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3rd Party: The Microsoft Support Show – Episode 1.

Explore US Cloud's new video series "3rd Party: The Microsoft Support Show" for insights on the evolving Microsoft partner ecosystem
Published Jul 22, 2024
Mike Jones
Written by:
Mike Jones
3rd Party: The Microsoft support Show - Episode 1

Introducing US Cloud’s Newest Video Series – 3rd Party: The Microsoft Support Show

Welcome to the debut of US Cloud’s brand-new video series, 3rd Party: The Microsoft Support Show! In this first episode, we interview Mike Jones, US Cloud’s VP of Product Development. We dive into the intricacies of the Microsoft Partner Support Ecosystem in this episode and episode 2 to see how these changes will impact your business moving forward..

The Microsoft Partner Support Ecosystem

The Microsoft partner ecosystem is an external network of vendors acting as intermediaries between Microsoft and customers. These vendors extend Microsoft’s reach by offering specialized solutions. ISVs create niche applications for the Microsoft ecosystem, VARs resell Microsoft solutions, products, or hardware, and solutions partners provide services like implementations or migrations to enhance IT infrastructure. LSPs and LARs focus on contract-related services. Partners often wear multiple hats; for instance, an ISV can also be a solutions provider, or an LSP might offer VAR services, depending on their expertise.

Microsoft Support Partner Tiers

Microsoft Support Partner Tiers

There are different partner tiers currently, though this is going to change in the future. Right now, there are three partner tiers: gold, silver, and bronze. Gold is the “gold standard” that every partner is trying to achieve. There are benefits to each tier, such as better funding or access to the latest Microsoft technology sooner, but the lion share of those benefits are in the gold tier.

Microsoft is in the process of changing the tier system to be a process called solutions designations. They will split these designations into six categories, such as data and AI or Azure cloud. Anyone that is a silver or gold tier partner now will be grandfathered in and allowed to choose and give proof that they meet the new solution designation requirements, while hopefuls will need to start fresh with the new scoring system.

You must score across three categories:

  1. Skilling is based on competency in your specific designation.
  2. Performance is how many customers are you adding through the partner network and how do you attach yourself to them from a partner standpoint, i.e., What type of support do you offer them.
  3. Customer Success is how you expand a customer’s product use, like adding new cloud services to their stack and making it successful.

With these metrics and designations in place, it will be easier for partners to enter the tier classifications and know what to aim for from the onset. We suspect they will add new designations in the future, like support, and although they haven’t given a hard date, we suspect this tier change will occur in this fiscal year.

Different Support Partner Models

From a support model standpoint, Microsoft has Unified support. From a partner model standpoint, there are a few models that feed back into the Microsoft network.

Cloud solution providers (CSPs) sell Microsoft licensing and offer support. They are essentially a partner that buys licenses through Microsoft and sells them to you, while also offering level 1 and 2 support. It’s a little of everything.

On Microsoft’s end, advanced support is cloud-only, so you don’t get on-premises assistance or the full-service catalogue. Premier support is the highest level and offers on-prem and cloud-based support, with critical situation support as an attachment. Partners will purchase a tier of support, like advanced or Premier, and then engage on behalf of the customer with Microsoft.

Unified support is the buffet model and more of a needs-based support model, similar to US Cloud.

US Cloud’s Support Approach

Microsoft Support at US Cloud

Speaking of US Cloud, we run our services on the old Premier Support model. Unified is a bit pricy and doesn’t always fit a client’s needs, so our approach is needs based. You get a bucket of hours for however long your contract stipulates and you can use those hours for any service.

We also don’t make you estimate reactive and proactive time into different buckets. Instead, we combine them into a single bucket for the sake of simplicity. You can ping us for 24/7 reactive support, proactive or implementation and advisory services, and consulting solutions. The only add on currently is consulting which is a dedicated support option.

What Defines a Worthy Support Partner?

When you choose a partner, you should determine based on your needs. Do you need someone to handle the primary support for your business? Do you need project or consulting services with advisory assistance? Look internally at your organization and determine your strengths and weaknesses, then evaluate your partner options based on how they can offset those weaknesses.

How do you know if your partner meets your needs? Many are just getting into the industry or branching out into new services, so you can’t always be sure they’re able to meet your demands. Check with third party analysts like Redmond to get a fair, unbiased assessment and if they seem right, set up an intro call to see if they are the right fit for you.

US Cloud offers a low-risk trail of our services that gives you all our solutions for 30-60 days with the option to back out at any time if it doesn’t seem like a good fit. This is built into ever contract so you don’t have to feel like you’re locked into a service that doesn’t work with your setup.

Finding the Right SLAs

Finally, SLAs are a good way to determine if a support option means business. Financially backed SLAs are a sure sign that your partner has financial skin in the game. Microsoft doesn’t offer financially backed SLAs because they can’t guarantee that they will respond when you need them to. US Cloud, on the other hand, have financially backed SLAs that guarantee 15-minute responses to tickets of all severities. If we fail to follow through, you get service hours and credits as compensation. We put the money where our mouth is, which is something you will rarely see in the industry.

Stay tuned for next month’s episode. For faster Microsoft support for less, US Cloud has you covered.

Here’s the Full Transcript

To delve deeper into our discussion and catch all the insights Mike Jones, VP of Product Development at US Cloud, shared about the Microsoft partner ecosystem, feel free to read the full transcript of our conversation below.

Tipper O'Brien

Hi everyone. Welcome to Third Party, a Microsoft support Show. My name is Tipper O’Brien. I’m joined by Mike Jones, our VP of Product Development here at U.S. Cloud. Today, we’re going to talk about the Microsoft partner ecosystem.

So, Mike, let’s get it kicked off. Who’s in the partner ecosystem? What types of companies generally, and what do they do?

Mike Jones

The way Microsoft’s partner ecosystem is really set up is it’s a multitude of networks of different organizations that are set up for different specialty areas. For example, there are ISVs, or independent software vendors, that create niche products.These could be applications they’ve developed and are selling within the Microsoft ecosystem to provide a certain type of service related to Microsoft products. There are also resellers, known as VARs (value-added resellers), who resell solutions, products, or hardware, including Microsoft licensing and software services. Additionally, there are solution partners who focus more on services, such as implementations, migrations, and assessment products, specifically related to Microsoft architectures. Other partners include LSPs or LARs, which are licensing providers that focus on contracts specific to Microsoft products and services. Some partners may wear multiple hats, acting as both software vendors and solution providers.

Tipper O'Brien

Okay, so lots of different options there. What about their classifications? I know there are different tiers the partners are sorted into. How does that work?

Mike Jones

Currently, there are three tiers for a Microsoft partner: Bronze, Silver, and Gold, with Gold being the highest. Most partners strive for Gold status due to the additional benefits associated with this tier, such as access to more funding and services funded by Microsoft. However, this model is set to change soon, shifting focus to what they call “solution designations” in six different technology areas like Data and AI, Azure Cloud, and Modern Work. Partners can specialize in one or more of these areas. Microsoft is also grandfathering in Silver and Gold partners who qualify under the new designations.

Tipper O'Brien

That sounds like a significant shift. How will partners qualify for these new solution designations?

Mike Jones

To qualify, partners must achieve a capability score in three primary areas: performance, skilling, and customer success. Performance measures how many customers are added through the Microsoft Partner Network. Skilling is based on competency and certification levels in technology areas. Customer success involves expanding a customer’s portfolio of Microsoft services, such as moving from Azure infrastructure to Office 365. These three areas together form the capability score, which partners can track in the Partner Center.

Tipper O'Brien

Interesting. So if I’m a successful and growing Microsoft partner, how do I connect with Microsoft? Specifically, how does that work with support?

Mike Jones

From a support perspective, Microsoft offers Unified Support directly. For partners, there are several models, such as the Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) model, where the partner sells directly to the customer but transacts with Microsoft on the back end. Partners provide Level 1 and Level 2 support, often bundled with managed services or helpdesk solutions. Depending on their capabilities and contracts, they may escalate to Microsoft for more advanced support levels.

Tipper O'Brien

How does U.S. Cloud fit into this ecosystem, particularly in relation to Premier and Unified support?

Mike Jones

U.S. Cloud offers a like-for-like alternative to the old Premier Classic model. Unlike the Unified model, which can be quite costly, we use a needs-based support model, offering a bucket of hours for various services over a typical 12-month contract. We consolidate all support services into a single bucket for simplicity, allowing customers to use their hours as needed for reactive, proactive, or consulting services.

Tipper O'Brien

So, if a customer is selecting a partner specifically for support, what should they keep in mind?

Mike Jones

It really depends on the customer’s requirements. Are they looking for a partner to handle primary support, like 24-hour reactive problem resolution services? Or are they looking for consulting or project-based advisory services? Customers should assess their internal competencies and identify where they need external help to create a roadmap for success.

Tipper O'Brien

What about proof of concept (POC) trials or geographic coverage? Are these considerations important?

Mike Jones

Some partners, like U.S. Cloud, offer low-risk trial POCs, allowing customers to access services with an opt-out clause within the first 30 to 60 days. This gives customers peace of mind and reduces risk when exploring third-party support options.

Tipper O'Brien

How about Service Level Agreements (SLAs)? What should buyers look for from an SLA perspective?

Mike Jones

Buyers should ensure that the SLAs are financially backed, meaning the partner has “skin in the game.” At U.S. Cloud, we back our SLAs with service hours or credits. If we miss an SLA, we credit hours back to the customer. It’s important to ask about this when evaluating potential partners, as not all offer financially backed SLAs.

Tipper O'Brien

Thanks for all that insight, Mike. That’s all the time we have for today’s episode. Thank you for joining us on Third Party. Please visit our website at USCloud.com for more information and future shows.

Mike Jones

Thank you, Tipper. It was a pleasure being here.

Mike Jones
Mike Jones
Mike Jones stands out as a leading authority on Microsoft enterprise solutions and has been recognized by Gartner as one of the world’s top subject matter experts on Microsoft Enterprise Agreements (EA) and Unified (formerly Premier) Support contracts. Mike's extensive experience across the private, partner, and government sectors empowers him to expertly identify and address the unique needs of Fortune 500 Microsoft environments. His unparalleled insight into Microsoft offerings makes him an invaluable asset to any organization looking to optimize their technology landscape.
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