Microsoft certifications and competencies: every designation and specialization
Microsoft recognizes partners through Solutions Partner designations, deeper specializations, and the individual certifications that earn skilling points toward a designation. This page maps each path by role, which ones must come first, which specializations draw benefits, and what decides which fit your company.
As of
Solutions Partner designations
| Path | What it gives you | Role it needs | Works with others? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solutions Partner for Cloud & AI Platforms | What it gives youBadge for the three Azure pathways: Data & AI, Infrastructure, and Digital & App Innovation | Role it needsServices, Software | Works with others?Sequence: Azure specializations need an aligned designation first |
| Solutions Partner for AI Business Solutions | What it gives youBadge for the Modern Work and Business Applications pathways; Business Applications needs at least 70 of 100 points | Role it needsServices, Resell | Works with others?Sequence: Business Applications, Sales, Service, Finance and Supply Chain specializations need the designation first |
| Solutions Partner for Security | What it gives youBadge for the Security pathway | Role it needsServices | Works with others?Sequence: Security specializations need an aligned designation first |
| Solutions Partner with certified software | What it gives youDifferentiated badging for software; Azure route needs referral-eligible status, a technical review and one trailing-12-month criterion such as USD 4 million of marketplace billed sales | Role it needsSoftware | Works with others?Sequence: Azure IP referral-eligible status comes first |
Which of these fit depends on the Microsoft cloud your customers buy, whether you deliver services or sell software, and how many certified people and customer wins your company can show.
Specializations
| Path | What it gives you | Role it needs | Works with others? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azure specializations (AI Platform, Analytics, Infrastructure and Database Migration, Azure Virtual Desktop, SAP on Azure) | What it gives youDeep-expertise label; audit required; up to 5 Azure specializations draw benefits | Role it needsServices, Software | Works with others?Sequence: needs an active aligned Solutions Partner designation |
| Business Applications specializations (Sales, Service, Finance, Supply Chain, Small and Midsize Business Management) | What it gives youDeep-expertise label for Dynamics 365 work; up to 3 draw benefits | Role it needsServices | Works with others?Sequence: needs the Business Applications designation |
| Agentic Business Solutions | What it gives youSpecialization for agentic business applications work; no designation of its own | Role it needsServices | Works with others?Sequence: needs Business Applications, Digital & App Innovation or Modern Work |
| Modern Work specializations (Calling, Customer Solutions and Meetings for Microsoft Teams; Modernize Endpoints; Secure AI Productivity; Microsoft 365 Copilot) | What it gives youDeep-expertise label for Teams, endpoint and Copilot work; up to 3 draw benefits | Role it needsServices | Works with others?Sequence: needs the Modern Work designation (Secure AI Productivity also needs Security) |
| Security specializations (Cloud Security, Identity and Access Management, Data Security, Threat Protection) | What it gives youDeep-expertise label for security work; audit required; up to 3 draw benefits | Role it needsServices | Works with others?Sequence: needs the Security designation |
Which of these fit depends on which designation you hold, whether you can pass the audit Microsoft requires for some of them, and how many specializations draw benefits in your area.
People and certifications
| Path | What it gives you | Role it needs | Works with others? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual Microsoft Certifications | What it gives youFundamentals, Associate, Expert and Specialty exams; intermediate and advanced certifications earn Skilling points toward a designation | Role it needsAny | Works with others?Sequence: counts toward the Skilling category of a designation |
Whether these pay off depends on how many of your people can pass the exams, which designation you want them to count toward, and how long you plan to keep a certification before it retires.
How do these programs combine?
Sequences. Azure specializations need an active aligned Solutions Partner designation first. Business Applications, Sales, Service, Finance and Supply Chain specializations need the Business Applications designation first. Agentic Business Solutions needs one of Business Applications, Digital & App Innovation or Modern Work. Secure AI Productivity needs the Modern Work designation and the Security designation. Solutions Partner with certified software starts from Azure IP referral-eligible status.
Stacks. A company can hold several designations at once, because Microsoft's three badges cover six pathways. Benefits stop counting after a limit: up to 5 Azure specializations and up to 3 each of Business Applications, Modern Work and Security specializations draw benefits. You can hold more, and the benefits cap applies.
Conflicts. Microsoft's pages state no conflicts among designations. A person who holds a certification keeps credit for it for one year after Microsoft retires it, which matters if your designation depends on a certification near retirement.
How do you claim or earn each one?
A Solutions Partner designation
- 1Choose the badge and pathway that matches the Microsoft cloud your customers buy: Cloud & AI Platforms, AI Business Solutions or Security.
- 2Open the partner capability score in Partner Center to see the points in each category.
- 3For Business Applications, earn at least 70 of 100 points.
- 4Add certified people, because intermediate and advanced certifications earn skilling points toward the designation.
A specialization
- 1Confirm that you hold an active designation in an aligned solution area.
- 2For Azure and Security specializations, book the audit Microsoft requires.
- 3For Business Applications specializations, publish a consulting offer on Microsoft Marketplace first.
Solutions Partner with certified software
- 1Reach Azure IP referral-eligible status.
- 2Pass the technical review and meet one trailing-12-month criterion, such as USD 4 million of marketplace billed sales.
- 3Add the supporting evidence: a 4.5 average marketplace rating with 15 or more ratings, or two artifacts of referenceable customer evidence.
The usual snags are specializations applied for before the aligned designation is active, certifications that retire before the exam credit counts, and offers that are listed but not yet transactable. Partner Center shows your own status.
Why do two similar companies choose differently?
Company A: a 25-person services firm
Delivers Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365 projects. Its paths are the designation that matches its main pathway, one Business Applications specialization once the designation is active, and individual certifications for the people who deliver the projects.
Company B: a software company on Azure, sold through Microsoft Marketplace
Its paths are the Azure IP referral-eligible status, the Solutions Partner with certified software badge, and an Azure specialization only if it also delivers services around its product.
The same program year, the same partner, and two different sets of paths.
What changed recently?
- Sep 15, 2026Microsoft stopped accepting new Azure Expert MSP enrollments, and the Frontier Partner specialization is named as the recommended path forward for eligible partners. The services page covers it in full.
- Jul 1, 2026Microsoft's FY27 program year began, so the designation requirements on this page are the FY27 ones.
No Playmaker change page covers Microsoft certifications yet. Every Microsoft change is on the Microsoft partner page.
Microsoft has the paths. Playmaker finds yours.
You’ve just seen how much Microsoft offers: programs, funding, listings, specialists and the many ways they combine. All of it is real, and much of it can run at the same time. Which of it fits your company depends on your tier, your roles and your deals.
Playmaker does that work for you:
- Ranked by revenue. It looks at your company and orders the Microsoft plays by revenue expectancy, so you spend your time on the plays that matter most.
- A recipe for each play. Every play comes with the steps to run it. You know what to do next, not just what exists.
- Built for your mix. Reseller and services, a Marketplace listing and Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace, several funding programs at once. Playmaker works out how they fit together for your company, not for a generic partner.
- Ready in 3 minutes. Generate your playbook in 3 minutes, then refresh it as your deals change.
What does your playbook show?
Frequently
asked questions
The short answers for Microsoft certifications and competencies. Playmaker shows you the rest in 3 minutes.
Microsoft offers three Solutions Partner designation badges across six pathways, and the pages used for this page state no cap on how many a company can hold. Each pathway has its own requirements.
Up to 5 Azure specializations and up to 3 each of Business Applications, Modern Work and Security specializations draw benefits.
Yes. Azure specializations need an active aligned Solutions Partner designation, and Business Applications specializations need the Business Applications designation.
Intermediate and advanced certifications earn skilling points toward a designation, and a person keeps credit for a certification for one year after it retires. You can hold the designation and the individual certifications together.
At least 70 of 100 points in the capability score. Microsoft publishes the category weights in Partner Center, so they are not listed here.
Sources
Primary sources for this page, all accessed Nov 4, 2026. Program names and terms belong to Microsoft.
Where can you read more?
- Microsoft partner programs: every path across seven areasThe front door for every Microsoft program area.
- Microsoft services programsWhat's open, what closed, what replaced it.
- Microsoft marketplace programs for software companiesListing, private offers and referral eligibility.
- Microsoft competitors: signals customers can compareDesignations, ratings and customer evidence.
What’s your next play?
Get your ranked plays for up to 3 partners in 3 minutes. Plus, get 30 free days to execute your plays.