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Specializations overview

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Appropriate roles: Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program partner admin

The Microsoft Cloud, specializations display your deep technical expertise and experience in areas with high customer demand. After you attain a Solutions partner designation, earning a specialization further differentiates your organization from your competitors and helps customers identify your capabilities to meet their specific needs. You don't need to purchase or buy specializations separately, if you're enrolled in the Solution partner designation program.

Note

To learn more about specializations, see the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program specializations webpage.

To learn more about the Azure Expert MSP program, see Azure Expert MSP.

Current specializations available across all solution areas

Each specialization corresponds to a solution area:

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

Azure specializations

Azure specializations include:

  • AI Platform on Microsoft Azure (formerly known as AI and Machine Learning on Microsoft Azure)
  • Analytics on Microsoft Azure
  • Build AI Apps on Microsoft Azure (formerly known as Build and Modernize AI Apps with Microsoft Azure)
  • Data Warehouse Migration to Microsoft Azure
  • Accelerate Developer Productivity with Microsoft Azure (formerly known as DevOps with GitHub on Microsoft Azure)
  • Hybrid Cloud Infrastructure with Microsoft Azure Stack HCI
  • Infra and Database Migration to Microsoft Azure
  • Kubernetes on Microsoft Azure
  • Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop
  • Microsoft Azure VMware Solution
  • Migrate Enterprise Applications to Microsoft Azure
  • Networking Services in Microsoft Azure
  • SAP on Microsoft Azure

Business Applications specializations

Business Applications specializations include:

  • Business Intelligence
  • Finance
  • Intelligent Automation
  • Microsoft Low Code Application Development
  • Sales
  • Service
  • Small and Midsize Business Management
  • Supply Chain

Modern Work specializations

Modern Work specializations include:

  • Adoption and Change Management
  • Calling for Microsoft Teams
  • Custom Solutions for Microsoft Teams
  • Meetings and Meeting Rooms for Microsoft Teams
  • Modernize Endpoints
  • Teamwork Deployment

Security specializations

Security specializations include:

  • Cloud Security
  • Identity and Access Management
  • Information Protection and Governance
  • Threat Protection

How to enroll in a specialization

Enroll in Azure specializations

  1. Meet the qualification requirements, which include the aligned Solutions Partner designation, Performance and Skilling requirements.
  2. Schedule the audit and pass the audit (Audit can be scheduled only when after the qualification requirements are met).

Enroll in Modern Work and Security specializations

  1. Meet the qualification requirements, which include the aligned Solutions Partner designation, Performance and Skilling requirements.
  2. Submit customer reference and get approval of the customer references (Customer references can be submitted only after the qualification requirements are met).

Enroll in Business Applications specializations

  • Meet the qualification requirements, which include the aligned Solutions Partner designation, Performance and Skilling requirements. Once the qualification requirements are met, you're automatically enrolled for this specialization.

Product benefits for each specialization

We introduce product benefits aligned to specializations and expert offerings. These benefits increase value for partners who invest in demonstrating deep technical expertise and experience in specific technical scenarios aligned to solution areas.

If you already have the relevant Solutions Partner designation and opt to select the Solutions Partner benefits (and pay the fee), you receive incremental specialization benefits after you earn the specialization. They're available through your next Solutions Partner designation anniversary date. The total number of specializations or expert offerings associated benefits must be within the respective maximum benefit cap amounts for each category of specializations and expert offerings.

For an example of the timeline and maximum benefit cap amounts for receiving the benefits associated with specializations and expert offerings, see the Illustrative example section in the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program Benefits Guide.

Postenrollment

After you enroll in a specialization, your enrollment stays intact for the one year, until the specialization "Valid till" date. During this period, even if you don't meet all qualification requirements, you're still enrolled in this specialization. But toward the end of your first enrollment year, you need to meet all the qualification requirements to get reenrolled once the renewal window opens. The renewal window opens 60 days before the anniversary date and closes 30 days after your anniversary date, which is the "Valid till" date.

You also have to undergo audit approval or customer references approval, depending on which year you reenroll.

  • For example, if you enroll in the "Analytics on Microsoft Azure" specialization on January 1, 2025, you stay enrolled until January 31, 2026 (including a 30-day grace period), despite not meeting all qualification requirements. But for a successful renewal, you need to meet the qualification requirements during the renewal window, which in this scenario is November 1, 2025, to January 31, 2026.
  • If you extend it to the next year's renewal, which is January 1, 2027, you must meet the qualification requirements in addition to completing audit or customer references. Partners have to undergo audit or customer references review every other year after enrollment during the renewal window, which in this scenario is November 1, 2025, to January 31, 2026.

Renewals

The renewal process is triggered based on the anniversary date of your current specialization. The Specialization renewal process (not including Azure Expert MSP) is set to start year 1 in 2023. Check your specialization anniversary date in Partner Center.

  • Year one (first anniversary of specialization)
    • To renew the specialization, you need to meet qualification requirements (such as eligibility, performance, certifications, offer publishing). The qualification requirements are valid for one year and revalidated annually.
    • Qualification requirements are reviewed for all anniversary dates beginning February 2023. Renewing your specialization during the first renewal cycle doesn't require any action outside of monitoring that your organization meets the qualification requirements. If your organization meets the qualification requirements, you're enrolled upon your renewal window opening.
    • The audits and customer reference requirements are valid for two years and revalidated every other year. So, for the first anniversary, you don't need to pass the audit or submit the customer references again
    • Qualification requirements include Solutions Partner, Performance, Knowledge, and (if applicable) Offer publishing in AppSource.
  • Year two (Second anniversary of specialization)
    • To renew the specialization, you must meet the qualification requirements and complete the manually validated requirements (such as audits or providing customer references depending on the specialization).
    • The audits and customer references requirements are valid for two years and revalidated every other year. This requirement starts with anniversary dates that begin February 2024.
  • Years three and beyond
    • Subsequent years follow the same process with qualification requirements annually and telemetry + manually validated requirements every other year.
    • Reminder notifications: A minimum of three emails are sent to remind you about the renewal of the specialization. Emails are sent at multiple points in time, such as 120 days, 90 days, 60 days, and 30 days before the anniversary date, on the anniversary date, and 30 days after the anniversary date. These notifications are sent to the individual from your organization who has the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program partner admin role. Also, you can see these notifications in Partner Center.
    • The renewal window opens 60 days before your anniversary date and closes on your anniversary date (with a 30-calendar-day grace period). Partners must meet the published qualification requirements within the 90-day period to renew their specialization.
    • For the first, third, and fifth anniversaries of your specialization (and subsequent odd years), once you meet the qualification requirements, the specialization automatically renews.
    • For the second, fourth, and sixth anniversaries of your specialization (and subsequent even years), once you meet the qualification requirements, you must also meet the manually validated requirements, such as audit or customer references, for successful re-enrollment.

Frequently asked questions

Does failing to meet one of the qualification requirements after enrolling affect my specialization enrollment?

No, it doesn't affect your enrollment until your anniversary date. After you enroll in a specialization, your enrollment stays intact for the next one year, until the specialization "Valid till" date. For a thorough explanation, see the Postenrollment section.

Why didn't I receive all product benefits after enrolling into a specialization?

You don't receive all product benefits if you already reached the maximum cap amount for product benefits provisioning. Each category of the specializations and expert programs (Azure, Business Applications, Modern Work, and Security) has individual maximum cap amounts for benefits provisioning. The maximum cap is the number of specializations or expert programs in that category that are eligible for incremental product benefits. For more information, see the "Illustrative example" section in the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program Benefits Guide.

Category Specialization or expert program name Maximum benefits cap
Azure - Azure Expert MSP
- Infra and Database Migration to Microsoft Azure
- SAP on Microsoft Azure
- Data Warehouse Migration to Microsoft Azure
- Kubernetes on Microsoft Azure
- Migrate Enterprise Apps to Microsoft Azure
- Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop
- Analytics on Microsoft Azure
- Microsoft Azure VMware Solution
- AI Platform on Microsoft Azure (formerly known as AI and Machine Learning on Microsoft Azure)
- Accelerate Developer Productivity with Microsoft Azure
- Build AI Apps on Microsoft Azure (formerly known as Build and Modernize AI Apps with Microsoft Azure)
- Hybrid Cloud Infrastructure with Microsoft Azure Stack HCI
- Networking Services in Microsoft Azure		 Five product benefits
Business Applications - Microsoft Low Code Application Development
- Business Intelligence
- Intelligent Automation
- Small and Midsize Business Management
- Sales
- Service
- Finance
- Supply Chain		 One product benefit
Modern Work - Adoption and Change Management
- Calling for Microsoft Teams
- Customer Solutions for Microsoft Teams
- Meetings and Meeting Rooms for Microsoft Teams
- Teamwork Deployment		 Three product benefits
Security - Cloud Security
- Identity and Access Management
- Information Protection and Governance
- Threat Protection		 Three product benefits

For example, under the Security category, if you're enrolled in the Cloud Security, Identity and Access Management, and Information Protection and Governance specializations, you'd receive three product benefits. However, if you then enroll in a fourth specialization, like Threat Protection, you don't get the benefits for this specialization, because the Security category has a maximum cap of three benefits.

Note

Specialization and expert program benefits are provided at the time of purchasing Solutions Partner benefits. These benefits are valid until the end of your Solutions Partner membership. Any extra benefit provided subsequently is valid for the remainder of the membership.

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