When a Microsoft Partner says 'we're a Solutions Partner with a Specialisation,' most buyers nod and move on. The terms sound meaningful. What they rarely do is ask what those words actually require, which is a problem, because the difference between a partner with the badge and a partner who's earned it is meaningful, and it affects your risk.
Microsoft's partner programme was overhauled in 2022. The old Gold/Silver model was retired. In its place: Solutions Partner designations, Specialisations, and Expert programs. This guide explains the hierarchy, what each level demands, and which questions to put to any prospective partner before you contract.
The Solutions Partner designation
Solutions Partner is the base credential. It replaces Gold. There are six solution areas: Modern Work, Security, Azure Infrastructure, Digital and App Innovation, Data and AI, and Business Applications. A partner achieves a designation by accumulating enough points across three categories, performance (net new customer growth), skilling (certified individuals), and customer success (deployment and usage scores from your existing clients).
The minimum threshold is 70 points. The maximum is 100. A partner sitting at 72 technically holds the same badge as one sitting at 97, which is the first thing buyers miss. Ask for the point score, not just the badge.
- Performance points: measured by how many new customers are adopting Microsoft workloads through the partner. A partner with a thin customer base scores low here regardless of individual expertise.
- Skilling points: each certified employee in relevant Microsoft certifications adds to the score. Certifications have expiry dates, ask how many are current.
- Customer success points: derived from actual deployment and usage data that Microsoft pulls from tenant telemetry. This is the hardest category to game.
Specialisations, the layer above
Specialisations are earned on top of a Solutions Partner designation. They require a separate audit, proof of reference customers, and in-depth skilling in a specific product area. For Microsoft 365 and managed services buyers, the relevant Specialisations are: Adoption and Change Management, Calling for Microsoft Teams, Meetings and Meeting Rooms for Microsoft Teams, and Teamwork Deployment.
A Specialisation means Microsoft has independently audited the partner's methodology, reviewed reference customers, and verified that certified staff actually delivered the work. It's a higher bar than the designation alone. A partner can hold a Modern Work Solutions Partner designation without a single Specialisation. Most mid-tier Australian MSPs are in this situation.
Expert programs, the top of the stack
Above Specialisations sit two invitation-only programs: Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program Expert tier, and the FastTrack Ready program. FastTrack Ready partners have a direct programme relationship with Microsoft's FastTrack engineering team, which matters practically when you hit an issue Microsoft needs to resolve at the tenant level. Not every Solutions Partner has this. Ask directly: 'Are you FastTrack Ready, and what does that mean for our escalation path?'
The MVP question
Microsoft Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs) are awarded to individuals, not companies. An MVP is someone Microsoft has independently recognised for technical community contribution and deep product expertise. A company with MVPs on staff carries more substantive weight than one with certifications only. The distinction matters most at Tier 3, the platform-level, strategic work where certified-but-inexperienced staff run out of answers.
Ask: how many MVPs does the firm employ? What are their areas? Are those the areas you're buying services in? An MSP with five MVPs across Modern Work, Security, and Data is a different proposition to one with a single MVP in a non-relevant area.
Six questions to ask any prospective partner
- 1Which Solutions Partner designations do you currently hold, and what's your point score in the relevant area?
- 2Do you hold any Specialisations in the workloads covered by this engagement?
- 3How many current, relevant Microsoft certifications does the team delivering our account hold?
- 4Are you FastTrack Ready, and what does our Microsoft escalation path look like?
- 5How many Microsoft MVPs work at the firm, and in which areas?
- 6Can you show us a recent reference from a business of our size in our sector?
If a partner answers all six confidently and in writing, they're serious. If they deflect on the point score or can't name their MVPs, that tells you something.