Sage Construction is awarded the revamped Microsoft Gold Competency for Sage ERP EVision
February 2011
As a Microsoft Dynamics™ NAV partner, Sage Construction is particularly proud to again receive Gold certification in the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) category. This has been awarded for its provision of the EVision solution which sits at the core of its business-wide software to the construction, contracting industries, and at the heart of its equipment tracking and financial software for oilfield services industry. Sage Construction is particularly proud because Microsoft has raised the bar this year with a revamped partner programme that expects its top partners to dig deeper into key technologies.
To achieve accreditation, partners must be proficient with the latest Microsoft technologies and prove they have best-in-class skills that have been subject to rigorous and auditable approval processes.
As Microsoft’s director of partner strategy, Brent Colbert, says “Certifications and competencies showcase a partner’s demonstrated expertise and require customers to discern that the partner helps solve their specific business needs... The Microsoft Gold Competency signifies to the market that a company has demonstrated the highest level of skill and achievement within a given technology specialisation.”
New, stricter regulations
This year, Microsoft’s revamped Partner Network has made certifications more difficult to achieve, resulting in fewer Gold partners; historically 70% of partners were Gold, now there are only 30%.
Wes Simmons, General Manager of Sage Construction, explains “The new Microsoft Partner Network regulations are much stricter than before with new exam requirements covering NAV, SQL Server, pre-sales, sales, and implementation methodology competencies. Each partner must employ a greater number of Microsoft Certified Professionals and reference projects that are verified by the customers themselves, so achieving Gold status really sets us apart from other providers.”
Wes goes on to say, “It’s great to be able to prove that we offer trusted software and deliver successful projects; this top certification represents the quality of service we provide to our construction, contracting and oilfield services customers, and our ongoing commitment to delivering innovative solutions through our highly trained and competent people. Our customers benefit from our participation in the programme and the direct access we have to Microsoft’s resources and product teams. By helping our customers maximise their investment in our technology, we help them to increase revenues, reduce costs and gain a competitive edge.”
Sage and Microsoft working together
Microsoft Dynamics NAV sits at the heart of Sage ERP EVision, with Sage Construction tailoring the Construction-specific modules with which NAV seamlessly integrates. The newly gained Gold Competency clearly demonstrates the ongoing strong partnership between Sage and Microsoft, along with Sage’s commitment to the Sage ERP EVision product and its users.
Why work with a Microsoft Certified Partner?
Each Microsoft Certified Partner must employ a minimum number of Microsoft Certified Professionals (MCPs) who have a demonstrated level of technical expertise and the proven ability to deliver solutions featuring Microsoft products. MCPs must pass certification exams developed by Microsoft.
Microsoft Certified Partners typically offer several areas of technical expertise including infrastructure, networking, office automation, e-commerce, collaboration, business intelligence, and other leading edge disciplines. Microsoft Certified Partner services include consulting, training, implementation, maintenance/support, and hosting services.
Microsoft Certified Partners have access to 24 x 7 x 365 support for your project whenever they need additional support from Microsoft.
Microsoft Certified Partners have been in the business, on average, for more than 5 years. They bring experience to your projects gained through conducting similar projects over many years of service.