Social Impact a Focus of the 2021 Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards
Social impact is a major focus of the 2021 Microsoft Partner of the Year awards.
In an annual ritual preceding the Microsoft Inspire partner conference, Microsoft on Thursday unveiled the finalists and winners in 56 global categories and for 108 country-level awards (see the full list of winners below). Microsoft Inspire, a virtual event for the second year in a row because of the pandemic, takes place next Wednesday and Thursday.
Microsoft selected from 4,400 entries, up from about 3,300 submissions the year before.
Microsoft Channel Chief Rodney Clark called out the creation of a new super category of awards this year, called Social Impact. That super category joins other major groupings including Azure, Modern Work & Security, Business Applications, Business Excellence and Industry.
"We've evolved our awards this year to really reflect things that are most important to the company, and these are things that are impacting the world around us," Clark said of the Social Impact category in an interview Thursday.
"Last year was our first foray and step into that area where we had our first-ever Community Response award. That was to recognize partners who were building solutions that were directed at COVID response. As the pandemic continued, we decided that we wanted to actually broaden that category, and create an overall category that we call the Social Impact category," said Clark, whose formal title is corporate vice president of Global Partner Solutions, Channel Sales, and who will be participating in his first Inspire as channel chief since taking over the post in April.
For 2021, the Social Impact super category includes three awards -- Community Response, Inclusion Changemaker and a brand-new award aligned to Microsoft's recent sustainability pledges called Sustainability Changemaker. Clark said the category could be expanded next year with other awards, on topics such as accessibility.
"We've evolved our awards this year to really reflect things that are most important to the company, and these are things that are impacting the world around us."
Rodney Clark, Corporate Vice President of Global Partner Solutions, Channel Sales, Microsoft
The Inclusion Changemaker winner in 2021, Catalyte, is a Baltimore-based company that uses artificial intelligence to discover people with potential to be successful in the technology industry but who aren't in places or from backgrounds that typically produce software engineers. An apprenticeship program helps the people identified by Catalyte's algorithms to develop their tech skills.
"We're proud to be aligning efforts with [Microsoft] to create more opportunities for people historically excluded from the industry to advance their careers and become the next generation of amazing software engineers," said Catalyte CEO Jacob Hsu in a statement.
Clark highlighted how Catalyte demonstrates the potential of a few specific Microsoft technologies. "The beauty of that is that it is putting the power of things like Power Platform technologies in leveraging AI to help make those decisions, and it's creating opportunities for people that otherwise wouldn't have a chance to work in either high tech, or for companies who are hiring more of these technical specialists," he said.
Other Social Impact winners included:
- Schneider Electric, which won Sustainability Changemaker for its EcoStruxure IoT platform that leverages Azure, Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365. In a project involving a new smart headquarters for a global real estate firm, EcoStruxure helped reduce energy use by 30 percent.
- uPlanner, which won Community Response for public university digital transformation projects that helped the Peruvian educational system adapt to the pandemic using Azure and other Microsoft technologies.
Here is the full list of winners and finalists for 2021:
Azure
AI
- Winner: Icertis (United States)
- Finalist: BLUE PRISM LIMITED and LATEETUD
- Finalist: VU Security
- Finalist: Wipro Technologies (Global HQ)
Analytics
- Winner: Capgemini (France)
- Finalist: Adastra Corporation
- Finalist: InSpark
- Finalist: Qlik
Cloud Native App Development
- Winner: FIXER Inc. (Japan)
- Finalist: BrainScale Inc.
- Finalist: Kainos
- Finalist: TIBCO Software
Internet of Things
- Winner: Swisscom (Schweiz) AG (Switzerland)
- Finalist: Delta Electronics Inc.
- Finalist: Rockwell Automation Inc.
- Finalist: RXR Realty
Migration to Azure
- Winner: Insight (United States)
- Finalist: Accenture/Avanade
- Finalist: Codec
- Finalist: IBM-Alliance
Mixed Reality
- Winner: PTC (United States)
- Finalist: Bentley Systems Incorporated
- Finalist: KognitivSpark
- Finalist: SoftwareHut Sp. z o.o.
Modernizing Applications
- Winner: Wipro Technologies (India)
- Finalist: BIRLASOFT LIMITED
- Finalist: Unify Cloud LLC
- Finalist: WinWire Technologies
OSS on Azure
- Winner: HashiCorp (United States)
- Finalist: Canonical
Rising Azure Technology
SAP on Azure
- Winner: Accenture/Avanade (United States)
- Finalist: All for One Group SE
- Finalist: Infosys Limited
- Finalist: Protiviti
Business Applications
Dynamics 365 Business Central
- Winner: Websan (Canada)
- Finalist: Bam Boom Cloud
- Finalist: Binary Stream Software Inc.
- Finalist: COSMO CONSULT Spain SAU
Dynamics 365 Commerce
- Winner: RSM Product Sales LLC (United States)
- Finalist: Sunrise Technologies_pc
- Finalist: Thinkmax
- Finalist: Visionet Systems Inc.
Dynamics 365 Customer Insights
- Winner: Accenture/Avanade (United States)
- Finalist: Avtex Solutions LLC
- Finalist: Neal Analytics
Dynamics 365 Customer Service
- Winner: Accenture/Avanade (United States)
- Finalist: Hitachi Solutions America Ltd.
- Finalist: Infosys Limited
- Finalist: NTTDATA Philippines Inc.
Dynamics 365 Field Service
Dynamics 365 Marketing
- Winner: Avtex, a TTEC Digital Company (United States)
- Finalist: Coffee & Dunn Inc.
- Finalist: Hitachi Solutions America Ltd.
- Finalist: PowerObjects
Dynamics 365 Sales
- Winner: eLogic (United States)
- Finalist: Accenture/Avanade
- Finalist: Hitachi Solutions Asia Pacific Pte Ltd.
- Finalist: PowerObjects
Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management & Finance
- Winner: Accenture/Avanade (United States)
- Finalist: Arbela Technologies
- Finalist: HSO
- Finalist: RSM Product Sales LLC
Power Apps and Power Automate
- Winner: Ernst & Young LLP (United States)
- Finalist: AIS
- Finalist: Barhead Solutions Australia
- Finalist: OnePlanSolutions
Power BI
- Winner: MAQ Software (United States)
- Finalist: BlueGranite Inc.
- Finalist: Cognizant
- Finalist: Slalom
Modern Work & Security
Apps & Solutions for Microsoft Teams
- Winner: Adobe Inc. (United States)
- Finalist: Ernst & Young LLP
- Finalist: Rapid Circle
- Finalist: TeamViewer
Employee Experience
- Winner: Accenture/Avanade (United States)
- Finalist: Adopt & Embrace
- Finalist: ClearPeople
- Finalist: WM Reply
Meetings, Calling, & Devices for Microsoft Teams
- Winner: UnifiedCommunications.com (United States)
- Finalist: MODALITY
- Finalist: Orange Business Services SA
- Finalist: SYMITY LTD
Modern Endpoint Management
- Winner: Mobile Mentor (New Zealand)
- Finalist: Quadrasystems.net (India) P Ltd
- Finalist: Rapid Circle
- Finalist: TC1 Labs
Modern Workplace for Frontline Workers
- Winner: Campana & Schott (Germany)
- Finalist: Akari Solutions
- Finalist: Engage Squared Pty Ltd.
- Finalist: Rapid Circle
Modern Workplace for SMB
- Winner: WeSafe IT (Sweden)
- Finalist: Be-Cloud
- Finalist: Calibre One
- Finalist: SOFTCREATE CORP.
OEM Device
- Winner: Tactus Ltd. (United Kingdom)
- Finalist: Poly
- Finalist: Wortmann AG
OEM Device Distributor/Reseller
- Winner: SYNAXON AG (Germany)
- Finalist: Bechtle Centers of Excellence (non-DACH)
- Finalist: CDW Corporation
- Finalist: Data#3 Limited
Project & Portfolio Management
- Winner: OnePlan Solutions (United States)
- Finalist: Innovative-e Inc.
- Finalist: ProActive A/S
- Finalist: Prosperi
Security
- Winner: Bulletproof (Canada)
- Finalist: Delphi Consulting
- Finalist: NeWay Technologies Inc.
- Finalist: Quorum
Surface Hub Reseller
- Winner: SHI International Corp (United States)
- Finalist: AVI-SPL
- Finalist: DataVision Deutschland GmbH
- Finalist: Yorktel
Surface PC Reseller
- Winner: Computacenter UK Ltd. (United Kingdom)
- Finalist: CANCOM GmbH
- Finalist: Northern Micro, a division of Converge Technology Solutions
- Finalist: Uchida Spectrum Inc.
Industry
Automotive
- Winner: Accenture/Avanade (United States)
- Finalist: Annata
- Finalist: Pricewaterhousecoopers LLP
- Finalist: PTC
Defense & Intelligence
- Winner: Thales (Australia)
- Finalist: CloudFit Software
- Finalist: Kognitiv Spark
- Finalist: Myriad Technologies
Education
- Winner: Classera (Saudi Arabia)
- Finalist: Alfa Connections Sdn Bhd
- Finalist: Ergo
- Finalist: EY DnA Australia
Energy
- Winner: AVEVA (United States)
- Finalist: Accenture/Avanade
- Finalist: Bentley Systems Incorporated
- Finalist: Ernst & Young LLP
Financial Services
- Winner: Capgemini (France)
- Finalist: NICE
- Finalist: Shift Technology
- Finalist: Zafin
Government
Health Care
- Winner: Quisitive (United States)
- Finalist: Perficient Inc.
- Finalist: SOPHiA GENETICS
- Finalist: WinWire Technologies
Manufacturing
- Winner: Blue Yonder Software (United States)
- Finalist: Accenture/Avanade
- Finalist: PTC
- Finalist: Sight Machine Inc.
Media & Communications
- Winner: Pricewaterhousecoopers LLP (United States)
- Finalist: Accenture/Avanade
- Finalist: MediaKind
- Finalist: Tech Mahindra Limited
Nonprofit
- Winner: Wipfli LLP (United States)
- Finalist: Accenture/Avanade
- Finalist: Bremmar Consulting
- Finalist: m-hance Ltd.
Retail & Consumer Goods
- Winner: Sitecore USA Inc. (Denmark)
- Finalist: Blue Yonder Software
- Finalist: Sunrise Technologies_pc
- Finalist: Tata Consultancy Services Ltd.
Social Impact
Community Response
- Winner: uPlanner (Peru)
- Finalist: Barhead Solutions Australia
- Finalist: Quisitive
- Finalist: SoftwareONE Ecuador and InterGrupo (IG Services S.A.S)
Inclusion Changemaker
- Winner: CATALYTE (United States)
- Finalist: FUNCTION 1 TECNOLOGIA CORPORATIVA LTDA - ME
- Finalist: Future Worx
- Finalist: Millennium I.T.E.S.P. Pvt Ltd.
Sustainability Changemaker
Business Excellence
Advisory Services
- Winner: Ernst & Young LLP (United States)
- Finalist: KPMG
- Finalist: Pricewaterhousecoopers LLP
Commercial Marketplace
- Winner: F5 (United States)
- Finalist: Barracuda Networks
- Finalist: LawToolBox Main Office
- Finalist: Mint Group
Customer Experience
- Winner: NetApp (United States)
- Finalist: EXCLAIMER LTD
- Finalist: Quadrasystems.net (India) P Ltd.
Global Independent Software Vendor
- Winner: Blue Yonder Software (United States)
- Finalist: Icertis
- Finalist: Johnson Controls
- Finalist: MediaKind
Global SI
- Winner: Accenture/Avanade (United States)
- Finalist: Cognizant
- Finalist: Tata Consultancy Services Ltd.
Global SI Digital Transformation
- Winner: Capgemini (France)
- Finalist: Accenture/Avanade
- Finalist: Tata Consultancy Services Ltd.
Indirect Provider
- Winner: Tech Data (United States)
- Finalist: Dicker Data New Zealand
- Finalist: Ingram Micro Cloud
- Finalist: Velosio
Learning
- Winner: Trainocate (Singapore)
- Finalist: Spectrum Networks DMCC
Microsoft for Startups
- Winner: Hyro (United States)
- Finalist: CadDo
- Finalist: Uncrowd
- Finalist: Userlane
Solution Assessments
- Winner: Insight (Australia)
- Finalist: Delphi Consulting
- Finalist: LOGICALIS
- Finalist: Neudesic
Award Winners: Country/Region
Posted by Scott Bekker on July 08, 2021