Microsoft Partner UK
We have a long-standing relationship with Microsoft, and being a Microsoft partner gives us access to their latest technology and innovations.
Get in touchWhat is a Microsoft Partner?
An organisation that collaborates with Microsoft to provide modern workplace, infrastructure, and integrated business solutions based on Microsoft technologies is considered a Microsoft partner.
Microsoft has a partner network that includes a wide range of businesses, such as independent software vendors (ISVs), system integrators, consultants, resellers, and more. These partners work with Microsoft to deliver technology solutions to their clients, leveraging Microsoft's products and platforms.
Microsoft Partner UK
Did you know that Sharp UK is in the top 1% of Microsoft partners worldwide?
We have a long-standing relationship with Microsoft, and being part of the Microsoft partner network means we have built extensive knowledge and expertise over many years, driving the huge advantages that Microsoft’s technology can provide to all businesses.
Being a Microsoft partner also gives us access to Microsoft’s latest technology and innovations which is so important and allows us to enhance our technical teams’ skills and development, improve efficiency, increase productivity, and support our organisation’s growth. This knowledge is also filtered into the support we offer to our clients, who will benefit from our partner status and ongoing Microsoft knowledge.
Microsoft Solutions Partner Designations
As a Managed Service Provider (MSP) we have always been enrolled in the Microsoft Partner Network. Through this, we have always driven to achieve partner accreditations to show our clients and prospects we have invested in our capability and have experience with the design and implementation. These accreditations were traditionally Microsoft’s Gold Partner programme having gained 12 gold and silver competencies out of a possible 18 in operational areas including data security, cloud solutions, applications, and infrastructure.
With the evolution from traditional IT to cloud-centric environments, Microsoft have evolved their partner requirements and the Gold & Silver partner competencies have since been replaced by Microsoft’s newly introduced accreditations – Microsoft Solutions Partner Designations. We have worked hard to achieve the new requirements and we currently have 3 of the 6 designations – Data & AI, Infrastructure, and Modern Work and are well on our way to achieving the 4th and 5th for Business Apps and Digital & App Innovation.
The new approach has been established around capability scores, based on a points system measured by performance, customer success, and skills/training. Sharp team members must take exams for us to achieve these designations, which is no easy task.
These 6 new designations are more challenging to achieve over the previous gold and silver competencies, but by achieving these it shows that MSPs have the necessary skills and experience to deliver Microsoft cloud solutions.
Microsoft Solutions Partner Designation - Data & AI
Microsoft Solutions Partner Designation - Infrastructure
Microsoft Solutions Partner Designation - Modern Work
Benefits of being a Microsoft Partner
The most important benefit of being a Microsoft partner is that it shows that we have the knowledge and skillsets to deliver these solutions, as well as having undertaken many client implementations. Other benefits include:
Access to Microsoft technologies
Early access to products
Software licences and discounts
Training and certification
Microsoft Training & Microsoft Cloud Partnership
Microsoft Training
Our technical colleagues are provided dedicated on-demand training platform which aligns to the key Solutions Partner accreditations. Our technical teams are not the only team who benefit from our Microsoft partner status, but we have also provided training to some of our non-technical team members, by taking part in a two-day Microsoft 365 training course.
This ensures that our commercial teams are also accredited in the core technologies used by many of our clients.
As above, we can only achieve the Microsoft Solutions Partner Designations through team members taking exams, due to the capability scores being based on performance, customer success, and skills/training. This means our teams need to remain up-to-date and trained on the latest advancements from Microsoft.
Microsoft Cloud Partner
As an MSP we have leveraged the Microsoft Cloud Platforms such as Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365 for many years and have built standards for our deployments of them, ensuring they are consistent and aligned to new advancements.
The shift from traditional server-based infrastructures now allows us to offer our clients a flexible, collaborative, and secure platform.
We have also supported our clients in maximising their current investment with Microsoft 365 by leveraging and highlighting under-utilised technologies, which we are well-versed in due to our use of the technology internally, as well as being a partner of Microsoft and having access to learning and training modules.
Microsoft Support from Sharp
Discover some of the Microsoft services that we support our clients with…
Microsoft Power Platform
The Microsoft Power Platform is made up of 5 tools: Power BI, Power Apps, Power Automate, Power Virtual Agents, and Power Pages, which all exist to help you do more with less.
Specifically thinking about Power BI, Power Apps, and Power Automate, we can apply these intelligent business tools to enhance your day-to-day operations, either administering them individually or as a combination so that they work together, powerfully.
Our Technical Consultant was really helpful and organised throughout the Microsoft 365 migration. It’s great having him as our point of contact for these large projects and to help guide us through planning improvements for the year ahead.Catrin Anthony-Evans