

The new Microsoft Cloud Partner Program will aim to drive and promote partners' proficiency in six technology areas, per Clark's post: MPN Gold and Silver Badges Will Be Retired "It aligns our partners' go-to-market motions with the way customers buy today." "This announcement is about more than a name this change better reflects the enormous and ongoing transition of business operations to the cloud, and how Microsoft intends to support partners in the future," he wrote. Clark characterized the coming switch to the Microsoft Cloud Partner Program as a reflection of current IT tailwinds that point to ever-growing cloud adoption among enterprises. Tellingly, Microsoft has raised the profile of its 7-year-old Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) partner model steadily in recent years. Since its launch, the MPN has undergone multiple reorgs and revamps, including the formation of One Commercial Partner (OCP), a channel-facing organization.

This is the biggest change to Microsoft's partner program since 2009, when it replaced the earlier Microsoft Partner Program with the current Microsoft Partner Network.
