For many integrators and value-added resellers today, the key is not just in providing a system solution to an end-user, but also to ensure that it has the proper testing and certification to run on a certain platform. This month, our experts weigh in on the importance of attaining Microsoft ® Gold Certification and having the right Microsoft Certified Professionals (MCP) on board at your company.

How did your company obtain Microsoft and other certification credentials and what was the importance of that accreditation?

Klark Trickey, support specialist, Digital MD Systems, Bedford , Texas : Our credentials were obtained after developing software utilizing the Microsoft OS framework. After becoming familiar with the tools available, we achieved Microsoft certifications to further enhance our skills. We obtained the corporate credentials to gain access to the benefits provided by Microsoft and to add value to our company in our customers' eyes.

Rich Hlavka, senior vice president of Business Development, Lumension Security, Scottsdale , Ariz. : Since many of our solutions utilize Microsoft .NET and SQL Server, we believe it's vitally important to have our products tested and certified to run on Windows platforms. The certifications further help our customer know that our solutions are compatible with other software and hardware assets. The process requires an application followed by third-party testing to validate the compatibility and or interoperability of the offerings.   

Les Kent, president, Progent Corp., San Jose , Calif. : We have been Microsoft Gold certified for four years and to obtain that we have achieved a number of points which MS allocates to different areas. One area is having MS certified individuals as part of the organization. Different points are assigned for different levels of certification. To be MS Gold a company needs 20 or so MS certified individuals and customer references on what the company has done and points are assigned there as well. There are also competency points which can be earned by a combination of customer references and engineers certified in specific technical disciplines.

Paul West, principal, SharePoint360, San Diego , Calif. : We obtained Microsoft certification credentials shortly after founding our company in 2006 (Certified in 2007, Gold status in 2008). As a small company, we knew that having the “stamp of approval” from Microsoft was not only important but also a distinguishing factor. In addition, we wanted to tap into the resources that Microsoft offers its partners – from sales and marketing collateral, to training and events as well as access to the Microsoft support and software.