Adding Value with Microsoft: Opportunities and Best Practices for Resellers and MSPs
Big Opportunities for Resellers and MSPs Around Microsoft Products
The big opportunities for resellers and MSPs around Microsoft products lie in adding value and differentiating their overall offering. Adding value to Microsoft Teams with Teams Phone and applications such as call analytics, recording, and voice analytics enables customers to enhance productivity and efficiency and maximise their investment in Microsoft technologies.
It is important to consider not only value-added products and services but also how end customer buying habits are evolving. Microsoft is investing heavily in marketplace infrastructure and promotion, with two-thirds of all buying transactions expected to occur through marketplaces, and cloud marketplace sales projected to hit US$85 billion by 2028. Resellers and MSPs can capitalise on this shift by leveraging Microsoft’s marketplace to reach more customers, streamline sales, and offer integrated solutions that drive business growth. Transacting on a cloud marketplace makes purchasing easy, adoption simple, and consolidates management of subscriptions. From a partner perspective, adding marketplace-ready value-added services to a portfolio speeds up time-to-market and reduces internal cost-to-market.
Microsoft as a Vendor Partner
Microsoft, as a vendor partner, requires effort to navigate effectively. Due to their massive size, processes can sometimes be complex, and the information they provide can be overwhelming. However, once the right contacts and relationships are established, working with them becomes much easier. Building peer-to-peer relationships with Microsoft contacts across different teams is essential, as they can guide you through their wealth of knowledge and support and offer help with introductions to the right people and resources.
We find Microsoft to be very supportive and recommend engaging in a proactive way, asking questions, building relationships across multiple functions, and accepting invitations to any technical, sales, or marketing events. Microsoft does not favour one partner over another, and they invest heavily in partner programmes, infrastructure, and collaboration, offering benefits, rewards, and support to help partners succeed. They also actively promote and highlight partner successes.
Aligning with Microsoft’s goals is useful, such as their focus on driving Azure consumption. Joining their Co-Sell programme and authorising eligible value-added products, such as Tollring’s Analytics 365, to contribute to an organisation’s Azure commitment has significantly strengthened our position as a partner.
Importance of Microsoft Certifications
Microsoft certifications provide credibility, expand opportunities, and deliver a competitive advantage, making them a valuable investment for any Microsoft partner.
There are different types of Microsoft certifications, each serving a key purpose. Microsoft Teams apps, such as Analytics 365 collaboration analytics, need to be certified before being published on Microsoft’s marketplaces. Co-Sell eligibility provides a certified list of proven applications, like those from Tollring, that can decrement a MACC. Further certifications, such as compliance call recording certification, also add value to ISVs like Tollring and provide differentiation in the market. Having certified and transactable applications on the Microsoft marketplace builds trust and confidence among partners and end customers. Additionally, the marketplace supports multi-party private offers, creating further opportunities for collaboration and sales.
People certifications help empower teams by providing them with the skills and credentials to work effectively with Microsoft technologies. For channel providers selling Microsoft services, accreditations are particularly relevant. Microsoft has moved beyond the traditional statuses of silver, gold, and platinum to a broader range of specialisations and competencies. This allows providers to showcase expertise in specific areas rather than just general capabilities, helping to level the playing field.
Impact of the CMA Investigation Into the Cloud Services Market
If the investigation leads to the promotion of fair competition amongst cloud providers, it could potentially open up a broader array of services available to channel partners, with more flexible and cost-effective options. The risk is, of course, that changes lead to increased costs and decreased investment in UK infrastructure, as Microsoft has warned in The Times (source).
As a business, it is important to adapt to changes in the market, especially in areas where you have no control. Channel partners should stay informed about potential regulatory changes and adapt to these developments to stay competitive and deliver optimal solutions to customers.