Microsoft partners speak on exam price 'adjustment'

Microsoft has announced that there will be "a price adjustment" on all its certification exams starting July 2016.

According to a post on the vendor's blog last week, the vendor believes this would leave enough time for partners to get used to the idea of an update in price, although it has not disclosed how much the changes will be.

The price adjustment will affect partners and customers worldwide and it will cover commercial and academic MCP exams, and MTA exams. Online proctored exams will also be affected, as will exams purchased from Pearson VUE and Courseware Marketplace. 

Only academic volume licensing will escape the price change.

"Any vendor who significantly raises the training cost, needs to provide substantial motivation for channel partners to aim for high accreditation levels," said Katie Bentley, chief executive of Melbourne partner Trident Computer Services.

"The cost involved in training accreditations and the subsequent loss of productivity during that time is becoming a very significant one on our balance sheet," she said.

"Tracking the training cost per employee, and managing complex certification levels per vendor showed an incredible cost growth over the last five years. This usually results in either our organisational overheads increasing or, eventually, the customer absorbing this cost."

Bentley also pointed out how certifications can improve business.

"The role of employee training and development is becoming more important in our organisation as we continually strive to become a channel that can cater for a wide range of customer requirements."

Graeme Strange, managing director of award-winning Microsoft partner Readify, said that if the price increase is large there is a risk Microsoft will "disenfranchise the very people that make their stuff work".

"If they do that then it will have a definite impact over the longer term because ‘selling’ something is only one of Microsoft’s goals - making it work in the customers environment is where you create stickiness and repeat business," said Strange.

"As a committed Microsoft partner, at Readify we will continue to support staff interested in undergoing further training with Microsoft. One thing Australia can’t afford to compromise on is skills."

Director of Adelaide Microsoft partner Open Systems Technology (OST) Glenn Nanda said that Microsoft had not increased prices for a few years now.

"It’s not something that any of us, as partners, have a choice or control over," said Nanda. "We do understand the Microsoft certification costs will increase, so provided that the magnitude of the increase is reasonable then it’s something that we accept."

As certifications come as part of the partnership for Nanda, the price change will not affect the relationship between OST and Microsoft.

"We do understand the need for certification as a way for Microsoft to govern its partner compliance model and we accept it as part of doing business."