Building Your Azure Practice A-Z: Part 1: Laying the Foundation

Starting an Azure practice is an exciting opportunity for our Microsoft Partners looking to capitalize on the growing demand for cloud solutions. Microsoft Azure continues to expand its market share, and businesses worldwide are seeking trusted partners to help them migrate, modernize, and optimize their cloud environments. 

However, before you can land your first Azure deal, you need to establish a solid foundation. This means understanding the Microsoft partner ecosystem, registering your business correctly, and aligning your services with Microsoft’s programs and incentives. 

In this first instalment of “Building Your Azure Practice A-Z”, we’ll walk through the essential steps to set up your Azure practice for long-term success with the support of your Surestep Ambassador assigned to your account as this guide will walk you through each foundational step in detail, explaining not just what to do, but why it matters and how to execute it effectively. 

Understanding the Microsoft Partner Ecosystem 

Microsoft’s partner network is designed to support businesses that sell, implement, or manage Microsoft cloud solutions. As an Azure partner, you’ll gain access to technical resources, sales enablement tools, co-marketing opportunities, and financial incentives. 

Before registering or investing in certifications, it’s crucial to grasp how Microsoft’s partner program works. The Microsoft Cloud Partner Program (MCPP) is the gateway to selling, implementing, and managing Azure solutions with Microsoft’s backing. 

Why this matters 
Microsoft has designed its partner network to reward competency and customer success. Unlike traditional reselling, becoming an Azure partner means accessing: 

• Co-selling opportunities where Microsoft’s sales teams refer deals to you. 

• Technical support and sandbox environments for testing solutions. 

• Financial incentives such as rebates for driving Azure consumption. 

• Market credibility through badges like "Solutions Partner for Azure." 

How to Navigate the Ecosystem 
First, determine your business model. Will you focus on reselling Azure (via the Cloud Solution Provider program), managed services (Azure MSP), or consulting (migrations, security, AI)? Each path has different requirements: 

• Resellers need to enroll in the CSP program to purchase and resell Azure subscriptions. 

• Consulting partners should pursue Solution Partner designations in areas like Infrastructure or Data & AI. 

• Managed Service Providers must meet additional operational criteria, such as 24/7 monitoring capabilities. 

Microsoft’s partner portal provides a roadmap, but many new partners make the mistake of spreading themselves too thin. The key is to pick one specialization first, master it, and then expand. 

Registering Your Business in Microsoft Partner Center 

Why proper registration matters is because without a correctly configured Partner Center account, you won’t have access to deal registration, incentives, or technical resources. Many partners rush through this step, only to face delays later when trying to register deals or claim rebates. 

Here’s a quick walkthrough of registration 
1. Create your Account 

• Go to partner.microsoft.com and sign up using a work email (not a personal Microsoft account). 

• Microsoft will verify your business via email and may require additional documentation, such as a business license or tax ID. 

2. Choose your Partner type 

• If you plan to resell Azure, select Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) during enrollment. 

• If you’re a services firm, choose Advisory or Consulting Partner. 

3. Complete Legal and Tax Forms 

• Microsoft requires W-9 (U.S.) or VAT (international) details for payouts. 

• Ensure your legal business name matches official records to avoid payment delays. (Important) 

4. Set Up Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) 

• Partner Center mandates MFA for security. Use an authenticator app rather than SMS for reliability 

5. Assign Roles in Your Organization 

• Designate an Admin (manages users and permissions). 

• Assign Technical Leads (access to Azure Subscriptions etc). 

• Appoint Sales/Marketing roles for co-selling and incentives. 

Common Pitfalls to Avoid 

• Using personal Microsoft accounts – Always register with a company email domain. 

• Incorrect tax details – This can delay incentive payouts by months. 

• Skipping MFA setup – You’ll be locked out until it’s configured. 

Selecting and Earning Azure Specializations 

Microsoft uses Solution Partner designations to highlight partners with proven expertise. Customers often filter for these badges when searching for providers. 

Deep Dive into Key Azure Specializations 

1. Infrastructure 

• Focus: Virtual machines, networking, storage. 

• Requirements: 

• Two+ employees with AZ-104 (Azure Administrator) certification. 

• Customer references showing successful deployments. 

• $1,000+ in Azure consumption or services revenue per customer 

2. Data & AI 

• Focus: Databases, analytics, machine learning. 

• Requirements: 

• Certifications like DP-900 (Data Fundamentals) and AI-102 (AI Engineer). 

• Demonstrated projects using Azure Synapse or Cosmos DB. 

3. Security 

• Focus: Azure Sentinel, Defender for Cloud. 

• Requirements: 

• SC-900 (Security Fundamentals) and AZ-500 (Azure Security Engineer). 

• Documented security assessments or incident response engagements. 

Deep Dive into Key Azure Specializations 

• Start with one – Trying to qualify for multiple specializations upfront dilutes focus. 

• Leverage Microsoft Learn – Free training modules align with certification paths. 

• Use Partner Credits – Microsoft provides Azure credits to partners for hands-on practice. 

Building Technical and Operational Readiness 

Microsoft uses Solution Partner designations to highlight partners with proven expertise. Customers often filter for these badges when searching for providers. 

Technical Team Development 
Microsoft requires certified professionals to validate your expertise. Here’s how to structure your team: 

• Azure Administrators (AZ-104 certified) to handle core infrastructure. 

• Solutions Architects (AZ-305) for designing cloud environments. 

• DevOps Engineers (AZ-400) if offering CI/CD pipelines. 

Setting Up Your Azure Sandbox 

• Request Azure Partner Credits via Partner Center (typically $1,000+/month). 

• Build demo environments for common scenarios: 

• Hybrid cloud (Azure Arc + on-premises servers). 

• Disaster recovery (Site Recovery between regions). 

• Cost optimization (Azure Advisor recommendations). 

Operational Tools to Implement Early 

• Microsoft Cost Management – Track demo environment spending. 

• Azure Lighthouse – For managing customer subscriptions securely. 

• Partner Center Analytics – Monitor progress toward specializations. 

Preparing for Your First Customer Engagement 

Define your Offerings 
Define your offerings but avoid vague "Azure consulting" services. Instead, package: 

• Azure Migration Sprint (2-week assessment + pilot migration). 

• Cost Optimization Review (Identify wasted spend with Microsoft tools). 

• Security Baseline Audit (Azure Defender + Sentinel evaluation). 

Finding the Right First Customers 
This is a very important step towards a successful practice: 

• Existing Clients – Those running Windows Server or SQL Server are ideal candidates. 

• Use propensity lists provided by our Surestep team to discover the next possible workload from existing Microsoft 365 customers and Microsoft Referrals: Once you’re a registered partner, Microsoft’s field sellers can introduce you to leads. 

• Register for our “Cloud Champion” platform and attend the events to get more information. 

Structuring the First Deal 
Your first deal will determine your landscape ahead and don’t fear any failures. This is how many partners learn from mistakes made and correct them going forward: 

• Offer a fixed-price assessment ($2,000–$5,000) rather than free work. 

• Use Microsoft’s Azure Migration Assessment Tool to generate automated reports. 

• Include a pilot migration (e.g., 5–10 VMs) to demonstrate value before a full rollout. 

If the above is way over your abilities, 4Sight and Microsoft offer funded assessments and migration offers that will help you move forward with your prospective customer. Do contact your Surestep Ambassador to assist you in this process. 

From Foundation to First Revenue 

This would be a great starting point to have your foundations built for your Azure Practice and should have a good idea where to start identifying key aspects of developing your resources and energy and should be able to do the following: 

• A fully registered Partner Center account. 

• A clear specialization path with certifications in progress. 

• A sandbox environment for testing. 

• A defined service offering and target customer profile. 

Our next blog will cover Building Technical Capabilities where we will dive into certifications, migration options from Microsoft. But without this foundation, scaling your Azure practice will be an uphill battle. 

If you require more assistance with this process, please contact your Surestep Ambassador team at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to assist you with possible guidance building a successful Azure Practice.