Changes to the SharePoint Partner Competency – July 2013
In case you don’t know, Microsoft releases the Microsoft Partner Roadmap (Now named the “Microsoft Partner Network Disclosure Guide”) in which it talks about the requirements for a company to be a part of the Microsoft Partner Network. Let’s check the July 2013 Guide and see what’s interesting on the Collaboration and Content (aka SharePoint) side.
First of all, as always recently, Microsoft is trying to push the cloud really really hard. One of the first pages of the document talks about how great O365 sales are, and what’s important to see is:
Updated requirements. Partners who are qualifying through the standard track will be provided incremental cloud training and an accompanying online assessment to qualify for relevant competencies.
Also
The most notable changes to Microsoft Partner Network in the coming year revolve around the integration of the cloud into relevant competencies starting in January 2014. Our goal is to enable partners to sell, deploy, and support cloud products and thus enhance customers’ power of choice.
To achieve this we will:
- Introduce new cloud, hosting, and application qualification tracks for relevant competencies.
- Start testing on cloud expertise by integrating exams and/or assessments for Office 365, Windows Intune, Windows Azure, and CRM online into the requirements for the relevant competencies.
Does that mean we need to do an O365 exam in order to be a Gold/Silver partner? Let’s head to the Collaboration and Content section to find out.
SharePoint Partner Competency
When we get on the first page of the Collaboration and Content track, we see something new that hasn’t been announced on the Microsoft Learning Portal yet.
The 2010 versions of the SharePoint developer exams will be retired in April 2014
We already know that January 31st 2014 is the retiring date for the IT Pro (70-667, 70-668) but this is the first mention of the developer exams.
As before, for the Gold Competency you need two persons with both IT exams (70-331 & 70-332) and two persons with 2 Developers Exam (70-488 & 70-489 (recommended) or 70-573 & 70-576). However what is new is:
All four individuals must also pass the new Office 365 Technical Assessment
An Office 365 Technical Assessment? I tried getting more information by searching it on Google… however the only information I seem to find is the actually Exam Answers… And not more info about the exam from Microsoft.
What do you think about Microsoft introducing Office 365 Technical Assessments in the SharePoint Partner Competency?
You can download the full Microsoft Partner Network Disclosure Guide July 2013 here: https://partner.microsoft.com/download/global/40141257
Share this post with your followers on twitter:
