A new Gold level of certification has been introduced for Microsoft Business Solutions (MBS) reseller partners. The addition brings MBS partner programs in line with reseller programs from Microsoft and other companies that offer tiered levels of certification and is part of Microsoft's effort to consolidate its Great Plains and Navision acquisitions into a more coherent Microsoft brand. (For background, see "Business Solutions Group Begins to Consolidate" on page 9 of the Nov. 2002 Update.)

Only existing MBS partners can become Microsoft Gold Certified Business Solutions partners. That's because the Gold requirements include customer references for each MBS product line that the company wants to sell (e.g., Great Plains, Axapta) and a history of adding new customers within each applicable product line over the last two years. In addition, Gold partners must have employees on staff certified in Microsoft technologies and MBS sales techniques.

To qualify as an MBS partner (Standard or Gold), a company must pay an annual service fee of either US$3,000 or US$4,500 (depending on whether they resell one or multiple product lines), and 50% of its current customer base must have annual revenues of less than US$800 million per year (the target range for MBS applications). Other requirements also apply.

General information about MBS partner programs is available at www.greatplains.com/partners/. Baseline requirements for becoming an MBS partner in North America are available in a PDF document at www.greatplains.com/documents/downloads/Selling_Req_Business_Solutions.pdf. For details on the Gold program, current MBS partners should check the password-protected PartnerSource site at https://www.greatplains.com/_mem_bin/FormsLogin.asp?SSL=0&/partnersource/.