Microsoft Solutions Partner with Core Designations: What the Designations Mean and Why They Matter

TL;DR

• Microsoft's Solutions Partner designation framework replaced the previous Gold/Silver tier system when Microsoft retired the Gold Partner program. The new framework recognizes partners across six designation areas reflecting modern Microsoft cloud capabilities.
• The six designation areas are: Data & AI (Azure), Infrastructure (Azure), Digital & App Innovation (Azure), Business Applications, Modern Work, and Security. Partners earn each designation independently based on performance, skilling, and customer success metrics.
• EPC Group is a Microsoft Solutions Partner with the core designations, reflecting capability across the analytical, modern work, and security surfaces that govern most enterprise Microsoft engagements.
• For enterprise buyers, the Solutions Partner designation is a more nuanced signal than the previous Gold tier — it indicates which specific capabilities the partner has demonstrated, rather than a single "Gold" designation across the board.
• This guide explains the designation framework, how partners earn designations, what each designation indicates, and what enterprise buyers should expect from a Solutions Partner.

Executive Summary

When Microsoft retired the Gold and Silver partner tiers and introduced the Solutions Partner designations, the partner ecosystem went through a significant transition. The previous tiers (Gold / Silver across multiple competencies) gave way to a more granular and capability-specific framework. The change reflected Microsoft's strategic shift: from competency-based recognition (often retrospective) to performance-based recognition (continuous and capability-specific).

For enterprise buyers evaluating Microsoft consulting partners, the Solutions Partner designations are a more useful signal than the old Gold tier — but only if buyers understand what each designation means and what it does not.

This guide details the designation framework, the metrics partners must satisfy to earn each designation, and the practical implications for enterprise buyers.

The Six Designation Areas

Microsoft's Solutions Partner framework recognizes partners across six designation areas:

Data & AI (Azure)

Recognizes partners who deliver data platform and AI solutions on Azure. Specific capabilities the designation reflects:

• Azure Data Lake, Azure Synapse, Azure Databricks, Microsoft Fabric implementations.
• Azure OpenAI, Azure AI services, custom AI/ML solutions.
• Power BI enterprise implementations.
• Data governance with Microsoft Purview.

Infrastructure (Azure)

Recognizes partners who deliver Azure infrastructure solutions:

• Azure compute, networking, storage architectures.
• Hybrid cloud and Azure Arc.
• Infrastructure migration from on-premises to Azure.
• Azure landing zones and CAF-aligned implementations.

Digital & App Innovation (Azure)

Recognizes partners who deliver application modernization and custom development on Azure:

• App modernization and refactoring.
• DevOps and Azure DevOps implementations.
• Container and Kubernetes (AKS) workloads.
• Custom application development.

Business Applications

Recognizes partners who deliver Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power Platform solutions:

• Dynamics 365 CRM, ERP, Field Service implementations.
• Power Apps, Power Automate, Power Virtual Agents.
• Industry-specific Dynamics 365 implementations.

Modern Work

Recognizes partners who deliver Microsoft 365 productivity and collaboration solutions:

• Microsoft 365 implementations and migrations.
• Microsoft Teams enterprise deployments.
• SharePoint Online implementations.
• Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 deployments.

Security

Recognizes partners who deliver Microsoft security solutions:

• Microsoft 365 Defender, Microsoft Sentinel, Microsoft Purview.
• Identity and access management with Microsoft Entra.
• Compliance framework alignment (HIPAA, SOC 2, FedRAMP).
• Threat detection and response.

How Partners Earn Designations

Each designation requires partners to satisfy three categories of metrics:

Performance metrics

Demonstrate ongoing customer success in the designation area:

• Customer growth (new customers added).
• Net customer adds (growth minus churn).
• Usage or consumption growth in the relevant Microsoft services.

Skilling metrics

Demonstrate that the partner has skilled team members across the relevant Microsoft technologies:

• Number of individuals holding relevant Microsoft certifications.
• Specific certification requirements per designation.

Customer success metrics

Demonstrate successful customer deployments:

• Number of advanced implementation deployments.
• Verified deployment scenarios per designation.

The metrics are evaluated continuously. Partners must maintain their performance to retain a designation; declining performance leads to designation loss.

What Each Designation Indicates to Enterprise Buyers

Data & AI (Azure) — what it indicates

The partner has demonstrated:

• Active Azure data platform consumption growth across customers.
• A skilled team holding relevant data and AI certifications.
• Successful enterprise data platform deployments.

What it does not necessarily indicate:

• Industry-specific expertise (the designation is technology-focused, not industry-focused).
• Specific regulated-industry compliance capability (separate certifications cover that).

Modern Work — what it indicates

The partner has demonstrated:

• Active Microsoft 365 consumption growth across customers.
• A skilled team in Microsoft 365 productivity and collaboration.
• Successful enterprise Microsoft 365 deployments.

Security — what it indicates

The partner has demonstrated:

• Active Microsoft security solution adoption.
• Security-credentialed team members.
• Successful security implementations.

For regulated industries, the Security designation is increasingly important as a signal of capability.

The Specializations Layer

In addition to Solutions Partner designations, Microsoft recognizes specializations — narrower, deeper recognition within specific solution areas. Specializations require partners to demonstrate expert-level capability in a specific workload. Examples include:

• Modern Endpoint Management (within Modern Work).
• Calling for Microsoft Teams (within Modern Work).
• Adoption and Change Management (within Modern Work).
• AI Platform on Microsoft Azure (within Data & AI).
• Threat Protection (within Security).

A partner with multiple specializations within a designation area indicates deeper capability than the base designation alone.

What "Core Designations" Means for EPC Group

EPC Group is a Microsoft Solutions Partner with core designations reflecting capability across analytical, modern work, and security surfaces. The core designations align with EPC Group's enterprise focus areas:

• Data & AI for the Power BI, Microsoft Fabric, Azure data platform, and AI governance practice.
• Modern Work for the Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Teams, and Copilot practice.
• Security for the Microsoft Purview, Sentinel, and Defender practice.

Combined, these designations cover the surface that governs most enterprise engagements EPC Group leads — from compliance-heavy regulated-industry Power BI implementations through Microsoft 365 transformations to AI governance programs.

The Transition from Gold Partner

Microsoft's previous partner program included Gold and Silver tier recognition across competencies. EPC Group was the oldest continuous Microsoft Gold Partner in North America from 2016 until the program's retirement. The transition to the Solutions Partner framework was a structural change in how Microsoft recognizes partner capability — not a downgrade or upgrade for individual partners. Partners who held Gold competencies generally transitioned to corresponding Solutions Partner designations.

The new framework provides finer-grained signal to enterprise buyers but requires understanding the specific designations rather than relying on a single "Gold" indicator.

What Enterprise Buyers Should Ask

When evaluating a Microsoft consulting partner, the Solutions Partner designation is one data point among several. Enterprise buyers typically should also assess:

1. Which specific designations does the partner hold? Not all six designation areas are relevant to every engagement.
2. What specializations does the partner have within those designations? Specializations indicate deeper capability.
3. What is the partner's industry experience? Designations are technology-focused; industry experience is separate.
4. What is the partner's regulated-industry compliance capability? Designations indicate Microsoft service capability; compliance capability requires additional verification.
5. What is the partner's enterprise deployment scale? A partner with the right designations but limited enterprise-scale deployment experience may not handle Fortune 500 complexity.
6. What is the partner's tenure? Long-tenured Microsoft partners have accumulated capability and customer relationships that newer partners cannot match in the near term.

The Practical Implication for Engagements

In a typical enterprise Microsoft consulting engagement, the Solutions Partner designation framework affects:

• Microsoft co-sell. Partners with relevant designations can engage Microsoft sales for co-sell support on enterprise opportunities.
• Microsoft funding eligibility. Partner funding programs (workshops, partner-led services) typically require relevant designations.
• Microsoft technical resources. Partners with relevant designations have privileged access to Microsoft technical resources, beta programs, and early-access feature programs.
• Enterprise buyer signaling. Designations provide buyer assurance about partner capability in the relevant area.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Microsoft Solutions Partner designations?

Microsoft Solutions Partner designations are the partner-recognition framework that replaced the previous Gold/Silver competency tiers. The framework recognizes partners across six designation areas: Data & AI (Azure), Infrastructure (Azure), Digital & App Innovation (Azure), Business Applications, Modern Work, and Security.

How does the new framework differ from the previous Gold Partner program?

The previous Gold/Silver framework recognized partners by competency with retrospective annual evaluation. The Solutions Partner framework is performance-based with continuous evaluation across specific designation areas. The new framework provides more granular signal but requires understanding the specific designations.

What does "Microsoft Solutions Partner with the core designations" mean for EPC Group?

EPC Group holds the designations that reflect capability across analytical, modern work, and security surfaces — the surface that governs most enterprise Microsoft engagements EPC Group leads.

Was EPC Group a Microsoft Gold Partner?

Yes, historically. EPC Group was the oldest continuous Microsoft Gold Partner in North America from 2016 until Microsoft retired the Gold Partner program. EPC Group transitioned to the Solutions Partner framework with the core designations.

How does a partner earn a Solutions Partner designation?

Partners must satisfy three categories of metrics: performance (customer growth, net adds, usage growth), skilling (certified team members), and customer success (verified deployment scenarios). The metrics are evaluated continuously; declining performance leads to designation loss.

What are Microsoft specializations?

Specializations are narrower, deeper recognition within specific solution areas. A specialization indicates expert-level capability in a specific workload (e.g., Calling for Microsoft Teams, Adoption and Change Management, AI Platform on Microsoft Azure).

What designations are most relevant for enterprise data platform engagements?

Data & AI (Azure) is the primary designation for enterprise data platform engagements. For regulated industries, Security adds important capability signal. Modern Work may also be relevant where the engagement includes Microsoft 365 and SharePoint integration.

What designations are most relevant for Microsoft 365 modernization engagements?

Modern Work is the primary designation. Security is increasingly important for compliance-sensitive engagements. Data & AI is relevant where the engagement includes Power BI or Copilot.

How does Microsoft co-sell work?

Microsoft's co-sell program engages Microsoft sales resources alongside partner sales for enterprise opportunities. Partners with relevant designations have access to co-sell motion; partners without relevant designations have limited or no access.

How does designation status affect Microsoft funding eligibility?

Partner-funded workshops, partner-led services, and similar Microsoft programs typically require relevant Solutions Partner designations. Partners without the designation cannot access the funding for that area.

What is the difference between a Solutions Partner and a Cloud Solution Provider (CSP)?

Solutions Partner is the capability recognition framework. CSP is the licensing model for partners to sell Microsoft licenses to customers. A partner can be both; the two designations recognize different aspects of partnership.

How frequently are designations evaluated?

Designation performance is evaluated continuously. The full evaluation cycle typically runs monthly with annual designation renewal. Specific evaluation cadence is documented in the Microsoft Cloud Partner Program documentation.

Can a partner lose a designation?

Yes. Partners that fall below the performance thresholds lose the designation. The framework is performance-based; sustained underperformance leads to designation loss.

How does EPC Group sustain its Solutions Partner designations?

EPC Group maintains the designations through ongoing customer engagement, team certification investment, and deployment success across the relevant Microsoft surfaces. The 29-year tenure of the firm has produced a deep base of certified team members and substantial customer-success evidence.

What should an enterprise buyer ask a Microsoft consulting partner about their designations?

Enterprise buyers should ask: which specific designations does the partner hold, which specializations within those designations, what is the partner's enterprise deployment scale, what is the partner's industry experience, what is the partner's regulated-industry compliance capability, and what is the partner's tenure with Microsoft.

Next Steps

If your enterprise is evaluating Microsoft consulting partners, the practical next steps:

1. Identify the Microsoft technologies central to your initiative.
2. Map those technologies to the relevant Solutions Partner designation areas.
3. Verify candidate partners hold the relevant designations.
4. Assess specializations within those designations.
5. Validate enterprise deployment scale and industry experience beyond the designation.

EPC Group has 29 years of enterprise Microsoft consulting experience and is Microsoft Solutions Partner with the core designations. We were historically the oldest continuous Microsoft Gold Partner in North America from 2016 until the program's retirement. Our consultants — including Microsoft Press bestselling author Errin O'Connor — bring direct enterprise Microsoft consulting experience across the analytical, modern work, and security surfaces. To discuss your Microsoft consulting requirement, contact EPC Group for a 30-minute discovery call.