The Microsoft Solutions Partner designation for Azure represents a prestigious recognition for partners who demonstrate exceptional capabilities in specific areas within the Azure ecosystem. By achieving this designation, partners can showcase their expertise, commitment, and ability to deliver high-quality solutions that drive customer success. The designation is segmented into three primary areas:
Each area has distinct qualification requirements that assess partner capabilities through a combination of performance metrics, skilling certifications, and customer success criteria. This evaluation ensures that only the most proficient and dedicated partners achieve Solutions Partner status, enhancing their credibility and positioning in the market. In this article, we will delve into the specific requirements and metrics for obtaining the Solutions Partner designation in the Digital & App Innovation (Azure) area, providing a detailed guide to help partners navigate the process effectively.
Appropriate roles
Global admin, Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program partner admin.
The Microsoft Solutions Partner designation is specific to each of the three areas. To be eligible for the Microsoft Solutions Partner designation in an Azure area, your partner capability score must satisfy the qualification requirements for that specific area. Performance, Skilling, and Customer Success scores are automatically calculated to assess your eligibility. The Performance and Customer Success categories have shared requirements and thresholds for metrics. The Skilling category has its certification requirements. To achieve a Solutions Partner designation, you need to:
- Score at least 70 points.
- Attain points for each of the following five metrics:
- Performance
- Skilling: intermediate certifications
- Skilling: advanced certifications
- Customer success: usage growth
- Customer success: deployments
The subsequent sections contain detailed explanations of these requirements and metrics.
Performance
The category of Performance evaluates your company's capacity to expand the customer base using Azure services and workloads. The sole metric in this category is the Net customer adds.
Net customer adds
Scoring
Each new net customer contributes 10 points, with a maximum of 30 points.
Calculation
Net customers added = (Eligible Customers last month) – (Eligible Customers same month last year)Eligible Customers
Eligible customers represent the count of unique customer tenants generating at least USD1,000 Azure Consumed Revenue (ACR) from eligible Azure services associated with qualifying offers for specific partner association types in one of the last two months.
All Azure Service Level 2 services are classified as eligible workloads. (Workload eligibility is subject to change. Verify regularly for the most current workload eligibility information.) To find the list of Azure services bundled at the second-highest level, please refer to the Directory of Azure Cloud Service. For instance, locate Azure Machine Learning in the AI + Machine Learning section.
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 measures partner capabilities and skills based on the number of certified individuals within an organization.
There are two metrics within this category:
Intermediate certifications
Advanced certifications
The certifications required vary for each of the three Azure areas, as explained in the subsequent sections.
Intermediate Certifications
Step 1: Required certifications
To qualify for Intermediate certification for Digital & App Innovation, you must have at least two individuals possessing the Azure Administrator Associate certification.
Failure to meet this prerequisite will result in no points being earned in this metric.
Step 2: Other certifications
Upon completion of the prerequisite in step 1, points are awarded for intermediate certifications for Digital & App Innovation for each individual who has obtained any one of the following:
Azure Developer Associate
Power Platform Developer Associate
Scoring
Each individual with any of the aforementioned certifications earns four points, up to a maximum of 20 points.
Important consideration(s)
Step 1 serves as a prerequisite to Step 2 and does not directly award points. However, Step 1 must be fulfilled before any points are granted in this category. Once the first step is accomplished, points are only awarded for certifications obtained in Step 2.
Individuals can be counted multiple times across different steps, but only once per step. Each certified individual is counted only once toward your points if they have completed various certifications in Step 2. The individuals counting toward Step 1 may be the same or different from those counting toward Step 2.
The same individuals or different people can earn Intermediate and Advanced certifications.
Some of these certifications may have prerequisites on the certification website (select the individual certification link). These prerequisites must be fulfilled for an individual to obtain certification.
Examples
Individuals A and B complete Step 1. Individuals C and D complete Step 2. In this scenario, two qualifying individuals (C, D) will be awarded 2*4 = 8 points.
Individuals A and B complete Steps 1 and 2. In this case, the prerequisite is fulfilled, resulting in two qualifying individuals (A, B), and the organization is 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, as at least two individuals must complete Step 1 before any points are granted. Once one more individual (B, C, or others excluding A) completes Step 1, two individuals would qualify (B, C), and the organization would be awarded 2*4 = 8 points.
Advanced Certifications
Step 1 Prerequisites
To accumulate points for Advanced certifications, the Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification must be held by a minimum of two individuals. If your organization has fewer than two certified Azure Solutions Architect Experts, you will not receive any points in this category, even if you fulfil the other certification criteria.
Step 2 Additional certifications
Points for Advanced certifications are earned for each individual who has acquired any of the following certifications:
Azure IoT Developer Specialty
Azure DevOps Engineer Expert
Power Platform Solution Architect Expert
This certification was retired on July 31, 2023. It will remain valid for partner capability score points until July 2024.
Scoring
Each qualified individual meeting the certification requirements mentioned above will earn your organization four points, with a maximum of 20 points.
Key points to note
Step 1 is a prerequisite for Step 2 and does not directly contribute any points. However, Step 1 must be fulfilled before any points are granted in this category. Only certifications obtained in Step 2 after the completion of the first step will be allocated points.
Individuals can be counted once in each step but can contribute points across different steps. A certified individual is counted once toward your points if they have completed multiple certifications in Step 2. However, individuals fulfilling Step 1 can be the same or different from those fulfilling Step 2.
Intermediate certifications can be obtained by individuals separate from those who complete the Advanced certifications.
Please note that some certifications may have prerequisites, as indicated on the certification website. These prerequisites must be completed for an individual to obtain certification.
Examples
Individuals A and B complete Step 1, while individuals C and D complete Step 2. In this scenario, two individuals (C, D) qualify, and your organization will receive 2*4 = 8 points.
Individuals A and B complete Steps 1 and 2. In this case, the prerequisite is met, and two individuals (A, B) qualify, resulting in an award of 2*4 = 8 points.
Individual A completes Step 1, and individuals B and C complete Step 2. No points are awarded in this scenario since at least two individuals must fulfil Step 1 before any points are granted. Once one more individual (B, C, or others excluding A) completes Step 1, two individuals would qualify (B, C), earning your organization 2*4 = 8 points.
Customer Success
The ability to increase the use of Microsoft products (Usage growth) and expand Microsoft Azure services and workloads utilized by customers (Deployments) is measured in the customer success category.
Usage growth
The usage growth customer success metric assesses the capability to boost the use and consumption of qualifying products. Points are earned for growth in ACR (Azure consumed revenue) across all qualifying customer tenants. Each 1% increase in ACR contributes one point, up to a maximum of 20 points.
Scoring
The percentage usage growth is calculated as (Total qualifying ACR last month - Total qualifying ACR same month last year) * 100 / (Total qualifying ACR same month last year).
Qualifying ACR
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 is considered as Qualifying ACR. 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 Programs, and Trials.
Eligible Association Types: CSP Tiers 1 and 2, Digital Partner of Record (DPOR), and Partner Admin Link (PAL) are eligible for attributions in all Azure areas.
Deployments
The deployments metric evaluates the count of advanced Azure services that are represented in ACR within the past 12 months. An Azure service refers to a distinct, high-level Azure workload as indicated by the Service Level 2 data for the deployed tenants. Each qualifying deployment contributes two points, with a maximum of 10 points.
Qualifying deployments
This shows the number of distinct Azure services across the entire customer base that contributed more than zero ACR within the 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 considered eligible except for Virtual Machines and Virtual Machine Licenses. To view the list of Azure services included at the Second-highest level, refer to the Directory of Azure Cloud services. For instance, locate Azure Machine Learning in the AI + Machine Learning section.
Eligible offers
All offers are deemed eligible except for Support, Internal, Benefit Programs, and Trials.
Eligible types of associations include CSP (CSP Tiers 1 and 2), Digital Partner of Record (DPOR), and Partner Admin Link (PAL).
Digital & App Innovation Product Benefits
Data freshness
Subcategories such as Performance and Customer Success are typically refreshed by the 20th day of each month. However, there may be other minor data refreshes throughout the month.
Skilling subcategories are usually refreshed within 10 days after certification is completed.
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