Sonical is proud to announce that we have recently become a Microsoft Gold partner!
We currently have:
- 9 Microsoft Gold partner competences
- 3 Microsoft Silver partner competences
Microsoft Partner Certification: What Does It Mean?
Microsoft calls their certifications competencies that prove specific skills. Because the Microsoft competencies are aligned with how customers purchase solutions, they can easily identify an organisation’s expertise.
Currently Microsoft has 18 different competencies. A Microsoft Partner can be a regular partner, or they can achieve a Silver or Gold level for each of these competencies.
Silver Competency shows that a partner has made a special effort for one business solution and that the partner has undergone a thorough process for that certification. Partners with a Silver level are among the top 5% of Microsoft Partners worldwide.
Gold Competency goes even further than Silver and represents the highest certification available to Microsoft Partners. A partner with Gold Competency has specialised skills in the implementation of a specific solution. Only the top 1% of Microsoft Partners are Gold Certified.
A Microsoft Partner with Silver or Gold Competency must do regular audits to prove their competence, skills and experience. A Silver partner can be a good choice, but the difference with Gold is significant.
The advantages of a Microsoft Gold Partner
1. Gold Certified Partners are always up-to-date
Microsoft’s solutions are constantly evolving, and so are the respective requirements per competency. Gold partners closely follow these changes. Would you by any chance choose a heart surgeon who has not followed any technical training in the last two decades? If you had the option, you would choose a doctor who is up-to-date with his training and certifications. This also applies to a Microsoft Partner who knows best how to implement the latest Microsoft technology.
2. Meet the highest standards
Microsoft Gold Certification indicates that a partner meets Microsoft’s highest standards – and meeting these standards is becoming increasingly difficult. Microsoft requires that different individuals within an organisation pass several core-value exams before the organisation receives Gold Certification. This process is repeated annually.
3. In direct connection with Microsoft
Microsoft Gold Partners are experts when it comes to specific skills, which means they rarely need to consult Microsoft for support. But when they do need to, they get direct access to advanced support within Microsoft Business Solutions. The result? Faster response time and high quality support. Plus, gold partners have the ability to accelerate a case if needed.
4. Offer proof of concept
Because Microsoft Gold Partners have access to all kinds of product licenses, they are able to develop demos that offer proof of concept (PoC). This means that a Gold Partner can provide a test drive before going all-in on a solution.
A partner with multiple competencies even has the ability to spend several days consulting with a customer – similar to a pilot programme – with funding from Microsoft. If you are ready to move forward with a solution and need proof of concept this can be extremely helpful.
5. Happy employees means happy customers
Happy employees means less rotation, which leads to happy customers. Employees in the IT sector need continuous professional development to stay on top of the latest trends and that is what Gold partners offer. There is also a certain level of dedication that is expected when working for a Gold Partner, and this benefits your organisation.
