Microsoft Partner - what Gold and Silver status mean
innobit has been a Microsoft partner for quite some time. Since our specialization in Microsoft products in 1998, we have accompanied over 50 companies and organizations in Switzerland and southern Germany on their path to digitalization - often over many years. Today, our expertise is certified by Microsoft in 7 categories, among others.
In Switzerland, Microsoft cooperates with 4,600 partners (as of 2020). Many specialize in certain industries, regions or company sizes, which limits the number of competitors. And yet: getting an overview of these categories would be an enormous challenge.
In addition, the skills, products and experience of a provider are of the utmost importance. The Microsoft partner categories help with this differentiation. Not only do they use short keywords to describe the area in which an IT partner is proficient; the Gold and Silver grades also show the level of expertise.
An example of the gradations of the gold and silver awards
innobit is a Gold Partner in the categories
- Application Development
- Cloud Platform
- Cloud Productivity
- Collaboration & Content
This means that we have demonstrated "outstanding expertise" in these areas in customer projects. Through regular exchanges, Microsoft is able to reliably categorize these areas, which ensures the high quality standards.
We were able to achieve the silver rating for the data center and messaging categories, which Microsoft sees as proof of the high consistency of skills, expertise and commitment.
Knowing your IT partner's awards is particularly interesting if you are considering a project that covers several of these categories. You should be able to rely on all important aspects being taken into account and prioritized correctly.
Do I need a partner for my IT project?
Of course, hiring an external IT partner is not compulsory. But it often makes sense, as you can benefit from their expertise in the long term and save valuable time and money. Especially if you have a competent IT team, the best way to support them is to allow them to learn from specialists.
Gardening is a fitting analogy: property owners usually know best what the soil is like and which plants need intensive care. They do a lot of the work themselves, and yet quite a few gardeners are hired to help with the basic structures from time to time.
For another group of property owners, the situation may be somewhat different: gardening is not their passion and they do not see it as their core competence. Nevertheless, they enjoy spending time in a structured, practical and beautiful garden and place the construction and maintenance entirely in the hands of a capable gardener.
The team can continue to apply what they have learned internally, which increases efficiency and minimizes errors.
The Microsoft Gold status of an IT partner brings these benefits for customers
Partner status is a figurehead, but not only that. We do our best to let all customers benefit from our successes to date.
This includes various aspects, such as
- A direct line to Microsoft: Thanks to our close cooperation with Microsoft Switzerland, the right contacts in various areas of expertise are part of our network, which also benefits you as a customer.
- Benefit from the latest developments: As soon as trends emerge, we conduct research and can pass on important information to you at an early stage. This is essential, especially in the context of digital workplace environments.
- Free workshops on various topics: For customers of partners, Microsoft sponsors workshops on selected topics with these partners.
- Joint events. Stay on the ball with events that provide you with the most important information at first hand.
- To incorporate additional expertise directly from Microsoft free of charge .
Tips for making the right decision
When choosing an IT partner, the first thing you are likely to consider is their technical expertise. It is not an easy task to find these from the large pool of providers. You can use these 3 steps to help you:
1. formulate your own requirements
'We want a more modern IT environment' is a frequently heard phrase. But what exactly does this mean for you? Which functions and applications do you need? Do you need to handle sensitive data? How many parties are involved?
The more precisely you formulate for yourself and for potential partners where you want to go, the faster you can narrow down the circle of suitable providers.
2. research
The better informed you are, the easier it is to assess which IT partner is right for you. References are always a good starting point here, but the knowledge base that is made publicly available also reflects the commitment and expertise. And perhaps you know someone in your network who can provide independent information?
3. ask questions
Be it because something is unclear to you or because you want to test the knowledge of a potential partner. With targeted questions and the reactions to them, you will quickly realize who is the right partner for you.
You can now understand why partner awards are more than just a 'medal' that you pin on yourself. Microsoft is keen to highlight competencies that make it easier for you to recognize technical differences. This allows you to better assess whether a potential IT provider has the right skills for your project and avoid costs caused by unnecessary mistakes.
We are proud to be a Gold Partner and see it as an additional incentive to continue living our passion. And of course we look forward to hearing from you!
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