Global software company Microsoft has chosen three local companies to compete as finalists for its international partner of the year awards.
The three South African Microsoft partners - i5, Netsurit and BUI - will travel to the software vendor's worldwide partner conference in Denver, Colorado, during the second week of July.
IT consultancy Netsurit is a finalist in two categories: "Competing to Win" partner of the year on Linux/LAMP and networking infrastructure solutions partner of the year.
Solution provider i5 is also a finalist in two categories: "Competing to Win" partner of the year on Web and information worker, portals and enterprise content management partner of the year.
Specialist security consultant BUI is a finalist in the security solutions, infrastructure security partner of the year category.
Microsoft SA's strategic partner marketing manager, Gia Girard, says an average of 2 400 entries are submitted each year by partners throughout the world.
"Two of last year's global partner awards were won by SA partners. Netsurit won the networking infrastructure solutions sales and marketing partner of the year and MINT NET was the regional winning customer award winner. Additionally, SourceCode - a company which started in SA but has since spread outside its borders - won the information worker solutions technology category as well as the innovation partner of the year award," she says.
Girard adds that Microsoft's local partner channel has seen a remarkable growth in capacity and capability.
"[Our] partners are making significant investments in sales, marketing and technical skills development. From Microsoft's bi-annual customer survey data, it is evident that partners are largely meeting and, in many instances, exceeding the needs of customers."
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