Introduction to Solutions Partner designations
Appropriate roles: Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program partner admin
Solutions Partner designations program was launched on October 4, 2022 when old silver/gold memberships retired.
Silver or gold membership
If you hold legacy silver/gold membership and you meet the new requirements of the Solutions Partner designations, you earn the Solutions Partner designation and its associated customer-facing badging automatically without any extra cost. It has no effect on your anniversary date or the awarded benefits. For more information, see Silver or gold membership and the renewal policies.
Tip
Microsoft Action Pack purchases aren't affected by this change. You can continue with Microsoft Action Pack purchase or renewals as usual.
Overview
Solutions Partner designations align to Microsoft solution areas and include incremental benefits so you can stand out from the competition and increase your customer reach. This program is open for both new and old silver/gold Partners. There are six Solutions Partner designations available for partners. Each of these designations aligns to a specific solution area offered by Microsoft.
- Solutions Partner for Business Applications
- Solutions Partner for Data and AI (Azure)
- Solutions Partner for Digital and App Innovation (Azure)
- Solutions Partner for Infrastructure (Azure)
- Solutions Partner for Security
- Solutions Partner for Modern Work
Qualify for Solutions Partner designations
Eligibility for Solutions Partner designations is based on the partner capability score achieved by your organization. A partner capability score is a composite score that quantifies performance across three categories - Performance, Skilling, and Customer success. This score is calculated through measurements based on information already captured in Partner Center. Learn more about how this score is calculated.
Partners with the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program partner admin role can track progress toward attaining any Solutions Partner designation from the Solutions Partner dashboard.
Purchase the Solutions Partner designations
Once you're qualified in one or more solution area designations, your status changes to qualified. You can then proceed with payment to enroll in the Solutions Partner designation program. Learn more about how to make a payment.
Renew the Solutions Partner designations
Once you purchase (new partners) or upgrade from legacy silver/gold to the new Solutions Partner designations, you can do the renewal. Your renewal window opens on your anniversary date, the date of your last purchase. You can renew your membership anytime after this date. We highly recommend you renew within 30 days of your anniversary date, during the open renewal period, to ensure your Benefits (Azure credits, cloud services, or software) continue. If you can't renew within the 30-day renewal window, you can just process a new purchase after the renewal period.
Partners who meet Solutions Partner designations qualification requirement
New or existing partners can buy or renew their Solutions Partner designation membership. You should make the payment and then enjoy the benefits associated with new Solutions Partner membership. During the purchase, you're presented with options to pick different benefits:
- Option 1: Opt for new Solutions Partner benefits.
- Option 2: Opt for legacy silver/gold benefits (but still enroll in the new Solutions Partner program). This option only applies to existing partners who have existing silver/gold benefits.
Benefits options with Solutions Partner designations
During purchase of the Solutions Partner designations, there are two benefits options from which to choose. No matter which option you pick, you're enrolled in a new Solutions Partner designation program with customer-facing badging available.
- Option 1 (available for all): New Solutions Partner benefits OR
- Option 2 (available only for legacy silver/gold active partners): Legacy silver/gold benefits (that you had as of September 30, 2022)
New benefits with Solutions Partner designations
To support you as you grow your business, the Solutions Partner program provides an improved benefits bundle that aligns to the six Solutions Partner designations. If you opted for new benefits during your Solutions Partner designations purchase, you're eligible to receive the new benefits package associated with that designation.
The three Azure Solutions Partner designations share core benefits and each have incremental benefits. For more information, download the Solutions Partner Benefits guide.
Specializations impact due to Solutions Partner designations
Previously, to achieve a Specialization, the prerequisite was to attain the silver or gold competency. But now you need to attain the relevant Solutions Partner designation badge to be eligible for Specializations.
Your existing Specialization remains unchanged until the anniversary date of the specializations. But on the anniversary of your Specializations, you must attain the required Solutions Partner designation along with the other requirements to be eligible to renew. You can't renew your Specialization if you don't have the relevant Solutions Partner designation. See the following section to map specializations to the relevant Solutions Partner designations.
Benefits associated with Specializations and Azure Expert Managed Services Provider (MSP)
With Solutions Partner designations program, we also introduced product benefits aligned to specializations and Azure Expert Managed Services Provider (MSP). If you opted for new benefits during your renewal or a new purchase of a Solutions Partner membership, extra specialization benefits are awarded. For more information, see the Solutions Partner benefits guide.
These extra benefits align with your Solutions Partner designation anniversary date. Also, there's a cap, a maximum number of Specializations allowed to get benefits within each solution area.
| Specialization's solution area | Maximum number of Specializations allowed to get benefits |
|---|---|
| Azure (Data and AI, Digital and App Innovation, Infrastructure) | 5 |
| Business Applications | 1 |
| Modern Work | 3 |
| Security | 3 |
Map Specializations to relevant Solutions Partner designations
| Specialization aligned to solution areas | Solutions Partner designations required as a prerequisite |
|---|---|
| Azure | |
| AI and Machine Learning on Microsoft Azure | Data & AI OR Digital & App Innovation |
| Analytics on Microsoft Azure | Data & AI |
| Build and Modernize AI Apps with Microsoft Azure | Data & AI OR Business Applications |
| Data Warehouse Migration to Microsoft Azure | Data & AI |
| DevOps with GitHub on Microsoft Azure | Digital & App Innovation |
| Hybrid Cloud Infrastructure with Microsoft Azure Stack HCI | Infrastructure OR Data & AI OR Digital & App Innovation |
| Infra and Database Migration to Microsoft Azure | Data & AI OR Infrastructure |
| Kubernetes on Microsoft Azure | Data & AI OR Digital & App Innovation |
| Microsoft Azure VMware Solution | Infrastructure |
| Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop | Infrastructure |
| Migrate Enterprise Apps to Microsoft Azure | Data & AI OR Digital & App Innovation |
| Networking Services in Microsoft Azure | Infrastructure |
| SAP on Microsoft Azure | Infrastructure |
| Modern Work | |
| Adoption and Change Management | Modern Work |
| Calling for Microsoft Teams | Modern Work |
| Customer Solutions for Microsoft Teams | Modern Work |
| Meetings and Meeting Rooms for Microsoft Teams | Modern Work |
| Teamwork Deployment | Modern Work |
| Modernize Endpoints | Modern Work |
| Security | |
| Cloud Security | Security |
| Identity and Access Management | Security |
| Information Protection and Governance | Security |
| Threat Protection | Security |
| Business Applications | |
| Business Intelligence | Data & AI OR Business Applications |
| Finance | Business Applications |
| Intelligent Automation | Digital & App Innovation OR Business Applications |
| Low Code Application Development | Business Applications OR Digital & App Innovation |
| Sales | Business Applications |
| Service | Business Applications |
| Small and Midsize Business Management | Business Applications |
| Supply Chain | Business Applications |
Map Solutions Partner designations to legacy silver/gold competencies
Each of the six designations maps to a Microsoft solution area, simplifying partner programs from earlier legacy silver/gold competencies. The following table maps the legacy competencies to the new Solutions Partner designations.
| Legacy silver/gold competency | Solutions Partner designations |
|---|---|
| Cloud Business Applications, Enterprise Resource Planning, Project Portfolio Management | Business Applications |
| App Integration, Data Analytics, Data Platform | Data & AI (Azure) |
| Cloud Platform, Datacenter | Infrastructure (Azure) |
| Application Development, App Integration, DevOps | Digital & App Innovation (Azure) |
| Cloud Productivity, Collaboration and Content, Communications, Messaging, Small and Midmarket Cloud Solutions, Windows and Devices | Modern Work |
| Enterprise Mobility Management, Security | Security |