Unlock the Power of Azure Expert MSP for Your Company

Azure Expert MSP is a game-changer for companies looking to maximize their Azure investment. With its comprehensive support and expertise, you can unlock the full potential of the Azure platform.

By achieving Azure Expert MSP status, your company gains access to a dedicated team of experts who have undergone rigorous training and have extensive experience in implementing and managing Azure solutions. This ensures that your organization receives top-notch support and guidance every step of the way.

With Azure Expert MSP, you can expect to see significant improvements in efficiency, scalability, and reliability, allowing your business to stay competitive in today's fast-paced market. By leveraging the expertise of an Azure Expert MSP, you can focus on what matters most - driving innovation and growth for your company.

The Azure Expert MSP Expert Program is a recent international initiative from Microsoft that aims to provide a spotlight for only the most competent and effective partners.

To become an Azure Expert MSP, a partner must demonstrate a deep understanding and knowledge of the organization, industry-leading service abilities, and excellent customer satisfaction.

This program is designed to elevate the most capable and knowledgeable Managed Service Providers, and help Microsoft customers find an MSP that can deliver the very best expertise and support for Cloud implementations.

Microsoft created the program to showcase a partner's expert knowledge in delivering the entire Cloud lifecycle, including Gold Cloud Platform competency status, customer references, a pre-audit assessment, and on-site audit.

There are over 100 partners that have been recognized by Microsoft as Azure Expert MSPs, including SaaSplaza, Cloud Direct, and Henson Group.

To become an Azure Expert MSP, a partner must meet the following requirements:

The Azure Expert MSP program is designed for partners who offer full lifecycle-managed services to customers, and is not suited for partners who offer or deliver managed services through an indirect channel.

Becoming an Azure Expert MSP is a significant achievement that comes with numerous benefits. You'll gain access to exclusive events and monthly calls with Azure engineering, which can help you stay up-to-date with the latest developments and best practices.

As a partner, you'll be able to differentiate yourself from the competition by earning an exclusive Azure Expert MSP badge, which will be displayed to Microsoft customers. This badge will also give you high priority in Microsoft's referral engine.

To become an Azure Expert MSP, you'll need to meet the following requirements:

You'll also need to undergo a multi-day audit, which will be conducted by a private auditing firm on behalf of Microsoft. If you pass the audit, you'll officially be an Azure Expert MSP. However, you should note that Azure Expert MSPs are evaluated again every year to ensure they continue to meet the highest standards.

An Azure Expert MSP brings years of IT experience to your organization, with industry-leading knowledge in areas like data storage, security and backups, server hosting, tech support, managed hosting, and risk and compliance.

Their expertise is essential in managing a complex cloud infrastructure like Azure, which demands extensive knowledge due to its hundreds of products and services.

An Azure MSP can help you rest easy knowing your cloud infrastructure is in good hands, as they have a deep understanding of the organization and industry-leading service abilities.

To become an Azure Expert MSP, you need to meet 8 essential requirements, including being an active member of the Gold Cloud Platform partner tier, having a high bar of Azure consumption revenue per month, and having an active Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) contract.

Here are the 8 requirements in detail:

An Azure Expert MSP must offer repeatable, highly automated solutions to enable and support hyper-scale cloud implementations, and their service follows an agile customer-driven design that mixes consultancy, migration, and management to evolve a customer from a “Design, Build, Operate” process to a dynamic “Design, Optimize, Transform” cycle.

Migration and Modernisation is a crucial aspect of Azure adoption. A botched migration can lead to extended downtime, security risks, and incomplete or lost data.

Partnering with an Azure Expert MSP can help you avoid these risks altogether. They oversee the entire migration process, from planning to execution.

The Microsoft Azure Migration and Modernisation Program is a closely aligned initiative with the Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework (CAF). This program promotes best practice and ensures migration success.

Migration and Modernisation is a crucial step in adopting Azure, and it's great that Microsoft has a program in place to ensure a smooth transition. This program is exclusively offered by Microsoft Partners with Azure Advanced Specialisations and Azure Expert MSPs.

The Microsoft Azure Migration and Modernisation Program is closely aligned to the Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework (CAF) to promote best practice and ensure migration success. This means that you can trust that the process will be handled with care and expertise.

A botched migration can lead to extended downtime, security risks, and incomplete or lost data, which is why partnering with an Azure Expert MSP is a wise decision. They can oversee the entire migration process, from planning to execution.

Here are some potential risks of a botched migration:

By working with an Azure migration specialist, you can avoid these risks altogether and ensure a seamless migration to Azure.

The Customer Evidence Phase is a crucial step in the Azure Expert MSP application process. This phase involves submitting proof of successful customer engagements to demonstrate the partner's expertise and impact.

Partners must submit evidence of four customer engagements, which should highlight significant achievements and positive outcomes from using Azure services. At least one of these references must be a public reference with a published case study showcasing the partner's ability to deliver high-quality Azure solutions.

The remaining three references must be Win Wires, internal documents used by Microsoft to capture and share details of successful customer engagements. These documents are an essential part of the application process, providing a clear record of the partner's achievements.

Customer references must be for engagements started no longer than twelve months before the Azure Expert MSP program application date. This ensures that the evidence submitted is up-to-date and relevant to the application process.

The Audit Phase is the final and most rigorous step in the Azure Expert MSP application process. It involves a comprehensive review by an independent third-party audit company to validate that the partner meets all program requirements.

This phase is a mandatory step for new partners, where they must schedule the audit with the independent third-party auditor, Information Security Systems International, LLC (ISSI).

The auditor provides a detailed overview of the audit process, scope, and expectations during this session, which helps partners prepare adequately for the audit.

This step is crucial in ensuring that partners meet all program requirements, and it's a significant milestone in the Azure Expert MSP application process.

Partners must be thoroughly prepared for the audit, as it's a comprehensive review that validates their compliance with all program requirements.