Microsoft officially launches Cloud Partner Program

Earlier this year in March, Microsoft renamed its Partner Network to the Microsoft Cloud Partner Program. The move also featured some changes, for instance the introduction of two levels of partner capabilities, that is, the solutions partner level and specializations and expert programs. The company also made some alterations to the program by renewing current benefits as well as introducing new ones.

And now, Microsoft is launching its Cloud Partner Program officially. The program will meet the ever-changing needs of customers and in turn, help the partners to achieve their set goals. This is attributed to the fact that it now comes with single-tier Solutions Partner Designation replacing legacy silver and gold competencies.

By joining the program, there are a lot of incentives that the partner stands to benefit from. Among them is being able to tap into the largest technology ecosystem which in turn provides the partners with opportunities to develop and sell competitive solutions to customers around the globe at a faster rate. Next up is that partners will be able to innovate on the most comprehensive, end-to-end cloud platform, and finally, you get to do business with a trusted partner.

Through an email sent to OnMSFT, Microsoft indicated that:

Effective today, the six new Solutions Partner designations — which are replacing legacy silver and gold competencies — are now generally available to all partners. The six solution areas include: Data & AI (Azure), Infrastructure (Azure), Digital & App Innovation (Azure), Business Applications, Modern Work, and Security.

On top of the six designations, Microsoft will be coming up with more Industry Designations tailored for partners who build software, starting with retail, healthcare, and financial services. And finally, through the ISV Success Program, Microsoft will be investing in resources for ISVs (independent software vendors).

At the moment, it is currently in private preview but is set to transition to public preview later on in the year. Through the platform, ISV partners will be able to build and publish apps quickly, accelerate innovation, and tap into a new and wider audience.