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Solutions Partner for Data & AI, Infrastructure, and Digital & App Innovation

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Appropriate roles: Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program partner admin

This article describes the Microsoft Solutions Partner program for all three areas of Azure:

  • Data & AI
  • Infrastructure
  • Digital & App Innovation

Each of those three areas has its own, separate Microsoft Solutions Partner designation. To earn the Microsoft Solutions Partner designation for one of those Azure areas, your partner capability score must meet the qualification requirements for that area. Eligibility is determined by your scores for Performance, Skilling, and Customer success, which are measured automatically.

  • There are common requirements and thresholds for metrics in the Performance and Customer Success categories.
  • There are separate certification requirements in the Skilling category.

To attain a Solutions Partner designation, you must:

  • Earn a minimum of 70 points.
  • Have one or more points for each of the following five metrics.
    • Performance
    • Skilling: intermediate certifications
    • Skilling: advanced certifications
    • Customer success: usage growth
    • Customer success: deployments

The following sections describe these requirements and metrics in detail.

Performance

The Performance category measures your organization's ability to increase the number of customers who use Azure services and workloads. The metric: Net customer adds is the only metric in the Performance category.

Net customer adds

Scoring:

Each net new customer contributes 10 points, up to a maximum of 30 points.

Calculation:

Net customers added = (Eligible Customers last month) – (Eligible Customers same month last year)

Eligible Customers:

Eligible customers shows the number of unique customer tenants contributing at least USD1,000 Azure Consumed Revenue (ACR) in one of the last two months from eligible Azure services associated with eligible offers for specific partner association types.

  • Eligible workloads: All Azure Service Level 2 services are eligible workloads. (Workload eligibility is subject to change. Check frequently to ensure that you have the latest workload eligibility information.) For the list of Azure services bundled at Second-highest level, see Directory of Azure Cloud service. For example, find Azure Machine Learning in the section AI + Machine Learning.
  • Eligible offers: All offers are eligible except Support, Internal, Benefit Program, and Trial.
  • Eligible association types: CSP (CSP Tier 1 and CSP Tier 2), Digital Partner of Record (DPOR), Partner Admin Link (PAL)

Skilling

The skilling category uses the number of certified persons in an organization as a measure of partner capabilities and skills.

There are two metrics in this category:

The certifications required are different for each of the three Azure areas, as described in the following sections.

Intermediate certifications

Data & AI

Step 1: Required certifications:

To earn points for the Intermediate certifications for Data & AI, you must have at least:

If you don't meet this prerequisite, you won't earn any points in this metric.

Step 2: Required certifications:

To earn points for the Intermediate certifications for Data & AI, you must have at least:

If you don't meet this prerequisite, you won't earn any points in this metric.

Step 3: Other certifications:

After you complete the prerequisites in step 1 & step 2, you earn intermediate certifications points for every person who has obtained any one of the following:

Scoring:

Each person with one of the preceding certifications earns you four points, up to a maximum of 40 points.

Important consideration(s):

  • Steps #1 and #2 are prerequisites to Step #3 and don't add any points directly. However, Steps #1 and #2 must be completed before any points are awarded in this metric. Points are only awarded for certifications earned in Step #3 once the first two steps are complete.

  • Individuals can be counted more than once across the different steps, but only once per step. Each certified individual is counted only once toward your points if they have completed multiple certifications in Step #3. However, the individuals counting toward Steps #1 or #2 can be the same or different as the individuals counting toward Step #3.

  • Some of these certifications can have prerequisites listed on the certification website (select on individual certification link). Those prerequisites need to be completed for an individual to complete certification.

Examples:

  • Individuals A and B complete Step 1, individuals C and D complete Step 2 and individuals E, F and G complete at least one of the certifications each in Step 3. In this case, the prerequisites are satisfied, and three individuals qualify for points (E, F, G), hence you would be awarded 3*4 = 12 points.

  • Individuals A and B complete all three Steps. In this case the prerequisites are satisfied, and two individuals (A, B) qualify for points, hence you would be awarded 2*4 = 8 points.

  • Individuals A and B complete Step 1 and 3, In this case, the prerequisites aren't satisfied, and no points would be awarded since at least two individuals must complete Step 2 before any points can be awarded. Once two individuals (A, B, or others) complete Step 2, 2 individuals would qualify (A, B) and your organization would be awarded 2*4 = 8 points.

  • Individual A completes Step 1, and individuals B and C complete Steps 2 and 3. In this case, no points are awarded because at least two individuals must complete Step 1 before any points can be awarded. Once one more individual (B, C or others not including A) completes Step 1, 2 individuals would qualify (B, C) and your organization would be awarded 2*4 = 8 points.

Digital & App Innovation

Step 1: Required certifications:

To earn points for Intermediate certification for Digital & App Innovation, you must have at least two people with the Azure Administrator Associate certification.

If you don't meet this prerequisite, you won't earn any points in this metric.

Step 2: Other certifications:

After you complete the prerequisite in step 1, you earn points towards intermediate certifications for Digital & App Innovation for every person who has obtained any one of the following:

Scoring:

Each person with one of the preceding certifications earns you four points, up to a maximum of 20 points.

Important consideration(s):

  • Step #1 is a prerequisite to Step #2 and doesn't add any points directly. However, Step #1 must be completed before any points are awarded in this category. Points are only awarded for certifications earned in Step #2 once the first step is complete.

  • Individuals can be counted more than once across the different steps, but only once per step. Each certified individual is counted only once toward your points if they have completed multiple certifications in Step #2. However, the individuals counting toward Step #1 can be the same or different as the individuals counting toward Step #2.

  • Advanced certifications can be earned by the same or different people than the Intermediate certifications.

  • Some of these certifications might have prerequisites listed on the certification website (select the individual certification link). Those prerequisites need to be completed for an individual to complete certification.

Examples:

  • Individuals A and B complete Step 1, individuals C and D complete Step 2. In this case you would have two individuals qualifying (C,D) and would be awarded 2*4 = 8 points.

  • Individuals A and B complete Steps 1 and 2. In this case, the prerequisite is satisfied and two individuals (A, B) qualify for points, hence you would be awarded 2*4 = 8 points.

  • Individual A completes Step 1, and individuals B and C complete Step 2. In this case, no points are awarded since at least two individuals must complete Step 1 before any points will be awarded. Once one more individual (B, C, or others not including A) completes Step 1, 2 individuals would qualify (B, C) and your organization would be awarded 2*4 = 8 points.

Infrastructure

Step 1: Required certifications:

To earn points for Intermediate certification for Infrastructure, you must have at least two people with the Azure Administrator Associate certification.

If you don't meet this prerequisite, you won't earn any points in this metric.

Step 2: Other certifications

After you complete the prerequisite in step 1, you earn points towards Intermediate certifications for every person who has obtained any one of the following:

† This certification retired on July 31, 2023. It will remain eligible for partner capability score points through July 2024.

Scoring:

Each qualifying person who fulfills the listed certification requirements earns you four points, up to a maximum of 20 points.

Important consideration(s):

  • Step #1 is a prerequisite to Step #2 and doesn't add any points directly. However, Step #1 must be completed before any points are awarded in this category. Points are only awarded for certifications earned in Step #2 once the first step is complete.

  • Individuals can be counted more than once across the different steps, but only once per step. Each certified individual is counted only once toward your points if they have completed multiple certifications in Step #2. However, the individuals counting toward Step #1 can be the same or different as the individuals counting toward Step #2.

  • Advanced certifications can be earned by the same or different people than the Intermediate certifications.

  • Some of these certifications might have prerequisites listed on the certification website (select on individual certification link). Those prerequisites need to be completed for an individual to complete certification.

Examples:

  • Individuals A and B complete Step 1, individuals C and D complete Step 2. In this case you would have two individuals qualifying (C,D) and would be awarded 2*4 = 8 points.

  • Individuals A and B complete Steps 1 and 2. In this case, the prerequisite is satisfied and two individuals (A, B) qualify for points, hence you would be awarded 2*4 = 8 points.

  • Individual A completes Step 1, and individuals B and C complete Step 2. In this case, no points are awarded since at least two individuals must complete Step 1 before any points are awarded. Once one more individual (B, C, or others not including A) completes Step 1, 2 individuals would qualify (B, C) and your organization would be awarded 2*4 = 8 points.

Advanced certifications

Data & AI

Advanced certifications aren't applicable to Data & AI.

Digital & App Innovation

Step 1: Required certifications: To earn points toward Advanced certifications, at least two people must have the Azure Solutions Architect Expert certificate. If there are fewer than two people in your organization who are certified as an Azure Solutions Architect Expert, you won't earn any points in this metric, even if you meet the other certification requirements.

Step 2: Other certifications: You earn points toward Advanced certifications for every person who has obtained any one of the following:

† This certification retired on July 31, 2023. It will remain eligible for partner capability score points through July 2024.

Scoring:

Each person who fulfills the previously listed certification requirements earns you four points, up to a maximum of 20 points.

Important consideration(s):

  • Step #1 is a prerequisite to Step #2 and doesn't add any points directly. However, Step #1 must be completed before any points are awarded in this category. Points are only awarded for certifications earned in Step #2 once the first step is complete.

  • Individuals can be counted more than once across the different steps, but only once per step. Each certified individual is counted only once toward your points if they have completed multiple certifications in Step #2. However, the individuals counting toward Step #1 can be the same or different as the individuals counting toward Step #2.

  • Intermediate certifications can be earned by the same or different people than the Advanced certifications.

  • Some of these certifications might have prerequisites listed on the certification website (select on individual certification link). Those prerequisites need to be completed for an individual to complete certification.

Examples:

  • Individuals A and B complete Step 1, individuals C and D complete Step 2. In this case you would have two individuals qualifying (C,D) and would be awarded 2*4 = 8 points.

  • Individuals A and B complete Steps 1 and 2. In this case, the prerequisite is satisfied and two individuals (A, B) qualify for points, hence you would be awarded 2*4 = 8 points.

  • Individual A completes Step 1, and individuals B and C complete Step 2. In this case, no points are awarded since at least two individuals must complete Step 1 before any points will be awarded. Once one more individual (B, C, or others not including A) completes Step 1, 2 individuals would qualify (B, C) and your organization would be awarded 2*4 = 8 points.

Infrastructure

Step 1: Required certifications: To earn points toward Advanced certifications, at least two people must have the Azure Solutions Architect Expert certificate. If there are fewer than two people in your organization who are certified as an Azure Solutions Architect Expert, you won't earn any points in this metric, even if you meet the other certification requirements.

Step 2: Other certifications: You earn points toward Advanced certifications for every person who has obtained any one of the following:

Scoring:

Each person who fulfills the certification requirements listed above earns you four points, up to a maximum of 20 points.

Important consideration(s):

  • Step #1 is a prerequisite to Step #2 and doesn't add any points directly. However, Step #1 must be completed before any points are awarded in this category. Points are only awarded for certifications earned in Step #2 once the first step is complete

  • Individuals can be counted more than once across the different steps, but only once per step. Each certified individual is only counted once toward your points, even if they have completed multiple certifications in Step #2. However, the individuals counting toward Step #1 can be the same or different as the individuals counting toward Step #2

  • Intermediate certifications can be earned by the same or different people than the Advanced certifications

  • Some of these certifications might have prerequisites listed on the certification website (select the link for the individual certification). Those prerequisites need to be completed for an individual to complete certification

Examples:

  • Individuals A and B complete Step 1, individuals C and D complete Step 2. In this case you would have two individuals qualifying (C,D) and would be awarded 2*4 = 8 points.

  • Individuals A and B complete Steps 1 and 2. In this case, the prerequisite is satisfied and two individuals (A, B) qualify for points, hence you would be awarded 2*4 = 8 points.

  • Individual A completes Step 1, and individuals B and C complete Step 2. In this case, no points are awarded since at least two individuals must complete Step 1 before any points are awarded. Once one more individual (B, C, or others not including A) completes Step 1, 2 individuals would qualify (B, C) and your organization would be awarded 2*4 = 8 points.

Customer success

The customer success category measures your ability to:

  • Increase the use of Microsoft products (Usage growth)
  • Expand Microsoft Azure services and workloads utilized by customers (Deployments)

Usage growth

The usage growth customer success metric measures your ability to increase the use and consumption of qualifying products. You earn points for growth in ACR (Azure consumed revenue) across all of your qualifying customer tenants. Each 1% growth in ACR contributes one point, up to a maximum of 20 points.

Scoring:

Percentage usage growth = (Total qualifying ACR last month - Total qualifying ACR same month last year) * 100 / (Total qualifying ACR same month last year)

Qualifying ACR:

Qualifying ACR is total ACR for the trailing 12 months across the entire customer base from eligible Azure services associated with eligible offers for specific partner association types.

Total ACR must be at least USD1,000 to qualify for scoring.

  • Eligible Azure services: All Azure Service Level 2 services are eligible.
  • Eligible Offers: All offers are applicable except Support, Internal, Benefit Program, and Trial.
  • Eligible association types: Eligible attributions for all Azure areas include: CSP Tiers 1 and 2, Digital Partner of Record (DPOR), Partner Admin Link (PAL)

Deployments

The deployments metric measures the number of advanced Azure services represented in ACR over the last 12 months. An Azure service is defined as a unique, top-level Azure workload indicated by the Service Level 2 data for the deployed tenants. Each eligible deployment contributes two points, up to a maximum of 10 points.

Eligible deployments: Eligible deployments shows the number of unique Azure services across the entire customer base contributing more than zero ACR over last 12 months from eligible Azure services associated with eligible offers for specific partner association types.

  • Eligible Azure services: All Azure Service Level 2 services are eligible except Virtual Machines and Virtual Machines Licenses. For the list of Azure services bundled at Second-highest level, see Directory of Azure Cloud service. For example, find Azure Machine Learning in the section AI + Machine Learning.
  • Eligible offers: All offers are eligible except Support, Internal, Benefit Program and Trial.
  • Eligible association types: CSP (CSP Tiers 1 and 2), Digital Partner of Record (DPOR), Partner Admin Link (PAL)

Data freshness:

  • The Performance and Customer Success subcategories are typically refreshed by the 20th day of every month. However, there might be other minor data refreshes throughout the month.
  • Skilling subcategories are typically refreshed within 10 days after certification is completed.

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