Winning Points

An organization’s standing in the Microsoft Partner Program is determined by how many Partner Points it has. The points system provides a measurable index of a partner’s standing in the program, and what it needs to do to move up.

For example, a systems integrator can meet the 50-point qualification requirement to become a Certified Partner by obtaining a competency, which earns 30 points, plus another 20 points if it is the partner’s first competency. (For a description of what is required for a competency, see the chart “What’s in a Competency?“.)

The Gold Certified level requires 120 points. A Certified Partner with 50 points could earn the required qualifying points by undertaking activities such as the following:

Activity	Qualifying Points Earned
Attain a second competency	30 points
Supply 10 additional customer references (two points each)	20 points
Obtain six Microsoft Certified Professional certifications for staff (1 point each) and two Microsoft Certified