The Microsoft Cloud Partner Program is set to replace the existing Microsoft Partner Network(MPN) on October 3, 2022. The new program will aim to drive and promote partner's proficiency in six technology areas: Data & AI (Azure), Infrastructure (Azure), Digital and App Innovation (Azure), Business Applications, Modern Work, and Security. Partners can get certified in one or more of the above areas.

Legacy competencies and the Gold and Silver badges that partners used to differentiate their expertise levels under the MPN will no longer be valid in the Microsoft Cloud Partner Program. Under the new program, Microsoft will measure partners' expertise in their chosen fields using a new “partner capability score” (PCS) that considers their number of new customers, deployments and certifications, and their overall growth.

The maximum PCS score an organization can get is 100.  There will be two expertise levels for partners in the new program, each with their badges. The “solutions partner level” is open to partners that earn a PCS of 70 or higher. The next level, which Clark described as “specializations and expert programs,” is open to partners that demonstrate “deep technical expertise and experience in specific technical scenarios under each solution area.”

Microsoft is slightly tweaking its partner benefits program in the run-up to the Oct. 3 switch. For instance, partners will continue earning licenses to run Microsoft products in-house, but that benefit’s name will change from “internal use rights” to “product benefits.”