Bekker's Blog

Blog archive

Microsoft Partner Network Country Qualifications Hit in October

For partners with practices in more than one country, Microsoft is making a significant change to its partner program qualifications.

Called "Country Qualification," the central idea is that for every country that a partner wants to brand itself as having a Microsoft Competency, the partner organization must meet all Competency requirements in that country.

So, say for example, a partner wants a Business Intelligence Gold Competency practice in both the United States and the United Kingdom. The partner would need to have full Competency infrastructure, such as Microsoft Certified Professionals, in both countries.

"If you have practices in more than one country, your organization is most likely impacted by this change. Please ensure you are ready to meet the Competency requirements in each Country where you want to market yourself as a branded Microsoft Competency partner," Microsoft Partner Network General Manager Julie Bennani wrote in a blog post this month.

Some smaller countries are grouped together, meaning partners with practices in Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America and Africa may be able to operate in several countries on a single Competency infrastructure.

The change goes into effect in October of this year.

Posted by Scott Bekker on May 23, 2013


Featured

  • World Map Image

    Microsoft Taps Nebius in $17B AI Infrastructure Deal To Alleviate Cloud Strain

    Microsoft has signed a five-year, $17.4 billion agreement with Amsterdam-based Nebius Group to expand its AI computing capabilities through third-party GPU infrastructure.

  • Microsoft Brings Copilot AI Into Viva Engage

    Microsoft 365 Copilot in Viva Engage is now generally available, extending Copilot's AI-powered assistant capabilities deeper into the Viva platform.

  • MIT Finds Only 1 in 20 AI Investments Translate into ROI

    Despite pouring billions into generative AI technologies, 95 percent of businesses have yet to see any measurable return on investment.

  • Report: Cost, Sustainability Drive DaaS Adoption Beyond Remote Work

    Gartner's 2025 Magic Quadrant for Desktop as a Service reveals that while secure remote access remains a key driver of DaaS adoption, a growing number of deployments now focus on broader efficiency goals.