What does it mean to be a Microsoft Gold Partner?

Microsoft Partners are often tiered into two primary groups of Silver and Gold. However, what do these categories mean for you when searching for your perfect Microsoft Partner?

A Microsoft Gold partner is a partner committed to earning the highest level of company customer care and collaborative relationship with Microsoft. By achieving this Microsoft Gold Partner Certification, Partners prove they are committed to excellence in evolving Microsoft technologies and maximising the benefits that clients receive by expertly implementing Microsoft solutions.

Microsoft Gold Partner Benefits

The value of Microsoft Gold Partners, like ourselves at Advantage, lies in the guarantee of professional expert support and it is the highest level a Microsoft Partner can reach. With Microsoft’s continued annual reviews you can be assured that your business transformation is in safe hands with Advantage, as we continue to develop the expertise of our staff and provide total satisfaction for our clients.

As a Microsoft Gold Partner, we have been recognised as having the capabilities to:

• Provide Microsoft based IT services and products
• Provide continuous customer support and be first in line for updates and news
• Provide smarter training tools and programs
• Utilise our expanded reach to be able to provide 100 licenses for Microsoft products
• Provide consultative expertise with best in class Microsoft implementation and deployment
• Have been recognised as a leader within the partner community

Discuss your specific project with a Microsoft Gold Partner today

Microsoft Partner Types

There are only two types of Microsoft Partner, Silver and Gold. The Microsoft Certified Partner tiers are designed to recognise the level of business that the Partner is operating at and the specific skills accumulated during the time of providing the service.  

All certified Microsoft Partners can offer regional service centres, get all the latest product training materials as well as having a hands-on advisory service for pre-sales and deployment.  In addition to this, Microsoft Partners such as ourselves can access Microsoft Partner Signature Support which includes advanced tech support for Microsoft Office 365, Microsoft Azure and Microsoft Dynamics 365 / CRM online.  

This of course is a massive benefit to users as customers benefit from continuous support, insight and help they need to run their business smoothly.  

Microsoft Gold Partner Requirements 

• Participation in the Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) index.
• Five customer references that verify a high standard of service delivery.
• At least Four Microsoft Certified Professionals – two with business – focused competency and two who have passed a technical competency assessment.
• A licensing overview assessment
• A sales and marketing competency assessment 

Microsoft Silver Partner Requirements

• Three customer references to verify a high standard of service delivery.
• Two Microsoft Certified professionals – one with business-focused competency and one who has passed a technical competency assessment.
• A licensing overview assessment
• A sales and marketing competency assessment 

These competency assessments contain both skills and individual product knowledge tests via exams and performance tests to certify the Microsoft Partners competencies. These partnership statuses are reviewed on an annual basis so you can ensure that your Partner is still performing well. Companies below the level of expertise needed for Microsoft Gold or Silver work with the Microsoft Action Pack which allows for a number of support and training services, with additional access to free Microsoft software.

Give your company the best opportunity to grow by picking the right Microsoft Partner. With Advantage, our services go beyond just our Microsoft Gold Partner certification. We are committed to service all of a business’s needs across CRM, Microsoft ERP solutions and IT Managed Services resulting in the compounding benefits for your business we call The Advantage Edge.

Make sure you put yourself in the best possible position by working with Advantage a certified Microsoft Gold Partner. Want to understand what the best Microsoft solution for you is? Contact us to find out more or join our mailing list to keep up to date with the latest tech news and Microsoft updates.