Microsoft Norway is thrilled to announce that nominations are now open for this year’s Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards. Celebrated annually, these awards recognize outstanding successes and innovations from across the Norwegian partner ecosystem. Partners can submit to a variety of categories that showcase the range of solutions built on Microsoft cloud and platforms. Partner of the Year Award finalists and winners receive recognition from Microsoft and the partner community.
Application deadline is June 30th 2022.
The awards ceremony will take place after the summer.
Here's this year's categories:
- Security Partner
- Modern Work Partner
- Business Applications Partner
- Dynamics 365 Business Central Partner
- Power Platform Partner
- Azure Infrastructure Partner
- Azure Digital and App Innovation Partner
- Azure Data and AI Partner
- Digitalization Partner for SMB
- Education Partner
- Skilling Partner
- SaaS Partner
- Financial Services Industry Partner
- Retail Industry Partner
- Energy Industry Partner
- Manufacturing Industry Partner
- Public Sector Partner
- Sustainability Partner
- Surface Partner
- Woman Promoting Microsoft Technology
If you are applying for more than one category award, please submit the form for each category.
1. Security Partner 2022
Security Partner of the Year recognizes the partner that has done the most exceptional job in providing customers with end-to-end security solutions based on Microsoft Security, Compliance and Identity during FY22. The partner receiving this award demonstrates deep technical knowledge within Microsoft Security solutions, as well as a track record of satisfied customers and well delivered projects.
2. Modern Work Partner 2022
The award for Modern Work Partner of the Year goes to a partner who has demonstrated their ability to help customers deploy and adopt Microsoft technology to increase productivity and become a Modern Workplace. At the core of this is helping customers modernize and tackle the challenges and opportunities of a hybrid workplace efficiently and secure, supported by an emphasis on adoption and change management. The scale of which the partner has helped customers, in addition to customer reference stories and product adoption are some of the key indicators that will be considered.
3. Business Applications Partner 2022
The award goes to the partner who has shown the greatest ability in adding new and growing existing customers on Microsoft's Business Applications technology. We look to partners who are driving activities in the market which contribute to increasing the visibility of Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform. In addition, the partner should also have shown that they are investing in their people, by building their competency through trainings and certifications, and that they are able to add net new people to the Business Applications partner channel.
4. Dynamics 365 Business Central Partner 2022
The award recognizes the partner who has had the greatest impact on growing D365 Business Central in the Norwegian market. The partner has shown their ability to move customers from on-premises or competing solutions to D365 BC and are also driving marketing activities such as sharing customer stories, hosting customer events and taking part in the partner community.
5. Power Platform Partner 2022
The award is assigned to the partner who has demonstrated their ability to deliver valuable, efficient and flexible solutions to their customers with the Power Platform, across Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI and Power Virtual Agents. The partner has both deep technical competency on the solution and has shown how to combine this with business insights to deliver several successful projects with our joint customers.
6. Azure Infrastructure Partner 2022
This award is given to a partner who has demonstrated impact on moving customers infrastructure to Azure, using standardized frameworks such as Cloud Adoption Framework, and Well Architected Framework. The partner has a culture of growth mindset and is a learn it all, not a know-it-all organization. The partner has shown the ability to work with Microsoft on strategic cases and has utilized key programs to ensure a positive customer experience. Finally, the partner has shown the ability to promote itself and Microsoft's values in different marketing channels.
7. Azure Digital and App Innovation Partner 2022
The award is given to a partner that demonstrates that they are transforming their customers by planning and executing the customer journey aligned with Microsoft practices and sales plays.
The award-winning partner will be picked amongst partners that can show to successful customer-cases where they are modernizing .NET and Java applications with PaaS, low code and managed databases, and/or, build cloud native applications with Kubernetes, serverless and managed databases, and do so by using DevOps methodology for adoption with and at the customer, and using Well Architected as a framework to reap the benefits from the Azure cloud.
Other positive levers in the evaluation of the partners will be Obtained Advanced Specializations within Digital and App Innovation, leveraging the use of Microsoft programs (the Modernize in the AMMP program), customer acquisitions, and (relative) consumption growth.
8. Azure Data & AI Partner 2022
The award is given to the partner who had the greatest success in Data & AI area, modernizing customers data-estate, winning from competing technology and building solutions to utilize customer data in modern ways. This includes migration to Azure SQL, modern analytics practice by Azure Synapse and visualizing through Power BI. We look to partners innovating with Microsoft AI and ML solutions, enhancing value for customers and society. ACR growth in the areas of Data & AI is considered, as well as leadership in developing the market through activities that explain the enormous potential in this area.
9. Digitalization Partner for SMB 2022
The prize is awarded to the partner who has documented solutions and platforms that have contributed to helping Norwegian SMB organizations to digitize their own business efficiently and cost-effectively.
Partner must have documented their ability to sell, market and implement a comprehensive solution based on modern Microsoft technology.
The partner must be a digital advisor for SMB companies, with a focus on modernization and development of their customers.
10. Education Partner 2022
The Education partner of the year award will be given to the partner who has had the greatest impact on transforming their education customers this past year through their service or solutions. The service or solutions should leverage Microsoft products or platform, and the partner should demonstrate industry knowledge and expertise, as well as thought leadership.
11. Skilling Partner 2022
The Skilling Partner of the year award recognizes a partner who has invested heavily in building new competency to meet evolving customer needs. An organization who has excelled beyond their peers in the delivery of high impact Microsoft training activities. The winning submission will demonstrate creativity, transformation, innovation in overcoming adversity, and the ability to drive training and adoption of Microsoft Cloud technology.
The winning partner has shown concrete results in helping Microsoft close the technical skills gap while delivering the highest quality customer experience. Key is agility and adoption of products and services to successfully meet customer’s and company’s training needs, which may include shifting to virtual training modalities.
12. SaaS Partner 2022
The award recognizes the partner with a business model of providing software as a service on Microsoft Cloud. The winning partner needs to demonstrate a solid growth in terms of Microsoft Cloud consumption and new customer wins, as well as a go-to-market strategy that includes utilizing Microsoft Commercial Marketplace and co-selling with Microsoft.
13. Financial Services Industry Partner 2022
This award is presented to the partner who during FY22 has positively impacted one or more of the following FSI industry scenarios in collaboration with Microsoft: 1) Deliver differentiated customer experiences 2) Modernize payments and core banking 3) Manage risk across the organization 4) Combat financial crime 5) Empower your employees through teamwork.
14. Retail Industry Partner 2022
This award is presented to the partner who during FY22 has positively impacted one or more of the following Manufacturing industry scenarios in collaboration with Microsoft: 1) Transform your workforce 2) Engage customers in new ways 3) Build more agile factories / production 4) Create more resilient supply chains 5) Unlock innovation and deliver new services.
15. Energy Industry Partner 2022
This award is presented to the partner who during FY22 has positively impacted one or more of the following Energy industry scenarios in collaboration with Microsoft: 1) Operate for the future 2) Transition to clean 3) Reimagine energy 4) Transform your workforce.
16. Manufacturing Industry Partner 2022
This award is presented to the partner who during FY22 has positively impacted one or more of the following Manufacturing industry scenarios in collaboration with Microsoft: 1) Transform your workforce 2) Engage customers in new ways 3) Build more agile factories / production 4) Create more resilient supply chains 5) Unlock innovation and deliver new services.
17. Public Sector Partner 2022
This award is presented to the partner who during FY22 has positively impacted one or more of the following Public Sector areas in collaboration with Microsoft: 1) Government 2) Municipalities 3) Healthcare 4) Defense & Intelligence.
18. Sustainability Partner 2022
This award is presented to the partner who during FY22 has positively impacted one or more of the following sustainability targets in collaboration with Microsoft: 1) Carbon 2) Water 3) Waste
Usage and/or development on Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability is a plus.
19. Surface Partner 2022
The award for Surface Partner of the Year goes to the partner who during FY22 has contributed to the focus on new and exciting opportunities through a close collaboration with Microsoft and our distributors. In addition to Surface, this partner should have focus on Microsoft365, Intune, Security and Autopilot. The partner should communicate the value of the entire Surface portfolio for the modern workplace. The device you love on the platform you trust.
20. Woman Promoting Microsoft Technology 2022
This award will go the woman most deserving of recognition for her achievements in the Microsoft partner ecosystem this year. Her successes will not necessarily fit neatly into any of the other categories and could even span several of them. She will be inspiring to others and will have brought about significant success and change in her organization.
