Nerdio Enabling MSPs To Achieve New Microsoft Azure Designation

“Nerdio can directly impact a partner’s ability to achieve almost all of the minimum 70 points they need,” said Nerdio CRO Joseph Landes.

Nerdio CRO Joseph Landes

With the new Microsoft Cloud Partner Program approaching, Nerdio is creating an easy button for channel partners and MSPs to achieve the new Azure Infrastructure designation.

Microsoft’s Azure Infrastructure designation is granted to partners on a points-based system with channel partners needing a minimum of 70 points based on different tasks and categories around Azure skills, performance and customer success.

“Nerdio can directly impact a partner’s ability to achieve almost all of the minimum 70 points they need,” Nerdio’s CRO Joseph Landes told CRN. “Those 70 points are accumulated by doing different tasks so you get a certain amount of points for each task. Using Nerdio is probably the fastest way to do it.”

For example, a partner can achieve around 30 points when they deploy a certain number of new tenants in Azure. “Well, Nerdio is the easiest way for anyone to deploy a new tenant in Azure. We could do it in less than 60 minutes,” Landes said.

[Related: Nerdio CRO Sees Boost From VMware, Citrix ‘Chaos’]

Partners also gain points via the deployment of advanced services in Azure.

“So advanced services like [Microsoft’s] FSLogix profiles or networking–things that are not basic compute. As it turns out, when you deploy Nerdio, by default, you deploy these advanced services as well,” said Landes.

“Once you deploy your first customer, you’re also deploying these advanced services by the default way of configuring Nerdio. So you’re going to accumulate points there,” he said.

To achieve roughly 20 points for the Azure Infrastructure cloud designation in the Microsoft Cloud Partner Program, partners have to grow their Azure consumed revenue.

“Typically, when an MSP deploys Nerdio—they’re growing their Azure consume revenue somewhere in the area of about 180 percent per year,” said Landes. “So that helps MSPs because they just become so much more efficient in knowing how to use Azure that it just makes it easier for them to keep growing their base of Azure customers. ... As an MSP, it’s almost a no brainer.”

The New Microsoft Cloud Partner Program

This year, Microsoft announced the Microsoft Partner Network programs would evolve to become the Microsoft Cloud Partner Program, effective in October.

The new program will include all of Microsoft’s ecosystem partners, including MSPs and independent software vendors (ISVs). By achieving a solutions partner designation, partners will become eligible to receive a new benefits package associated with the designation, Microsoft said.

For a partner to achieve the Azure Infrastructure designation, they must demonstrate their broad capability to help customers accelerate migration of key infrastructure workloads to Microsoft Azure.

Jim Brennan, President of Managed Services IT, who partners with Microsoft and Nerdio, told CRN that he’s excited Nerdio is helping make his company’s life easier.

“They are basically developing a program that will help our technicians get certified and help MSPs get into the program,” said Brennan. He also touted “industry leader” Nerdio’s commitment to its partners, such as the company’s newly revamped partner program.

Nerdio Revamps MSP Partner Program

Chicago-based Nerdio empowers MSPs and enterprises to build successful cloud practices in Microsoft Azure with Azure Virtual Desktop and Windows 365.

In July, the company revamped its MSP partner program with new benefits and tier structures to best support MSPs who focus on serving small and mid-size business (SMB) customers.

The new program includes new discounts on Nerdio Manager for MSP licenses ranging from 25 percent to 75 percent, as well as dedicated partner success managers to coordinate Azure Business Reviews, suggest Azure cost-optimization methods and assist with sales and quoting.

“The new program allowed me to streamline my costs to a monthly number. Setting my licenses, support and all the add-ons to a fixed cost for the year,” said Brennan. “The discounts I also receive on those licenses saves me money as I add cloud users.”

Overall, Brennan said Nerdio is partner-friendly and a top-notch cloud company looking out for the channel.

“Nerdio is helping me grow my cloud business from the ground up with every tool an MSP would need,” said Brennan. “I just wish I met them when I first started.”