The Value of Earning a Microsoft® Competency Through the Microsoft Partner Network, competencies can help your business demonstrate its expertise by aligning to how your customers buy and making certifications more recognizable to prospective customers. Partners with advanced competencies will represent organizations (and associated individuals) who have demonstrated the highest, most consistent capability and commitment within a specific business solution area. They have showcased best-in-class solutions that have undergone a rigorous and auditable approval process to demonstrate value to prospective customers. Information is subject to change and will be updated as new information becomes available. June 2010 Edition Contents Contents ............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2 Important Changes within this Guide....................................................................................................................................................... 3 Earning a Microsoft Competency ............................................................................................................................................................... 4 Why earn a competency? ........................................................................................................................................................................ 4 Which competencies can I earn? .......................................................................................................................................................... 5 Microsoft Partner Network Competencies ........................................................................................................................................ 5 Competency and Advanced Competency Benefits ............................................................................................................................. 6 Competency Core Benefits ...................................................................................................................................................................... 6 Competency Requirements .......................................................................................................................................................................... 8 General Requirements ............................................................................................................................................................................... 8 Competencies Eligible for Qualifying Product Testing ...................................................................................................................... 9 Next steps: ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 9 Application Integration ................................................................................................................................................................................ 11 Application Lifecycle Management ......................................................................................................................................................... 14 Business Intelligence...................................................................................................................................................................................... 17 Content Management .................................................................................................................................................................................. 21 Customer Relationship Management ..................................................................................................................................................... 25 Data Platform ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 30 Desktop .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 34 Digital Marketing ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 38 Enterprise Resource Planning .................................................................................................................................................................... 43 Hosting ............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 51 Identity and Security ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 55 Independent Software Vendor (ISV) ....................................................................................................................................................... 59 Learning.............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 62 Midmarket Solution Provider..................................................................................................................................................................... 65 Mobility .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 69 OEM Hardware ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 73 Portals and Collaboration ............................................................................................................................................................................ 77 Project and Portfolio Management ......................................................................................................................................................... 80 Search .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 84 Server Platform ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 88 Software Asset Management ..................................................................................................................................................................... 91 Software Development ................................................................................................................................................................................. 95 Systems Management................................................................................................................................................................................... 98 Unified Communications .......................................................................................................................................................................... 101 Virtualization ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 105 Volume Licensing ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 109 Web Development ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 112 Future Competencies ................................................................................................................................................................................. 114 How-To Guidance ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 116 How to track competency status ..................................................................................................................................................... 116 How long is a competency valid? .................................................................................................................................................... 116 How to associate Microsoft Certified Professionals .................................................................................................................. 116 How to create and track customer references ...........................................................................................................................