The Microsoft Certifications That Actually Matter for IT Procurement

Microsoft scrapped its Gold and Silver partner tiers back in October 2022, replacing them with a set of Solutions Partner designations tied to specific parts of the Microsoft cloud. Most buyers haven’t caught up with that change, though. A supplier’s website might still plaster “Microsoft Partner” across the homepage, and the assumption is that it means what it meant five years ago, but it doesn’t.

Capterra’s 2025 Tech Trends survey found that 57% of UK businesses regret at least one software purchase from the past 18 months, with higher costs and lower productivity topping the list of complaints. That stat alone should make procurement teams think twice about what they’re actually checking before they sign a contract, and whether the badges they’re looking at mean anything real.

What Changed When Gold and Silver Disappeared

The old system was pretty loose. Gold partners could hold that status across dozens of competency areas, and Silver sat one rung below. Both labels confirmed a supplier had some relationship with Microsoft, but they said very little about what that supplier could actually do well.

Microsoft’s replacement framework is far more specific. Solutions Partner designations now cover six solution areas: Modern Work, Security, Data and AI, Infrastructure, Digital and App Innovation, and Business Applications. Each one maps to a distinct part of the Microsoft cloud. The old Gold badge wouldn’t have told a buyer whether a partner had real depth in their particular area of need, but the new system will give them exactly that kind of clarity.

How the Designations Work in Practice

Passing a few exams won’t cut it. Microsoft scores partners on three pillars: skilling (the number of certified professionals on their team), performance (the revenue and usage growth they drive across Microsoft products), and customer success (measurable results for their clients). Any Microsoft Solution Partner will display these designations by solution area, and because Microsoft re-evaluates the scores behind them every year, the badge on a supplier’s site reflects current standing, not a one-off achievement from years ago.

What matters most from a procurement perspective is which solution areas a partner holds. A firm certified in Modern Work and Security but not Infrastructure might be the right fit for a Teams rollout, but less suited to a complex Azure migration. So ask the supplier directly which designations they hold, and cross-check the answer against Microsoft’s public partner directory before committing.

Why Specialisations Add Another Layer of Assurance

Beyond the six designations, Microsoft offers advanced specialisations that sit a level above Solutions Partner status. These signal deeper, verified expertise in a narrower field. Examples include Adoption and Change Management, Threat Protection, and Identity and Access Management. Partners can’t just apply for one of these credentials, either. Microsoft validates them against documented customer outcomes before granting them.

For buyers in regulated industries, or those planning large-scale rollouts, specialisations will narrow the shortlist quickly. Smaller projects won’t always demand them, but a significant security overhaul or a full Azure infrastructure build is a different story. A partner holding the relevant specialisation will have a documented track record in that exact area, which means the buyer isn’t relying on a general badge and hoping for the best.

What This Means for Your Next IT Decision

Checking for a Gold badge and moving on used to be enough, but that shortcut doesn’t work any more. The designations that replaced Gold and Silver give buyers far more specific information about what a partner can actually deliver. Before spending on cloud migration, managed IT, security upgrades, or a Microsoft 365 project, find out which solution areas a supplier is certified in and whether they hold any advanced specialisations relevant to the work.

IT procurement decisions tend to lock organisations in for years, so spend five minutes verifying a partner’s credentials against Microsoft’s directory before you commit. The designations are there for a reason, and ignoring them is just making the decision harder than it needs to be.