partners.
Above and Beyond: Advanced Specializations
Microsoft AI Cloud Partners can also earn additional Advanced Specializations from Microsoft to further credential their technical knowledge. For example, so far, we have earned three Advanced Specializations:
Modern Work – Adoption & Change Management
We earned this specialization by having:
- At least three customer tenants with 40 percent usage on SharePoint, Teams, and/or Yammer.
- At least 10,000 monthly active user growth in SharePoint, Teams and/or Yammer.
- At least two consultants who had passed the Microsoft Services Adoption Specialist Partner University Assessment.
- Three customer references who spoke to our ability to drive customer organizational change through adoption and change management services using Microsoft 365 technologies.
Modern Work – Meetings and Meeting Rooms for Microsoft Teams
We earned this specialization by having:
- At least 5,000 monthly active users of Microsoft Teams Meetings.
- At least four consultants who had passed Microsoft 365 Certified: Teams Administrator Associate and the Teams Meetings and Meeting Rooms Technical Assessment.
- Three customer references demonstrating our ability to deploy and manage meeting services and solutions for Microsoft Teams.
Azure – Migrate Enterprise Apps to Microsoft Azure
We earned this specialization by having:
- Met revenue requirements from Azure AppService or Azure Spring Cloud Azure Consumed Revenue.
- At least three consultants who have passed the following certifications (each held by at least one individual).
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- Azure Developer Associate certification.
- Azure DevOps Engineer Expert certification.
- Azure Data Engineer Associate certification.
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- Completed a third-party audit.
What Kind of Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Do I Need?
Each of the six Microsoft solution areas addresses specific business needs.
From: Microsoft Cloud Partner Program
Below are a few of the business problems that solution partners in each area can help with:
Business Applications
- Prepare to implement Dynamics 365 for enterprise resource planning (ERP).
- Tackle issues faced while implementing Dynamics 365 and Power Platform.
- Transform your business with cloud business applications like Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI Premium / Pro, Power Virtual Agent, and more.
Data & AI (Azure)
- Manage and govern data across multiple systems.
- Plan and implement tailored Microsoft analytics solutions.
- Use AI and implement Azure solutions for AI-powered apps and machine learning life cycles.
Digital & App Innovation (Azure)
- Modernize existing applications and build cloud-native apps.
- Migrate and deploy production web application workloads.
- Manage production workloads in the cloud.
Infrastructure (Azure)
- Accelerate migration of key infrastructure workloads to Azure.
- Design, implement, operate, and optimize your Azure infrastructure, architecture, cost and security.
- Migrate and modernize your Azure Infrastructure for virtualized workloads like SAP and virtual desktop environments.
Modern Work
- Prepare to migrate your organization’s on-prem Microsoft workloads to the cloud.
- Prepare to implement, drive adoption or improve governance of your organization’s use of Microsoft Teams.
- Enhance your organization’s employee experience with Microsoft Viva.
Security
- Implement, manage and monitor security and compliance solutions for cloud and hybrid environments.
- Deploy security and mobility solutions to keep your employees secure, compliant and connected.
- Implement Azure Active Directory Premium (AADP), Microsoft Defender for Office 365 (MDO), Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (MDE), and more across your organization.
Conclusion
Choosing a Microsoft AI Cloud Partner with demonstrated expertise in Microsoft technology delivers many benefits, especially the proven ability to provide holistic solutions across the Microsoft Copilots and Azure Cloud.
For example, a Microsoft AI Cloud Partner can tailor solutions to meet your specific business needs, whether you’re looking to adopt cloud technology, enhance your cybersecurity, or implement a new collaboration platform. They can also access the latest Microsoft technology, as well as the tools and roadmaps needed to benefit their clients. Finally, they can provide a full suite of M365, D365, and Azure licensing and subscription services.
Combine the power of AI and Microsoft Teams? In our on-demand webinar, our Microsoft experts explain what executives need to know to implement, secure and adopt Copilot.
