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Being a Microsoft Gold partner means that a company is committed to abiding by the highest standards of customer service and works closely alongside Microsoft. They are skilled to the highest level on all Microsoft platforms and can offer you guidance on advice in using their technology.
When choosing an IT support service to work with on a Microsoft platform, choosing a Microsoft Gold Partner will provide you with the highest level of support.
How much does it cost to be a Microsoft Gold Partner?
The cost of being a Microsoft Gold partner isn’t cheap! There are various levels of partnership you can choose.
It is free to be a Microsoft Partner, but for the highest level of collaboration (Gold), it costs around £3860 a year. It is possible to be a Microsoft Partner for free but this will not give you a tiered status.
To become a Silver Microsoft Partner it costs £1357. This is significantly less than Gold partnership, clearly showing the difference in level of collaboration and support you will receive when choosing a Microsoft Gold Partner than any other level.
What are the benefits of being a Microsoft Gold Partner?
There are many benefits of being and using a Microsoft Gold Partner. As already distinguished, when using a Gold Partner, you will receive, not only a higher level of support but also a more knowledgeable one.
Microsoft Gold Partners are in the top 1% of Microsoft Partners, meaning that having the accreditation allows you to stand out for your level of service and support. The limited amount of Microsoft Gold Partners highlights the benefit as both a business and customer to having or using someone with this accreditation.
As a Partner, you will receive access to Microsoft’s partnership community, training, guidance and marketing tool. The higher the tier you choose, the more exclusive material you will receive access to. This means that the Gold Partnership will provide you with unlimited access to all tools, training and mentoring opportunities.
How many Microsoft Gold Partners are there?
As already mentioned, being a Microsoft Gold Partner puts you in the top 1% of Microsoft Partners. There are around 64,000 Microsoft Partners in total, meaning that if you become a Gold Partner you will be 1 of only around 640 companies with the same accreditation.
How do you check if a company is a Microsoft Gold Partner?
There are a number of ways to verify whether or not a company has Microsoft Gold Partner accreditation. Most companies which do hold this will be proud of their status and therefore, display the fact on any website or marketing material they provide.
It is illegal to associate yourself with this accreditation without actually holding the status, and therefore, is unlikely that companies would risk doing so. However, that doesn’t mean it isn’t done.
When registering as a Microsoft Gold Partner, companies are provided with a membership pin. This can then be entered on the Microsoft website, who will clarify their status. Asking a company to provide this pin and doing the simple check will allow you to clarify which status they hold. If a company refuses to provide their pin number, it is highly likely that their Partnership status is fake.
Using a Microsoft Gold Partner
Using a Microsoft Gold Partner means that you will not only be receiving the highest level of service, but also have access to all the documentation and latest information via your IT company. Whilst you may pay more for their services, the results can be business changing.
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