Published on the 30/06/2022 | Written by Heather Wright
Record number of awards head down under, as EY, Defend claim top A/NZ awards…
Local Microsoft partners have been basking in international glory, with a record five global Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards heading down under, and a further 14 companies making it to finalist stage.
The 2022 awards, part of the Microsoft Inspire partner event, also saw EY Australia named Microsoft’s Partner of the Year for Australia, with Defend picking up the New Zealand Partner of the Year gong.
This year’s awards were the most successful ever for A/NZ partners, with five global awards.
Australia’s Barhead Solutions, distributor Data#3, Engage Squared, Modis and Myriad Technologies all claimed victory in global categories.
Rachel Bondi, Microsoft Australia and New Zealand chief partner officer, partner solutions group, says the local success highlights partners’ abilities ‘to help customers build new capabilities and achieve true innovation by applying creative thinking and leveraging the latest technology’.
EY Australia edged out Data-Driven for the top Australian Partner of the Year award. Its win came on the back of a commitment to diversity, with its use of AI to monitor water drainage and vegetation growth using satellite imagery and its Document Intelligence Platform which can automatically extract insights quickly from relevant data in all types of documents, were also highlighted.
Meanwhile, in New Zealand, cybersecurity specialist Defend’s work with Foodstuffs North Island to build a ‘best in class, modern and secure supply chain’, was applauded, with Microsoft saying it enabled the company to keep food on shelves during Covid and spend more time focusing on higher-value areas of the business.
Tauranga legal matter and contract management SaaS provider LawVu was a finalist for the NZ Partner of the Year.
More than 3,900 Microsoft partners from 126 countries were vying for the 58 awards on offer, with Bondi noting this year’s awards were ‘the most successful ever’ for A/NZ partners.
In the global categories, Barhead Solutions took out the Community Response award in the Social Impact category for its work with NSW Police in developing the RiseUp app which streamlines police and case workers’ engagement with disaffected and at risk youth.
Engage Squared’s work as the number one Microsoft Teams partner in Australia helped it take out the Employee Experience award in the Modern Work category, while Modis took home the Inclusion Changemaker award in the Social Impact category for its work, which includes the development of the Yarning app to improve communication between WA law enforcement officers and Aboriginal communities.
Also among the Australian global winners was Myriad Technologies, bringing home the Defense and Intelligence award in the Industry category for its secure search and information exchange which provides a common pattern for defence organisations to deliver decision superiority across enterprise and battle operations.
Data## was named Device Partner Distributor/Reseller of the Year.
New Zealand’s Enlighten Designs was a finalist in the Power BI category, with Vodafone NZ also gaining finalist status in the meetings, calling and devices for Microsoft Teams section.
Twelve Australian companies were among the finalists: ASI Solutions (finalist in the Surface PC Reseller category), BizData (Healthcare and Life Sciences), Eighty20 Solutions (Modern Endpoint Management), FiveP (Modern Workplace for Frontline Workers), Flintfox (Dynamics 365 Finance), Generation-e (Meetings, Calling and Devices for Microsoft Teams), Lynkz (AI), Quorum (Security), Rapid Circle (Community Response), Resolution Technology (Modern Workplace for SMB), rhipe (Operational Excellence) and Velrada (Dynamics 365 Customer Service and Field Service).
