A Brief History of Microsoft Partner Programs

The history of Microsoft’s partner programs parallels in size and scale the growth of the company itself, from a desktop-oriented firm to a major player in client-server systems and finally to a major enterprise vendor.

Microsoft’s first formal partner program was the Microsoft Certified Solution Provider (MCSP) program, begun in 1993. That program marked a significant change in the company’s product lines, with the release of Windows NT 3.5, Microsoft’s effort to create a server-based application platform and a file-and-print solution that could compete effectively against Novell’s NetWare, the market leader at that time. The MCSP provided both the marketplace and Microsoft a way to recognize the skills of companies that helped it sell, deploy, and manage Windows-based networks, which at the time were limited to small and midsize companies.

In 2000, the MCSP was significantly modified and renamed the Microsoft Certified Partner program. That program had more rigorous criteria for its two tiers of partner, Certified Partners and Gold Certified Partners. However, this design had significant limitations. It worked best for solution integrators, less well for ISVs, and not at all for other types of partners, such as resellers, system builders (small PC vendors), and training partners, each of whom had their own partner programs. Furthermore, it never grew past about 35,000 partners.