Microsoft

Accenture, Capgemini and Ernst & Young prevailed in multiple categories of this year’s Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards.

The big winner was Accenture, paired with Avanade, which came out on top in seven of this year’s 56 subcategories. Avanade is a subsidiary of Accenture born in 2000. Both Avanade and Accenture expanded the venture with the formation of the Microsoft Business Group two years ago.

In the artificial intelligence (AI) subcategory, contract life cycle management (CLM) solution provider Icertis created its Discover AI solution using Microsoft’s Azure AI. During the past year, Microsoft said it has generated strong co-sell and customer success. Microsoft also recognized Capgemini for using the Azure Synapse analytics platform for Volvo Group’s transformation. And Insight won for Azure migration for a solution that enabled 150% year-over-year growth in Azure-consumed revenue over the past year.

The Accenture/Avanade group took three of its seven wins deploying business applications with Dynamics 365. It played a big role in selling and deploying Dynamics 365 Customer Insights to top Fortune 500 clients, according to Microsoft. In topping the Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management and Finance subcategory, Accenture and the Accenture Microsoft Business Group have developed what Microsoft describes as the most sophisticated practices, thanks to numerous ISV relationships and its centers of excellence. Microsoft also gave Accenture/Avanade top score for its Dynamics 365 Customer Service practice, where it grew license revenue by 178% and the installed base by 68%.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic last year, growth of Microsoft Teams was fueled primarily by the use of virtual meetings and Teams calling. A leading Microsoft Teams partner, UnifiedCommunications.com supported 5,600 customers that deployed or expanded their use of Teams. Campana & Schott in Germany deployed a service for frontline retail workers that includes Teams, Microsoft Enterprise Mobility and Security, BizApps and Azure.

SHI International became one of the largest resellers of Surface Hub, Microsoft’s room conferencing system.

Microsoft has made a stronger push into enabling partners focused on key vertical industries. Blue Yonder, the winner of this year’s manufacturing subcategory, created 13-cosell offerings available in Azure.

In its new social impact category, Microsoft gave awards for three subcategories. The Community Response winner is uPlanner, a global edtech provider that develops and deploys higher education solutions. Schneider Electric won the Sustainability Changemaker award, for EcoStruxure, an IoT platform designed to integrate process and energy technology for buildings, data centers and infrastructure.

Ernst & Young was the first of the big four global accounting firms to build a dedicated digital transformation service based on the new Microsoft Services Group. EY developed various digital transformation services using Azure AI and Machine Learning, Dynamics 365 and Power Platform across industries and geographies according to Microsoft. EY also developed some key solutions, including the Global Tax Platform, Vaccine Management System and Grant Accelerator.

Microsoft also recognized F5 as an early developer of marketplaces and for its success in co-sell. Hyro, which offers an adaptive communications platform that provides conversational AI and natural langrage automation, won the Microsoft for Startups subcategory. It provided the Hyro COVID-19 Virtual Assistant free to health care providers, to provide information to health care professionals and support personnel. Its virtual assistants have served 3 million patients during the pandemic.