ANS gains top Microsoft partner status to boost UK AI adoption
ANS has been recognised with two significant new designations by Microsoft: Copilot Prioritised Partner and FastTrack Portfolio Partner for Dynamics 365.
The new statuses place ANS in a select group of Microsoft partners with enhanced access to Microsoft's internal expertise, funding, and technology tools. This development is expected to support UK organisations in accelerating their adoption of artificial intelligence and digital transformation strategies.
Copilot Prioritised Partner
ANS is now one of only five Copilot Prioritised Partners in the UK. This status means that ANS will work closely with Microsoft to enable secure and scalable deployment of AI tools, with a particular focus on Microsoft Copilot solutions. According to the company, the move recognises its record of supporting organisations to adopt Copilot and embedding artificial intelligence into routine business processes to improve productivity and generate time savings.
Structured implementation services are part of the support provided by ANS, including assessments of readiness for AI, guardrails around responsible AI use, and return on investment modelling. These frameworks aim to ensure that customers can adopt AI solutions without requiring significant changes to their existing platforms.
FastTrack Portfolio Partner Status
In addition to its Copilot partnership, ANS has also been named a FastTrack Portfolio Partner for Microsoft Dynamics 365, joining only 57 partners across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. This status offers ANS customers direct access to Microsoft engineers and architects, as well as established delivery methodologies, to enable more rapid and lower-risk deployment of Dynamics 365 business applications.
ANS's expanded partner status strengthens the company's established relationship with Microsoft. The company currently holds over 519 Microsoft certifications, has three Microsoft Most Valuable Professionals and a Microsoft Regional Director on its team, and was named Microsoft UK Services Partner of the Year 2024.
The new recognitions also unlock additional co-selling opportunities and increase the Microsoft funding available to ANS customers, an advantage that could help the company expedite the delivery of new technology solutions and services.
Collaboration highlighted
Orla McGrath, UK Global Partner Solutions Lead at Microsoft, said about working with ANS, "Its innovative work with the Microsoft platform and dedication to community engagement truly stands out. We value our collaboration with ANS and look forward to continuing this to support UK businesses in their digital transformation journeys."
Richard Thompson, Chief Executive Officer at ANS, commented on the company's partner status and ongoing mission.
"At the heart of our partnership with Microsoft lies a shared mission to make technology accessible to all. This is why we're always evolving and growing our portfolio of accreditations and capabilities, so we can offer smarter solutions to drive business impact and get customers AI-ready. By being purposefully ingrained into the Microsoft ecosystem, we're pioneering what digital transformation means today."
Support for AI adoption
The latest development follows ANS's ongoing commitment to preparing businesses to adopt artificial intelligence in a responsible and secure way, and to making modern technologies more accessible across enterprise, small business, and public sector organisations.
ANS has emphasised that its new partnership statuses will allow UK businesses direct access to Microsoft resources and funding, supporting a faster and more reliable digital transformation process.
The company also operates several initiatives aimed at closing the digital skills gap, including the ANS Academy and a series of partnerships with other technology providers such as AWS, VMware, and Cisco. ANS maintains its headquarters in Manchester and runs five IL3-accredited data centres in the city.
With all six Microsoft Solutions Partner Designations, ANS continues to work closely with Microsoft and other technology partners to serve a wide range of clients across the UK and beyond.
