Services

Microsoft Gold Partner

Looking for a Microsoft Gold Partner? Here is what to know

The Microsoft Gold Partner programme was retired in 2022 and replaced by Microsoft Solutions Partner. Talk Think Do holds the successor designations: Solutions Partner for Digital and App Innovation (Azure) and Infrastructure (Azure), plus the DevOps with GitHub on Azure specialisation. We deliver the Azure expertise organisations once looked for in a Gold Partner.

Get a free consultation Our Microsoft partnership

The short version

What happened to the Microsoft Gold Partner programme

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.

Every former Gold Partner either qualified for the new programme or lost their accredited status. The Solutions Partner designation is the direct replacement, with stricter, continuously measured requirements.

For a full explanation of the change, read our guide on Microsoft Solutions Partner versus Gold, or see the detail of our capabilities on our Microsoft partnership page.

Gold to Solutions Partner

What changed and why it matters

The move from Gold to Solutions Partner makes it easier to verify a partner's real, current capability.

Gold and Silver were retired in 2022

Microsoft ended the Gold and Silver Partner designations in late 2022. Under the old model, Silver represented roughly the top 5% of partners and Gold the top 1%, based on competencies, certified individuals, and customer references.

Solutions Partner replaced them

The Solutions Partner programme uses continuous capability scores across performance, skilling, and customer success. A partner must earn at least 70 points, sustain Azure consumption across multiple customers, and commit to annual growth.

It is harder to earn and to keep

Gold was largely a one-off qualification. Solutions Partner status is measured continuously. If Azure consumption drops or team certifications lapse, the designation is lost, so it is a more current signal of capability.

Designations are specific, not generic

Instead of a single Gold badge, partners hold named designations that map to solution areas. You can verify exactly what a partner has been assessed against in the official Microsoft partner directory.

Our accreditation

Talk Think Do's Microsoft Solutions Partner designations

These designations replaced and expanded on our previous Microsoft Gold Cloud Platform competency.

Solutions Partner: Digital and App Innovation (Azure)

Recognised capability to build, run, and manage cloud-native applications on Azure, including Kubernetes (AKS), DevOps, and GitHub. This is the direct successor to the old Application Development and Cloud Platform competencies.

Solutions Partner: Infrastructure (Azure)

Azure Infrastructure specialisation covering migration, hybrid cloud, and infrastructure management for organisations moving from on-premises systems to the cloud.

DevOps with GitHub on Azure specialisation

Recognised for CI/CD delivery, GitHub Actions, GitHub Advanced Security, and Azure DevOps across client engagements.

AI Cloud Partner Program member

Member of the Microsoft AI partner programme, building on Azure OpenAI, Azure AI Foundry, and Azure AI Search.

What we deliver

Azure expertise you once looked for in a Gold Partner

As a Microsoft Solutions Partner, Azure underpins everything we build, from new applications to legacy modernisation and AI.

Azure-native application development

Cloud-native applications on Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), Azure Functions, Azure SQL, and Cosmos DB, built to best practice and tailored to your scale and compliance needs.

Legacy modernisation and migration

Moving organisations from on-premises and outdated cloud deployments to modern, scalable Azure platforms using the 6 Rs framework.

AI on Azure

Generative AI built on Azure OpenAI, Azure AI Foundry, Azure AI Search, and Semantic Kernel, including retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) and custom copilots.

DevOps and GitHub

CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure as code with Bicep, GitHub Actions, and GitHub Advanced Security for repeatable, secure delivery.

Seen enough? Let's talk through your requirements.

Book a free consultation

FAQ

Microsoft Gold Partner: frequently asked questions

Do Microsoft Gold Partners still exist?

No. Microsoft retired the Gold and Silver Partner designations in late 2022 and replaced them with the Microsoft Solutions Partner programme. Any organisation still displaying a Gold badge without a current Solutions Partner designation has either not maintained its accreditation or is using outdated branding.

You can verify a partner's current status in the Microsoft partner directory.

Is Talk Think Do a Microsoft Gold Partner?

Talk Think Do previously held a Microsoft Gold Cloud Platform competency under the old programme. Since Microsoft retired Gold in 2022, we hold the successor designations: Microsoft Solutions Partner for Digital and App Innovation (Azure) and Infrastructure (Azure), plus the DevOps with GitHub on Azure specialisation. These are the modern equivalent of, and a higher bar than, the old Gold status.

What replaced Microsoft Gold Partner status?

The Microsoft Solutions Partner programme. It measures partner capability continuously across six solution areas: Digital and App Innovation, Infrastructure, Data and AI, Security, Modern Work, and Business Applications. For cloud application development, the designation to look for is Digital and App Innovation (Azure).

How do I verify a Microsoft partner is genuinely accredited?

Search the official Microsoft partner directory at partner.microsoft.com and check the partner's listed designations there, rather than relying on their own marketing. Then ask for case studies in your sector and check how many engineers hold relevant Azure certifications. Designations prove programme-level capability; case studies prove project-level capability.

Which designation should I look for if I need cloud application development?

Digital and App Innovation (Azure). It covers cloud application development, Kubernetes, DevOps, and GitHub. For migration and hybrid cloud, look for Infrastructure (Azure). For AI and machine learning, look for Data and AI (Azure). Talk Think Do holds the Digital and App Innovation and Infrastructure designations.

AI insights

See how AI is changing how we build software

Our quarterly AI Velocity Report tracks real delivery metrics from live projects: how much of our code is AI-authored, how delivery timelines compare to baseline, and which tools are making a measurable difference. No marketing spin, just honest data from a team that builds software every day.

Read the latest AI Velocity Report

Need a Microsoft Solutions Partner for your Azure project?

Tell us about your project. We will bring the Azure engineering depth organisations once looked for in a Gold Partner, backed by current Solutions Partner designations and real client delivery.