Microsoft Teams represents an incredible opportunity for partners, developers, resellers, and MSPs. If you’re in the technology channel and you want to deliver new levels of productivity, collaboration, and innovation to customers, Microsoft can help. Currently, Microsoft Teams has more than 145 million daily active users.
The question is, how do you bring Microsoft Teams into your portfolio? As demand for technologies to enable digital transformation and collaboration increases, Microsoft Teams is quickly becoming the hub of modern work for many businesses. Even if you’re not currently selling UCaaS solutions, there could be a profitable landscape waiting for you in the Microsoft ecosystem.
Let’s explore the opportunities available for companies considering a transition into the Microsoft market.
How Can Partners Leverage the Microsoft Market?
Microsoft works with partnering companies in a variety of different ways. The company has an enduring commitment to helping its collaborators thrive in a digital world, which means providing them with various ways to develop innovative solutions through Microsoft.
Options include:
- ISV Development Centres: ISV development centres allow developers to refine and enhance existing solutions or create new opportunities from scratch. Tools like the Power Platform allow for easy solution envisioning, the definition of functional requirements, and the use of multiple architectural design options
- Microsoft Commercial Marketplace: The Microsoft Commercial Marketplace is where ISV members and partners can list their solutions for Microsoft customers. Your solutions appear alongside Microsoft tools, making it easier to reach clients around the globe
- Microsoft Certified devices: For AV companies creating video and audio technology endpoints for the modern landscape, Microsoft offers certification. Microsoft certified devices allow manufacturers to demonstrate the power of their solutions in line with the Microsoft ecosystem. The certification program also gives customers peace of mind they’re getting a high-quality, compatible experience for Microsoft Teams
- Microsoft apps: Want to extend the functionality of Microsoft Teams even further? The app store can help you do that. Microsoft Teams’ app store is an environment where developers can bring new capabilities to Teams fans in search of next-level solutions. There are already dozens of leading brands on the app store, and Microsoft offers things like the Visual Studio code toolkit, so anyone can build and deploy apps fast
- Operator Connect and Direct Routing: For specialists in the communication landscape, it’s possible to bring telephony technology into the collaboration and UCaaS landscape with Operator Connect and Direct Routing. These two solutions ensure that telephony leaders can deliver the kind of meaningful experiences businesses are looking for in communication
Building Businesses with Microsoft
The Microsoft partner community is a fantastic ecosystem, regardless of which part of the marketplace you’re coming from. For decades, this environment has continued to be at the centre of the Microsoft landscape, and it’s a powerful tool in bringing new functionality and technology to customers everywhere. Today’s Microsoft partners are helping companies everywhere to adjust to a new mode of working.
One of the best things about partnering with Microsoft, is how much support you get from the brand. The company is constantly rolling out new solutions to help partners get involved with the ecosystem, like the “Solution Workspace”, where partners can build a Microsoft Partner Network account and take advantage of tools to improve time to market. The Solution marketplace comes with support on everything from reaching customers with powerful marketing resources, to growing revenue by testing and optimising Microsoft tools.
Microsoft supports partners with a range of resources, including sales and marketing materials, solution-specific sales collateral, co-branded content, and professional guidance. Some of the options you’ll have include:
- Co-selling with Microsoft: To further grow the opportunities of the Microsoft ecosystem, Microsoft provides collaborative sales opportunities for partners interested in co-selling. This helps organisations to sell to broader consumer bases and scale more rapidly. Partners in the co-selling environment can leverage Microsoft and the broader ecosystem to reach more customers more effectively. They can also engage with other Microsoft partners
- Partner collaboration: Partner collaboration is one of the most exciting parts of being in the Microsoft ecosystem. You can join forces with other organisations in the network and form partnerships to take advantage of new opportunities as they emerge. Microsoft can support partners in many ways through extensive technology portfolios, global reach, skill investment, training, and support. The Microsoft group is constantly introducing new learning opportunities and tools to reward customer success
The partner centre is one of the more recent additions to the Microsoft Teams market environment for potential collaborators. The solution provides a centralised experience whether partners can manage their relationships with Microsoft, other partners, and customers alike. On-demand support is also available to give partners quicker and easier access to Microsoft support.
Can You Differentiate in the Microsoft Market?
Navigating the Microsoft market as a potential partner or reseller isn’t just about leveraging all the best technology from the communication and collaboration landscape. Partners need to differentiate themselves to stand out from other leaders in a competitive marketplace. This is why Microsoft offers a range of partner opportunities for differentiation.
You can earn silver and gold partnership accreditations and specialisations with certain Microsoft tools, including Microsoft Teams. These certifications help to define the most reputable partners in the area for companies in search of a Microsoft Teams strategy.
Over the last few years, Microsoft has introduced a handful of new “advanced specialization” elements. These provide the opportunity to further highlight technical scenarios where partners are delivering the highest quality of services. There are all kinds of specialisation categories, including the Adoption and Change specialisation, which shows off a company’s ability to drive usage of tools like Microsoft Teams with Change Management.
Microsoft even has its own Teams Practice Development playbook to assist partners in understanding the growth opportunities that Microsoft Teams provides to both business leaders and their customers. Topics covered include everything from how to cross-sell Teams to how to deliver governance.
With so many ways to get involved with the Microsoft partner network, it’s becoming increasingly easy for anyone to get started.
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