When choosing a business to undertake a cloud project with – whether that be building a new system, migration or maintaining current infrastructure – an important consideration is the type of company to engage with. If you are looking to use Microsoft Azure as your cloud platform, there are benefits to working with an Azure Partner.
What is an Azure Partner?
Azure Partners are members of the Microsoft Cloud Partner Program (formerly Microsoft Partner Network). There are three levels of partner: Certified, Silver and Gold. Certified is the lowest tier consisting of businesses that have signed up to the network and paid a registration fee, but there are not any qualifications that they must hold or achieve. Silver partners are the next tier up. There are requirements for this tier which include three customer references, a minimum of two Microsoft Certified Professionals within the business, passing a licencing overview assessment as well as sales & marketing competency assessment. The top tier is a Microsoft Gold Partner. To achieve this status requires 5 customer references, a minimum of two Microsoft Certified Professionals within the business, participation in the Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) Index and they must also pass the licencing overview and sales & marketing assessments.
Choosing a Silver or Gold Azure Partner means that you are benefitting from working with a business that has undergone an approval process with Microsoft.
The Benefits of Working with an Azure Partner
The benefits of working with an Azure Partner include:
- Up to date expertise
- Experience
- Qualification
- Relationship with Azure
In this blog we look at these benefits in greater detail, particularly in reference to partners of Silver and Gold level.
Up To Date Expertise
Azure Partners are required to hold certain certifications, therefore, you can be assured that they have demonstrated their competency in Azure. Partners undertake certifications to prove that they are up to date with the current Azure technology to create the right system for your needs.
Experience
Another important benefit working with an Azure Partner brings is their experience. As they must receive multiple customer reviews of their work you can be assured that they have experience working with Azure technology. They can utilise this experience in your project as they bring their learning into all the projects they undertake.
Qualification
As discussed earlier, Azure Partners undertake qualifications to become Partners. This means that Partners will invest in the training and development of their employees to meet this standard.
Relationship with Azure
As an Azure Partner, businesses have a direct relationship with Azure. They have a dedicated contact at Microsoft to address any queries and there are also resources and training available to Azure Partners which they can use to improve their expertise.
Conclusion
By undertaking a cloud project with an Azure Partner, you are benefitting from their expertise and experience whilst also having the reassurance that they are a company which Azure have verified (excluding certified tier businesses).
Another option you should consider, if you have not already, is what cloud platform suits your needs. Our blog on AWS Vs Azure discusses the differences in the two major players in the cloud platform industry.
If you are looking to choose between using Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services (AWS) for your cloud system, then take a look at our blog on The Benefits of Working with an AWS Partner.
