You’ve probably seen the logo or heard the pitch, “we are a Microsoft Gold Partner…”. At Compass365 and General Networks, we proudly display our Microsoft Gold Partnership for Cloud and Collaboration technologies on our website, proposals and in other places like our signatures. It’s obviously a designation by Microsoft for having achieved a level of competency in one or more areas of service for Microsoft products, but how does that really benefit you, your projects, and your organization?

Compass365 Microsoft Gold Partner

The process for becoming a Microsoft Gold Partner and for staying a Gold Partner is intensive, and just 1% of Microsoft providers achieve this status. The dedication of the individuals and organization achieving Gold status contribute to our customers’ success in many ways. Here’s seven ways you will benefit from working with a Microsoft Gold Partner.

Microsoft Gold Partners are:

  • Rigorously Vetted – Gold Certified is the highest level of partnership to be earned by a Microsoft Consulting organization. Qualifiers include training, certifications, and customer reference checks. When you see a Gold Partner logo, you can be assured that you are working with a firm that has invested in its consultants, methods and practices and knows what they are doing.

  • Always Up to Date – Microsoft moves fast and is constantly improving the Microsoft 365 platform, including SharePoint Online, Microsoft Teams and Power Platform.  it is difficult for customers to stay on top of the Microsoft roadmap and best practices, so we take on that responsibility to ensure you are deploying solutions that take full advantage of the platform and are sustainable for the future.

  • Well-Staffed – As a Gold Partner, we are required to have at least 4 Certified Professionals on our team at all times, and we re-certify often. Our Architects establish proven processes for implementation and mentor other Consultants.  The Solutions Architects and Consultants collaborate to provide innovative solutions to complex business problems and can step in to cover for each other as needed to avoid downtime in our projects. This helps to ensure your project is completed successfully, on-time and within budget.

  • Dedicated Professionals – Gold Partners invest time, money and energy to remain in step with Microsoft’s roadmap and best practices. For us, it’s not just a job, but a chosen profession. Just as we’d expect other highly skilled services providers in our lives to stay up on the latest techniques and advances, we demand that of ourselves as well.  We then digest the information and keep our clients informed of important happenings through a variety of channels, including consulting sessions, newsletters, and blog posts.

  • Connected to Microsoft – In the event that an issue needs to be escalated to Microsoft or to get the latest product announcements and offerings, Gold Partners have a line of communication with the software giant.  We also understand the complexities of working through Microsoft support and help our customers navigate that process more efficiently than if they were to go it alone.

  • Active Community Members – The Microsoft Community is a strong network of customers, Microsoft employees, MVP’s and partners, Gold and otherwise.  The community is collaborative, and we pull together to share knowledge and expertise that benefits our customers.  While we focus on collaboration tools – SharePoint, Teams, Power Platform, our trusted network partners can provide Microsoft Project or Dynamics expertise as needed.

  • Passionate about Microsoft Technologies – Not everyone loves Microsoft technologies, but we do!  As a Gold Partner, we have deployed the tools internally that we implement for customers. SharePoint for document management, Teams for collaboration, and more. We are passionate about sharing what we’ve learned internally and through delivering 100’s of projects to help organizations leverage Microsoft 365 to enable collaboration and improve efficiency.

Interested in learning more about Compass365’s services?  Happy to help. Please see more on our Services or reach out directly to Cathy Ashbaugh, cashbaugh@compass365.com to arrange for a complimentary consultation.

Compass365, a Microsoft Gold Partner, delivers SharePoint, Microsoft Teams and Power Platform solutions that help IT and Business leaders improve the way their organizations operate and how their employees work.