Microsoft announced a new competency for Microsoft partners based on Office 365 and Azure.
Three different competencies are available:
- Small and Midmarket Cloud Solutions: for partners selling Microsoft Office 365 to small and Midmarket customers
- Cloud Productivity: for partners deploying Microsoft Office 365 for enterprise customers
- Cloud Platform: for partners who specialize in delivering infrastructure and SaaS solutions on Microsoft Azure
The new cloud performance competencies will be available to partners in September 2014.
I had a quick look at the Cloud Platform competency. More information here.
To obtain the Cloud Platform competency two levesl are available : silver and gold. Each having different benefits and requirements.
The requirement is to pass an assessment. The assessment is taken online using a test with 68 questions. You can take the test as many times as you like. Questions are pretty easy. To prepare there is a kind of course showing the objectives. This ‘course’ is actually nothing more than a collection of links to Azure information in the internet. Mind you need to disable pop-ups as you will see many new browser screens.
For the silver status an organization must meet the requirements below.
1. Pass the technical assessment
One individual must pass one of the following:Technical Assessment for Using Microsoft Azure for Datacenter Solutions
Technical Assessment for Datacenter and Data Platform
Technical Assessment for Using Microsoft Azure for Application Development
2. Provide customer evidence
Your organization must have three customer references that feature how, within the previous 12 months, you have provided solutions based on the products and technologies associated with this competency. After a reference has been approved by your customer and by Microsoft, it can be used toward earning or renewing a competency for up to two years. Review a sample customer reference email that can be used for customer references for this competency.
3. Meet a sales goal
You must demonstrate US$25,000 Microsoft Azure customer consumption and/or Azure partner EA consumption (developed markets), or US$15,000 Azure customer consumption and/or Azure partner EA consumption (developing markets), within the previous 12 months.
4. Silver competency fee
To help you invest in your future, this silver competency fee is no cost (through June 30, 2015)
For the gold status organizations need:
Two individuals passing one of the mentioned assessments, 5 customer references, demonstrate US$100,000 Microsoft Azure customer consumption , pay the Gold Competency fee (2800 GBP)
