Why a certified IT partner matters today
Choosing an IT partner is a strategic decision. It affects how secure your data is, how reliably your systems run, and how quickly you can adopt new technologies such as the cloud, modern work, or artificial intelligence. But as a customer, how can you tell if a provider truly delivers on its promises?
Microsoft provides a reliable solution to this with the Microsoft Solutions Partner status. This program is more than just a logo; it is a verifiable seal of quality that is reviewed annually. Partners must provide measurable evidence of their performance, expertise, and customer success.
What is Microsoft Solutions Partner status?
The Microsoft Solutions Partner status is part of the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program. It groups the entire Microsoft portfolio into six so-called Solution Areas and shows customers the areas in which a partner has demonstrated expertise.
An overview of the six solution areas
- Infrastructure (Azure)
: Migration, operation, and scaling of workloads in the Microsoft Cloud. - Digital & App Innovation
Modernization of existing applications and development of cloud-native solutions. - Data & AI
: Data platforms, analytics, generative AI, and machine learning. - Security
, identity protection, compliance, threat protection, and zero-trust concepts. - Modern Work
: Microsoft 365, Teams, hybrid work, and productivity solutions. - Business Applications
, Dynamics 365, and Power Platform for business processes.
How is the status assigned?
Microsoft evaluates partners using the Partner Capability Score. This is a scoring system that objectively measures performance, skills (certifications), and customer success. A score of 70 out of 100 is required for each solution area. The score is updated on an ongoing basis, and the status is reviewed annually. Partners who fail to maintain this level lose their designation.
In short: The status is not a one-time certificate, but rather an ongoing demonstration of quality that a partner must earn anew year after year.
What are the benefits of working with a certified Microsoft Partner?
A Microsoft Solutions Partner is more than just a service provider with expertise. They serve as a trusted link between you and the manufacturer. This translates into tangible benefits in day-to-day project work:
Security and Trust
Microsoft continuously monitors whether its partners maintain their standards. This provides you, as a customer, with a reliable indicator of quality, regardless of marketing claims.
Up-to-date expertise and certified experts
Behind every role are employees with valid Microsoft certifications. Their knowledge is up-to-date, verified, and tailored to the latest technologies, such as Microsoft 365 Copilot, Azure AI, and Microsoft Defender.
Direct Line to Microsoft
Certified partners receive priority technical support, access to roadmaps, pre-sales resources, and exclusive training. In practical terms, this means faster solutions to critical issues and early access to new features.
Stability and reliability
This status can only be achieved if a partner has consistently delivered successful projects over the years. This means you are working with a company that has a proven track record of stability in terms of its workforce, processes, and finances.
Experience, not promises
Customer Success is a separate evaluation category. Partners must demonstrate that their solutions are actually being used and are delivering value. In other words, they invest in solutions that have already proven themselves in practice.
The Journey of Raptus AG: Where We Stand Today
As an owner-managed Swiss company with over 30 years of experience in digital transformation, Raptus AG has made a conscious decision to make its Microsoft expertise transparent and verifiable. Step by step, we are earning the designations that our customers directly experience in their day-to-day work.
Solutions Partner designations already achieved
, a Solutions Partner for Infrastructure (Azure) We migrate, operate, and optimize Azure workloads. This ranges from the initial cloud strategy to day-to-day operations.
Solutions Partner for Digital & App Innovation
We modernize existing applications and develop custom, cloud-native web apps and e-commerce solutions.
On the roadmap
By the end of the year, we aim to earn four additional Solutions Partner designations:
Security
Protecting identities, data, and endpoints. More relevant today than ever.
Modern Work
: Microsoft 365, Teams, and hybrid work models that are both productive and secure.
Data & AI-
: Data platforms and AI services that measurably improve business processes.
Business Applications
We have deliberately chosen not to focus on this area in the short term, as Dynamics 365 is not part of our core consulting services.
Our goal is to become certified in five of the six Solution Areas. In doing so, we aim to become a full-fledged Microsoft partner for digital transformation in Switzerland.
Our goal: To be Switzerland's leading digital transformation partner
For us, certifications are not an end in themselves. They are a tool for making quality measurable. This applies to Microsoft, to our customers, and to ourselves. Our goal is to provide comprehensive support to Swiss companies on their digital transformation journey. We start with strategy, move on to cloud infrastructure and the modern workplace, and then implement custom web apps, e-commerce solutions, and AI integrations.
With every new Solutions Partner designation, we strengthen this position and ensure that you, as a customer, can count on reliability, stability, and a direct line of communication with Microsoft.
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Frequently asked questions on this topic
What is a Microsoft Solutions Partner?
A Microsoft Solutions Partner is an official designation awarded by Microsoft to partners who demonstrate proven performance in specific areas of expertise. For customers, this means they are working with a certified provider that can demonstrate measurable quality, expertise, and customer success. Raptus AG has been recognized as a Solutions Partner and is actively expanding its designation.
What are Solution Partners?
“Solution Partner” is the name of the Microsoft program in which partners demonstrate expertise in six solution areas. These include Infrastructure (Azure), Security, Modern Work, Data & AI, and other areas. This status is not granted once and for all, but is continuously evaluated and reviewed annually.
What Microsoft partnerships are available?
Microsoft offers a variety of partnership models, each tailored to a partner’s expertise, performance, and program status. Today, the Solutions Partner status is particularly important to customers because it clearly defines areas of expertise and is evaluated based on a capability score and customer success. Raptus AG leverages these designations to demonstrate its Microsoft expertise in a transparent and verifiable manner.
Which retailers are authorized Microsoft resellers?
Authorized Microsoft resellers are partners who have been vetted and recognized by Microsoft for specific roles and programs. For customers, the Microsoft Solutions Partner status is particularly relevant in practice because it clearly identifies areas of expertise and is reviewed annually. Raptus AG has been certified in the relevant solution areas and is actively expanding its designations.
