Membership solutions specialist, Silverbear, has become a Microsoft Authorised Education Partner (AEP) in a move that will provide its academic sector clients with access to Microsoft’s most competitive pricing and efficient licensing models currently available for the Cloud.
The accreditation now expands Silverbear’s existing Cloud Service Provider (CSP) status, which means it can now offer its customers the widest possible spectrum of licensing options under Microsoft’s Direct CSP model.
The AEP program is designed to train participating resellers on Microsoft’s academic licensing, authorise them to purchase and resell Microsoft Academic licenses and demonstrate to potential customers that they are approved and knowledgeable academic partners.
AEP authorisation is only awarded to businesses that can prove they have the expertise and skills to pass the rigorous Microsoft test and can meet the standards required to achieve accreditation status.
Silverbear has built a portfolio of clients with academic status over the last decade including the Royal College of Nursing and National History Museum. As an AEP it can now provide clients within this sector, which currently account for 20 per cent of its business, with direct access to Microsoft academic licensing, enabling them to bypass distributors and resellers.
Mark Travis, Silverbear’s CEO and Founder, comments: “This is a huge step forward, both for Silverbear as an organisation and for the academic clients we serve. Securing Microsoft’s AEP status is no easy feat and by doing this, we’ve shown a commitment to the sector and the cloud. Now that we’re AEP authorised, we can offer new and existing clients all the options they could ever require to ensure a cost effective service and a seamless transition to the cloud.”
The Microsoft AEP Program is designed to authorise and equip organisations that deliver academic products and services through the Microsoft platform with the training, resources and support they need to provide their customers with superior experiences and outcomes.
Anthony Salcito, Vice President of Education for Microsoft Corp.’s Worldwide Public Sector, adds: “By becoming AEPs, partners show themselves to be committed and trained in providing discounted Microsoft academic products to the education market. This authorisation, along with our other education partner initiatives, gives our partners recognition of their areas of expertise and our academic customers the confidence that they are buying from academic IT specialists.”
Click here for more information on Microsoft’s AEP programme.