New Microsoft Teams Partner Advanced Specializations: Calling and Teamwork Deployment

As Microsoft Teams continues to rapidly grow, Microsoft has announced two new Microsoft Partner Advanced Specializations. Microsoft award partners with “competencies”, such as a gold partner in X, then on top, “Advanced Specializations”.

A competency measures a partner’s broad technical capability in a Microsoft product or technology. An advanced specialization measures more in-depth capabilities in a specific solution area. These advanced specialisations are open to partners with an active gold Cloud Productivity competency.

Calling for Microsoft Teams Advanced specialization

The Calling for Microsoft Teams Advanced Specialization provides a means for partners to showcase proven success and extensive expertise in deploying Microsoft 365 Phone System.

To earn an advanced specialization in Calling for Microsoft Teams, partners with an active gold Cloud Productivity competency are required to meet the following criteria:

• Achieve a minimum 2,500 active entitlement growth of Microsoft Teams in a trailing 12-month period (CPOR data)

• Have four individuals who have passed both the Microsoft 365 Certified: Teams Administrator Associate  (MS-700, You can check out my and Graham Hosking prep guide for this exam here). and the partner university Teams Calling Technical Assessment

• Provide three customer references that demonstrate your ability to deploy and manage Microsoft 365 Phone System, Calling Plan, Direct Routing configuration, Network Planning, and Remediation for Voice workloads

Teamwork Deployment Advanced specialization

The Teamwork Deployment Advanced Specialization provides a means for partners to showcase proven expertise leveraging Microsoft engineering approved methodologies for deploying Office 365.

To earn an advanced specialization in this area, partners with an active gold Cloud Productivity competency are required to meet the following criteria:

• Achieve a minimum of 2,500 Active Entitlement growth on three separate Teamwork services (choose from Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Microsoft Teams or Yammer) in a trailing 12-month period (CPOR data)

• Maintain an average of 20 percent active usage for customers associated with your organization in each of the Teamwork services (Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Microsoft Teams, and Yammer) in a trailing 12-month period

• Associate a minimum of 12 new customer tenants with your organization for one of the Teamwork services (Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Microsoft Teams, or Yammer) in a trailing 12-month period

• Have four individuals in your organization who have passed the MS-300 and MS-301 Microsoft 365 Certified: Teamwork Administrator Associate exam

• Provide three customer references that demonstrate your ability to deploy Microsoft 365 Teamwork workloads

What is a Microsoft Partner Advanced Specialization?

An advanced specialization is a validation of a partner’s capability in a specific solution area. To earn an advanced specialization, partners must first attain gold status in an aligned competency.

To obtain an advanced specialisation, partners must:

• Attain and maintain gold status in an aligned gold competency
• Achieve required performance thresholds
• Have a minimum number of individuals who pass specific certifications or exams
• Meet additional requirements that may include, but are not limited to:
  • Verifiable customer references
  • Public case studies
  • Microsoft technology performance indicators
  • Architectural review

How do I apply?

Only administrators of an organization’s Microsoft partner account can submit an application for the Advanced Specialization on behalf of the organization. If you have the appropriate role and access, you can apply by signing in to your Partner Center account and navigating to your Partner Center dashboard > Competencies > Advanced Specialization.

Reference

New advanced specializations highlight partners’ Microsoft Teams expertise

Advanced specializations partner page