In the last two years, we have witnessed not just the challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to organizations and communities in Asia Pacific and globally, but also the resilience of the region. As we move beyond responding to recovering from the pandemic, opportunities for growth are opening.

Amid this setting, Microsoft partners have a lot of opportunities – to help customers realize their digital ambitions and create meaningful impact in the communities that we operate and live in.

Opportunities in the region have attracted global partners. These opportunities have also encouraged local partners to venture beyond your own shores.

In Asia Pacific, we see many of our partners replicate the success they deliver in one country to another – sometimes to many more.

This was why, for the first-time last year, we celebrated partners who demonstrated outstanding leadership and created impact in two or more countries in Asia Pacific through the Microsoft Asia Pacific Region Partner Awards.

This year, we have expanded to include a new category – the APAC Region Rising Star, as well as added a recognition category for partners who have championed social impact in areas such as community response, inclusion, and sustainability.

In recent years, we know that technology adoption by all sectors has grown. What has also grown is a continued trend of what we would like to call “purpose-driven digital” – leveraging technology innovation to drive business and societal outcomes for good.

At Microsoft, we share this purpose and are honored that many of our partners have joined us as trusted advisors to empower customers and communities with technology-led solutions and innovations.

Many of our partners have also been alongside us as we create an impact in the communities that we operate and live in. This includes the 19 partners across APAC who have partnered with us for the Microsoft APAC Enabler Program to train more than 350 people in cloud and AI skills and provided 185 people with disabilities with employment opportunities.

The partners recognized as Inclusion and Sustainability Changemakers are not the only ones creating social impact. Every award winner and many more among the Microsoft partner ecosystem in Asia Pacific are improving lives by leveraging technology innovation for good.

Please join me in congratulating this year’s Microsoft Asia Pacific Region Partner of the Year Award winners, nominees! Congratulations also to the Microsoft Singapore Partner of the Year Award 2021 winners, and all nominees and our partners across Asia Pacific! We are inspired by what they have achieved, and we look forward to achieving more and creating greater impact as a purpose-drive community in 2022!

Asia Pacific Region Channel Partner of the Year 2021
Winner: rhipe
Nominees: Ingram Micro

Asia Pacific Region Global Systems Integrator Partner of the Year 2021
Winner: Accenture & Avanade
Nominees: Ernst & Young
Hitachi Solutions
KPMG
NTT Data
Rackspace Technology
Softline International
Tata Consultancy Services
Tech Mahindra

Asia Pacific Region Independent Solutions Vendor Partner of the Year 2021
Winner: AvePoint
Nominees: Bentley Systems
Blue Yonder
SAS Institute
Tech Mahindra
Technosoft

Asia Pacific Region Rising Star Partner of the Year 2021
Winner: Cloud4C
Nominees: Biqmind
SelfDrvn

Asia Pacific Region Social Impact Recognition – Inclusion Changemaker 2021
Winner: Cognizant Technology Solutions
Nominees: Crayon

Asia Pacific Region Social Impact Recognition – Sustainability Changemaker 2021
Winner: Bentley Systems
Nominees: Tech Mahindra