Indigo is now a Microsoft Solutions Partner for AI Business Solutions, which we qualified for through Microsoft's Modern Work pathway: Microsoft 365, Teams and the modern workplace. It isn't a badge a company can buy. Microsoft scores partners on certified staff, new customers and how well their customers actually use Microsoft 365, and only awards the designation at 70 points out of 100 with points in every measure. Here's what that score means, and what to ask any IT company that shows you a Microsoft logo.
Our news first
On 26 October 2026 Indigo was awarded Microsoft's Solutions Partner designation, which Microsoft reassesses every year. Since August 2026 Microsoft has shown it as Solutions Partner for AI Business Solutions. We qualified through the Modern Work pathway, the part of Microsoft's programme that covers Microsoft 365, Teams, Intune and the tools people use to work day to day.
It reflects work the whole team has put in: engineers sitting Microsoft certifications on top of a full support week, and more than 100 Microsoft 365 migrations for clients across Scotland. We're proud of it. But a logo on a website is only worth something if you know what's behind it, so the rest of this article is about that.
"Microsoft partner" can mean almost anything
Most IT companies in Scotland describe themselves as a Microsoft partner. They can mean very different things by it:
| What they might mean | What it takes |
|---|---|
| A member of Microsoft's partner programme | Signing up. Any business can join. |
| A Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) reseller | Being able to sell Microsoft 365 licences, directly or through a distributor. |
| A Solutions Partner | Scoring at least 70 out of 100 on Microsoft's own measures of skills, growth and customer success, with points in every measure, and being re-checked every year. |
| A Solutions Partner with a specialisation | A Solutions Partner designation first, then further requirements in one area, such as Calling for Microsoft Teams. |
So "we're a Microsoft partner" tells you very little. "We're a Solutions Partner" tells you Microsoft has measured something.
What Microsoft actually checks
For the Modern Work pathway, Microsoft calculates a "partner capability score" from data it already holds in its partner systems, not from a form the partner fills in. There are five measures. A partner needs at least one point in every one of them, as well as 70 points in total:
- Net customer adds. Is the partner winning new businesses that use Microsoft 365, compared with the same month a year earlier? Customers who leave count against the total.
- Intermediate certifications. How many staff hold Microsoft certifications such as Teams Administrator or Endpoint Administrator?
- Advanced certifications. Does at least one person hold an advanced-level Microsoft 365 certification?
- Usage growth. Are more people at the partner's customers actively using Microsoft 365 than a year ago?
- Deployments. How many customers use what they pay for, with at least 40% of paid users active each month in a workload such as Teams, SharePoint, Intune or Exchange?
There are two routes to qualify: one for partners working mainly with large enterprises, and one for small and medium businesses, where a customer counts if it has between 11 and 300 paid licences in a workload. Microsoft scores partners on both and uses the better of the two. Most of our clients have between 10 and 500 staff, so we sit naturally in the small and medium business route.
Why the last two measures matter most to you
The first three measures are about the partner. The last two are about the partner's customers.
Microsoft doesn't give credit for selling licences. It gives credit when those licences are used. A business that buys 50 Microsoft 365 Business Premium licences but only uses Outlook isn't a deployment in Microsoft's eyes, and nor is one where a quarter of the team still saves files to their laptop desktop and never opens Teams.
That matches what we see every week. The most common Microsoft 365 problem we find when we take on a new client isn't a missing licence. It's licences that are paid for and not used:
- Business Premium bought, but Intune never set up, so laptops aren't managed or encrypted.
- Defender included, but not switched on or not monitored.
- Teams installed, but the office still runs on a shared mailbox and email attachments.
- SharePoint available, but files living on a server in a cupboard or in one person's OneDrive.
A Solutions Partner has had to show Microsoft that its customers get past that stage.
A worked example
Take a 35-person construction firm in Lanarkshire with 35 Microsoft 365 Business Premium licences. Only email and the Office apps are used. Site managers share files over WhatsApp, laptops aren't enrolled in Intune, and nobody looks at the Defender alerts.
That business is paying for device management, endpoint protection and a document system it isn't using, and by Microsoft's own measure it isn't a successful deployment. Getting Intune enrolment, a SharePoint site for each project and Teams channels for site teams in place usually takes a few weeks. It needs no new licences, and it closes real risks, from a lost laptop full of drawings to a snagging list that only exists on one site manager's phone.
What it doesn't mean
It's worth being clear about the limits too:
- It isn't a promise about service. Microsoft measures skills and customer outcomes, not how quickly someone answers your call. Ask for response times in writing. Ours are on our IT support packages page: every ticket gets a first response in under 30 minutes.
- It isn't permanent. Microsoft checks the designation again every year. If a partner's certified staff leave or its customers' usage drops, it can lose it.
- It doesn't cover everything Microsoft makes. Modern Work is about Microsoft 365. Azure, Dynamics 365 and security each have their own pathways and scores.
- It isn't the only credential that matters. For security, look for Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus. For how a supplier runs itself, look for ISO 9001 and ISO 27001. We hold all four: see our accreditations.
Five questions to ask any IT provider about Microsoft
Whether you're talking to us or anyone else, these questions separate a logo from real capability:
- "Are you a Solutions Partner, and in which area?" If the answer is "we're a Microsoft partner", ask what that means. A genuine designation comes with a current badge and a renewal date.
- "How many of your engineers hold current Microsoft certifications, and which ones?" Microsoft certifications expire and have to be renewed, so ask about current ones.
- "Which Microsoft 365 features are we paying for but not using?" A good provider should be able to answer that soon after looking at your tenant.
- "How do you manage our laptops and phones?" If the answer doesn't include Intune or a similar tool, your devices probably aren't being managed properly.
- "What happens to our licences and data if we leave you?" You should own your tenant and your data, and moving should be straightforward.
What this means for Indigo clients
If you're already with us, nothing changes in how you contact us or how we support you. You can expect:
- Engineers who keep their Microsoft certifications current, because our designation depends on it.
- A continued focus on getting value from the Microsoft 365 licences you already pay for, including Intune, Defender, Teams and SharePoint, before we suggest anything new.
- An annual check by Microsoft that we're still meeting the standard.
What to do next
- Look at what you pay for. In the Microsoft 365 admin centre, check which licences you have and how many are assigned.
- Check whether your laptops are managed. If they don't appear in Intune, they aren't.
- Ask your current provider the five questions above.
- Book a free IT health check and we'll review your Microsoft 365 licences, security settings and how your team actually uses it, and tell you what to fix first. You can also call us on 0141 442 0202 or get in touch.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Microsoft Solutions Partner the same as a Microsoft Gold Partner?
No. Microsoft no longer offers Gold and Silver partner memberships, and has asked partners to stop using those terms. The Solutions Partner designations are the current way Microsoft recognises partners' capability. A provider still calling itself a "Microsoft Gold Partner" is using an out-of-date title.
Why is it called AI Business Solutions when it's about Microsoft 365?
Microsoft now groups its designations under three customer-facing badges. The Modern Work pathway (Microsoft 365 and Teams) and the Business Applications pathway (Dynamics 365 and Power Platform) both lead to the Solutions Partner for AI Business Solutions badge. Partners still qualify through a specific pathway, and ours is Modern Work.
Do Microsoft 365 licences cost more through a Solutions Partner?
No. The designation doesn't change Microsoft's licence prices. What differs between providers is the setup, support and management around those licences.
Does Indigo have to re-qualify?
Yes. Microsoft checks the designation every year against the same measures, and we have to stay at 70 points or above, with points in every measure, to keep it.
Sources: Microsoft Learn, Solutions Partner for Modern Work, accessed October 2026 (https://learn.microsoft.com/partner-center/membership/solutions-partner-modern-work) · Microsoft Learn, Partner capability score, accessed October 2026 (https://learn.microsoft.com/partner-center/membership/partner-capability-score) · Microsoft Learn, Introduction to Solutions Partner designations, accessed October 2026 (https://learn.microsoft.com/partner-center/membership/introduction-to-pcs) · Microsoft Learn, Solutions Partner program FAQs, accessed October 2026 (https://learn.microsoft.com/partner-center/membership/solutions-partner-faq)
Related: How to save money on Microsoft 365 licences · How to back up Microsoft 365 properly · Managed IT support · Microsoft Teams calling · Our accreditations
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