What are the Microsoft Supplier Prestige Awards?
The annual Microsoft Supplier Prestige Awards recognise its suppliers that demonstrate the key pillars of strategy, priority, agility and modernisation. These pillars relate to the arenas of sustainability, accessibility, inclusion, representation and community. These categories align with Microsoft’s values, and the awards look to maintain a sense of partnership across the whole of the company supplier and procurement ecosystem.
Microsoft Procurement, including the Enterprise Supplier Programs & Outreach team, in partnership with Customer Experience and Success, aimed to highlight captivating companies among Microsoft’s robust supplier community that are driving change and providing inspiration.
“It is such a pleasure to recognize Microsoft’s supplier community and celebrate how they contribute to Microsoft’s success,” said Yusuf Mehdi, Executive Vice President and Consumer Chief Marketing Officer, Microsoft. “This has been a transformative year for our company and one that required us to move at the speed of AI. That wouldn’t have been possible without our amazing and innovative suppliers and partners.”
Who were the winners of the 2024 Microsoft Supplier Prestige Awards?
Showstopper of the Year: Strides in Sustainability: Schneider Electric and Lenovo
Schneider Electric were recognised for a range of programmes, such as its Zero Carbon Project, its “ecoDesign Way” and its Catalyze Programme which engages suppliers in the semiconductor industry.
In 2023, Lenovo became the first PC and smartphone maker and one of only 139 companies in the world with a net-zero target validated by SBTi (Science-Based Target Initiative). Through the Cloud Supply Chain Sustainability (CSCS) Programme Lenovo increased its intensity reduction goal of 35%, which exceeds Microsoft’s 20% milestone and represents Lenovo’s impact on the industry and society to support a global low-carbon transition.
Supplier-to-Supplier Collaboration: App MeetUp
App MeetUp was rewarded for its collaborative spirit through its partnership with BPGI and BCPA, two Microsoft-sponsored associations that support diverse-owned businesses. With its Catalyst Accelerator Programme, they provide training, coaching and community for partners that want to grow their practice and revenue. They have demonstrated a growth mindset, a commitment to diversity and inclusion, and a passion for delivering outcomes.
Service Advocate of the Year: LTI Mindtree
LTI Mindtree were highlighted for providing outstanding support for Microsoft Ecosystem, handling 41,000+ monthly cases across 40+ products and services in 9+ languages. It has developed innovative tools and technologies to improve customer experiences, such as the “Title Generator” and the new ACS service.
Showstopper of the Year: Response & Representation: Women In Cloud Inc.
In the past 12 months Women in Cloud initiatives have had a significant impact in generating economic development opportunities for women that include training through the Tech Policy Academy, recognising women and allies through #empowHERaccess and WICxAllies, spotlighting through digital advocacy campaigns, and last but not least being instrumental in making Microsoft Cloud Marketplaces inclusive by inviting women-led companies to be part of the co-selling strategy.
Rookie of the Year: My3TWELVE
My3Twelve’s approach to problem-solving has helped expedite decision-making and enhance team experience. Its expertise, particularly in Intune, is recognised as being ‘invaluable’.
Trailblazer: Innovation & Creation: AI4SP
AI-4-SP delivers solutions using AI for social and economic growth. It has partnered with Microsoft and other organisations to empower SMBs (small and midsize businesses) and nonprofits with AI tools and resources. AI-4-SP has created thought leadership and assets around AI and SMB and impacted thousands of individuals and organisations through their public awareness, accessibility and advocacy efforts.
Showstopper of the Year: Amplifying Accessibility: Carat USA
Carat/Dentsu and AutonomyWorks, a social enterprise that employs people with autism for media projects, partnered together to further transform Microsoft’s advertising operations. This partnership leveraged the talents and abilities of people with autism, who face an 80% unemployment rate, to perform various media-related tasks with high quality and efficiency. This engagement has created meaningful employment with solid outcomes, delivering significant results across 62 markets, supporting social impact goals, and improving the lives of hundreds of people with autism, who now have consistent and rewarding work.
Showstopper of the Year: Commitment to Community: Cloudforce
Through the Cloudforce for Good programme, it provides technology learning workshops, internships, mentorship and employment opportunities for students and job seekers.. The company supports various initiatives and partnerships that promote career pathways in cloud computing, leadership development and community engagement.
Diverse-Owned Supplier of the Year: Cyborg Mobile
Cyborg Mobile has brought its award-winning expertise in partnership with Microsoft M365 Core to create and scale strategic change management programs. While also assuming the social responsibility to uplift within its communities by hosting apprenticeship programs for students of diverse serving institutions and Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Customer Marvel of the Year: Concentrix
Concentrix is influencing over 13 million customer interactions annually. It was recognised for driving innovation, best practice and delivery enhancement to provide high-quality support and solid customer experiences. Its innovative projects, such as Project Elevate and the new Tech Centric delivery model, will have lasting impacts.
Supplier of the year awards
Supplier of the Year: Small: Nextant
Nextant has shown its commitment to creating solutions that match Microsoft’s vision and make a positive difference, by helping reach thousands of nonprofit and IGO organisations, such as the World Food Program, UNICEF, the YMCA and Goodwill, globally. Its dedication to delivering solutions that align with Microsoft’s mission has truly enhanced collective impact.
Supplier of the Year: Large: KPMG
KPMG has put AI and innovation at the forefront and has reshaped its professional service offerings to uplevel employee experience and accelerate innovation. Microsoft has teamed up with KPMG on data and AI-led transformation, cloud and sustainability solutions, and workforce modernisation. These collaborations extend across many teams at Microsoft, including tax, where they partnered to infuse technology into complex international employee tax preparations, and sustainability, where they partnered to develop a Sustainability co-pilot to help track supplier emissions. The two organisations also collaborated on solutions within financial operations, risk management, legal and HR teams. Together, the companies are creating more value and achieving more together as a result.
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