Microsoft: “Our partners directly or in collaboration influence over 95% of Microsoft’s commercial revenue” – Times of India

Venkat Krishnan is executive director, global partner solutions (GPS) at Microsoft India. In his current role, Krishnan leads the Microsoft’s business strategy across the partner ecosystem in the country. Under his leadership, the GPS team is responsible for managing initiatives and programs that enable partners to build IP, services, and businesses to deliver solutions for digital transformation. He has spent seven years at Microsoft in multiple roles, managing the partner ecosystem and the commercial business. An industry veteran with close to three decades of professional experience, Krishnan has previously worked with Oracle India, Sun Microsystems, Comsat Max, Motorola and Tata Telecom. In an interaction with Times of India Tech-Gadgets Now, Krishnan spoke about Microsoft’s Global Partner program, its benefits, selection criteria and more. Excerpts:
Can you tell us more about Microsoft’s Global Partner Solutions Program and how it is impacting the technology ecosystem?
Our partners have played a central role in delivering technologies, transforming businesses, and making a positive impact on people and economies for more than 30 years. Microsoft and its partners share the common goal of assisting our customers in achieving business growth and digital acceleration. In fact, our partners directly or in collaboration influence over 95% of Microsoft’s commercial revenue. Our partners have long tapped into the power of machine learning and AI using Microsoft’s developer tools and cloud technologies, and we have been focused on helping partners capitalise on opportunities of cloud solutions and services.
How does Microsoft choose its partners for the program, and what are the benefits for those selected?
While any partner can join the Microsoft Cloud Partner Program, predetermined criteria such as levels of proven expertise, specialisations aligned to Microsoft’s solution areas, and levels of investment in Microsoft relationships define the tiering of partners. We focus on co-innovating with our partners and jointly going to market with tailored solutions.
When partners join the Microsoft Cloud Partner Program, they receive a set of benefits including access to a global network, insights, tools, training, resources, and programs to strengthen their capabilities, build connections, drive customer success, and reach their full business potential. Partners can expect to make between $7 to $10 for every $1 Microsoft makes. We also offer strong co-sell opportunities to help partners engage customers worldwide, and tap into our global brand, sales motions, and demand-generation capabilities.
We are continuously investing in creating thoughtful, customer-first, partner-led initiatives, and programs to ensure that every partner has a chance to participate in the opportunity to grow and accelerate.
With the increasing competition in the tech industry, how does Microsoft ensure that its partners remain competitive and up to date with the latest technologies?
Our work with partners impacts every facet of what we do; from conception of ideas with our customers, to how we inspire and design and how we execute in the field and drive deals together. And, most importantly, it impacts how we help customers realize the value of our technology. This means ensuring that our partners stay competitive in the ever-evolving technology landscape and helping them realize the full potential of technological innovations.
Last year, we revamped our Microsoft Cloud Partner Program, reflecting our increased investments and partner commitment. This program is for all partners, whether they build and sell services, software solutions or devices, and now offers 28 specialisations, providing partners with flexibility on where they choose to invest for their business and serve their customers’ needs.
How did the pandemic affect the program, and what measures did Microsoft take to support its partners during this time?
The pandemic fast-tracked digital transformation across organizations around the globe. Helping organizations adapt and innovate quickly during this time was crucial, and our focus on empowering our customers through this transformational journey created numerous opportunities for our partners that enabled them to thrive through this unpredictable time, while helping customers stay resilient, be it in driving hybrid work, end-to-end security, charting IT roadmaps for organizations or ensuring business continuity.
What plans does Microsoft have for the future of Global Partner Solutions and how do you see it evolving in the coming years?
As the world around us evolves, we are focused on empowering our partners – and by extension, our customers, through three key commitment areas. Firstly, we are strengthening our digital capabilities by providing guidelines and resources for solution-building, market strategies, and selling with Microsoft. We are aligning partner experiences across the commercial marketplace, Partner Center, and Microsoft Cloud Partner Program for effective collaboration.
Secondly, we are committed to deepening partner technical capabilities by offering specialisations, technical training, and joint capabilities in areas such as business applications, Azure, security, compliance, and identity.
Lastly, we are streamlining engagement between Microsoft and our partners by sharing more opportunities and enhancing the commercial marketplace and Partner Center, making it easier for partners to engage with us and drive profitability. For example, in July 2021, we reduced our marketplace transaction fee from 20% to 3%, enabling partners to invest more in their own growth plans.
Are there also some technology/technologies that you focus on or are important while picking your partners for the program?
We focus on six solution areas across Azure, Modern Work, Security and Business Applications to go to market, and our partner offerings and solution specialisations are aligned to these. This not only ensures that our partners can demonstrate their capabilities and differentiation, but also helps customers find the right partner organisation for their needs.