Beginning in 2010, Microsoft Partner Network (MPN) was where everything happened. It was where Microsoft tracked, measured, and rewarded partners. It also included competencies, advanced learning, incentives, and customer tracking.
In March 2022, Microsoft announced a big change: MPN was being decommissioned, and Microsoft Cloud Partner Program (MCPP) would be taking its place. As Microsoft put it, this was an effort to simplify the company’s partner program offering and align to how Microsoft goes to market. So what is MCPP? Let’s take a look.
What is MCPP?
MCPP is the newest program set to track partners, measure their success, and qualify and reward them as Solution Partners across seven different designation groups. This means different things for partners currently enrolled in Silver and Gold Competencies versus those striving to meet competency requirements (and for what it’s worth, Action Pack will remain unchanged).
The biggest change partners should anticipate is the move from Competencies to Solutions Partners. Microsoft has grouped all existing competencies into six different Solution Partner categories. The purpose of differentiating between these new categories is to identify partners who are highly experienced in each of Microsoft’s Cloud solution areas. Here’s a breakdown:
The Path to Solution Partner
Solution Partner designations now come with a new set of qualification requirements. Most AppRiver partners fall under the Modern Work Solution Partner designation. Let’s look at the requirements:
To qualify for a Solution Partner designation, you must achieve 70+ points of the possible 100 points.
Performance Metrics – possible 20 points
Each net new customer add gives partners 2 points, for a maximum of 20 points over a trailing 12-month period. Customers churning will negatively impact the score by 2 points.
*Net new customers = net new to the partner, not net new cloud tenants as it was for legacy Small and Midmarket competency (CSP transfers qualify)
Skilling Requirement – possible 25 points
Partners can make up the 25 points by attaining 2 Intermediate Certifications such as MS900 and 1 Advanced Certification (Microsoft 365 Certified: Enterprise Administrator Expert: Exam MS-100)
Customer Growth & Success – possible 55 points
Usage Growth Requirement (30 points): 2,000 Monthly Average User (MAU) growth in the trailing 12 months (TTM)
Deployment Requirements (25 points): 10 new deployments in the trailing 12 months (TTM)
When Are These Changes Happening?
The migration from MPN to MCPP is not happening overnight. This way, partners have the opportunity to achieve the new requirements that have been put in place while continuing to reap the benefits of their current competency and incentive program.
Key Dates to Look Out For
October 2022: By October, all legacy Competencies are set to be replaced with the new Solution Partner Designations. Partners currently on Legacy Competencies will have the choice to renew their Legacy Benefits for another year upon reaching their renewal date or to activate the new Designations.
September 30, 2022: Last day to enroll in legacy Silver or Gold competencies and receive a full 12 months of benefits, including incentives.
September 2023: Last month for Legacy Competency holders to receive incentives & rebates.
Changes to Microsoft’s partner program will continue to unfold over the next several months. Our team is available to discuss new program nuances with you any time. If you’d like to meet with our experts, schedule a meeting here.
This guest blog is courtesy of OpenText, parent of Webroot and AppRiver. Read more Webroot guest blogs here. Regularly contributed guest blogs are part of ChannelE2E’s sponsorship program.
