Microsoft Solutions Partner vs Gold: What Changed and Why It Matters

What changed and why

If you are searching for a “Microsoft Gold Partner” in 2026, you will not find one. Microsoft retired the Gold and Silver partner designations in late 2022 and replaced them with the Solutions Partner programme. The new system is harder to qualify for and harder to maintain, which is the point.

The old system certified partners across broad competencies. The new one measures capability scores, active Azure consumption, and proven customer outcomes in specific solution areas.

For customers choosing a development partner, the change makes verification easier. Instead of a generic “Gold” badge, you can see exactly which solution areas a partner has been assessed against. For partners, it is a more demanding accreditation that requires sustained investment in certifications and client success.

This article covers what the Solutions Partner programme requires, how it differs from Gold and Silver, and what it means when you are evaluating Microsoft partners in 2026.

Read our Department for Education case study for an example of our work, or visit our Microsoft partnership page for full details of our Azure capabilities and designations.

What is a Microsoft Solutions Partner?

Microsoft Solutions Partners are companies that have demonstrated expertise in delivering Microsoft technology through a structured assessment. Members of the programme have access to exclusive Microsoft resources including training, technical support, and product information.

Microsoft uses a measurement framework called “partner capability scores” to determine whether a company qualifies. A company must gain at least 70 points based on three pillars: performance, skilling, and customer success. In addition, companies must:

• Meet minimum Azure consumption: Maintain at least $1,000 per month in Azure spend across three or more customers.
• Use multiple technologies: Deploy at least five different Azure services across client engagements.
• Commit to growth: Increase Azure consumption by 20% annually.

Achieving Solutions Partner status takes significant time and effort. It is a financial and skills-driven commitment that goes well beyond passing a certification exam.

Solutions Partner designation areas

Microsoft groups partner capabilities into six solution areas:

• Digital and App Innovation (Azure): Cloud application development, Kubernetes, DevOps, and GitHub
• Infrastructure (Azure): Migration, hybrid cloud, and infrastructure management
• Data and AI (Azure): Data platforms, analytics, and AI/ML workloads
• Security: Identity, compliance, and threat protection
• Modern Work: Microsoft 365, Teams, and productivity solutions
• Business Applications: Dynamics 365 and Power Platform

Each designation has its own scoring criteria. A partner can hold one or more designations, and customers can search the Microsoft partner directory to find partners qualified in specific areas.

How are Solutions Partners different from Gold Partners?

The Solutions Partner programme replaced Microsoft Gold and Silver Partner designations. Under the old system, Silver represented roughly the top 5% of partners and Gold the top 1%.

Gold and Silver were divided into individual competencies. Talk Think Do, for example, held competencies in DevOps, Cloud Computing Platforms, Application Development, and Application Integration.

Old requirements (Gold)

• A minimum of four certified individuals in the chosen competency
• Technology assessments to prove technical depth
• Customer references demonstrating successful project delivery
• A specified performance commitment

New requirements (Solutions Partner)

• At least 70 capability points across performance, skilling, and customer success
• Sustained Azure consumption across multiple customers (not a one-off threshold)
• Annual growth commitment in Azure spend
• Continuous certification maintenance (not just initial qualification)

The key difference is that Solutions Partner status requires ongoing proof of delivery. Gold was primarily an initial qualification. Solutions Partner is a continuous measurement. If your Azure consumption drops or your team certifications lapse, you lose the designation.

What does this mean for customers in 2026?

Three years into the programme, the Solutions Partner ecosystem has matured. Here is what it means for businesses choosing a Microsoft technology partner today.

Easier due diligence

You can verify a partner’s specific designations rather than relying on a broad “Gold Partner” claim. A partner with Digital and App Innovation status has been assessed specifically on cloud application development, Kubernetes, and DevOps. That is more useful than knowing they passed a generic cloud competency.

Smaller, more qualified pool

The Solutions Partner bar is higher than Gold. The continuous measurement requirement means fewer partners maintain their status year over year. When you see the designation, it represents current capability, not a badge earned in 2019.

Specific expertise signals

Each designation maps to a clear solution area. If you need legacy application modernisation on Azure, look for Infrastructure or Digital and App Innovation designations. If you need AI development, look for Data and AI.

Quick evaluation checklist for 2026

Before shortlisting a Microsoft partner, verify the following:

• Designation match: Does the partner hold the Solutions Partner designation that maps to your project? (Digital and App Innovation for custom software, Infrastructure for migration, Data and AI for machine learning.)
• Active status: Is the designation current? Check the Microsoft partner directory, not the partner’s own claims.
• Certification depth: How many engineers hold relevant Azure certifications? One certified individual can support a designation technically, but you want breadth across the delivery team.
• Case study evidence: Ask for case studies in your sector or with similar technical complexity. Designations prove programme-level capability. Case studies prove project-level capability.
• Azure service specifics: Which Azure services does the partner deploy regularly? A broad Digital and App Innovation designation does not guarantee expertise in, say, AKS or Azure AI Foundry.
• Ongoing delivery: Is the partner actively delivering Azure projects now, or did they qualify and move on? The continuous measurement requirement helps here, but it is still worth asking.

Still searching for a Microsoft Gold Partner?

If you arrived here looking for a Microsoft Gold Partner, you are not alone. “Microsoft Gold Partner” remains one of the most searched terms in this space, even though the programme ended in 2022.

The short answer: Gold Partners no longer exist. Every former Gold Partner either qualified for the new Solutions Partner programme or lost their accredited status. The Solutions Partner designation is the direct replacement, with stricter ongoing requirements.

If you previously worked with a Gold Partner and want to verify their current status, search the Microsoft partner directory. Any partner still displaying a Gold badge without a current Solutions Partner designation may not have maintained their accreditation.

Talk Think Do’s Microsoft Solutions Partner status

Talk Think Do holds Solutions Partner designations for:

• Digital and App Innovation (Azure): Cloud-native applications, Kubernetes (AKS), DevOps, and GitHub
• Azure Infrastructure: Migration, hybrid cloud, and infrastructure management
• DevOps and GitHub: CI/CD, GitHub Actions, and GitHub Advanced Security

These designations replaced and expanded on our previous Gold Cloud Platform competency. The team holds Azure Developer, DevOps Engineer Expert, and Azure Solutions Architect certifications across multiple engineers.

Our Solutions Partner status is backed by real client delivery across education, government, and financial services. See our Microsoft partnership page for the full list of Azure services we work with and case studies demonstrating our capabilities.

Choosing a Microsoft Solutions Partner

When evaluating potential partners, look beyond the badge:

• Check the specific designations. A Solutions Partner for Modern Work is not the same as one for Digital and App Innovation. Make sure the designation matches your project requirements.
• Ask about Azure services. Which specific Azure services does the partner deploy regularly? A broad designation does not guarantee expertise in the particular services your project needs.
• Review case studies. Designations prove capability at a programme level. Case studies prove capability on projects similar to yours.
• Check certification depth. How many engineers on the team hold relevant Azure certifications? A single certified individual can technically support a designation, but you want depth across the team.

If you are looking for a Microsoft Solutions Partner to lead your next project, explore our custom software development and AI development and implementation services, or book a consultation to discuss your requirements.

Further reading

• Microsoft Solutions Partner designations FAQ
• Find a Microsoft partner
• Talk Think Do: Microsoft partnership page