Office365 reseller

In the Microsoft CSP program you can be a Direct partner (tier 1) or a Indirect partner (tier 2). 

Direct partner (tier 1) Microsoft -> Reseller -> End-user

As the name implies, partners who choose this model will work directly with Microsoft and are responsible for the entire customer relationship.

In order to meet Microsoft’s support, billing, and invoicing requirements, direct partners must have a mature infrastructure that can handle these and more customer-facing processes. This requires a substantial investment for many companies. Direct partners also have to meet an annual purchase volume and https://www.resello.com/solutions/become-a-csp#requirements. like:

Billing

As a Cloud Solution Provider, you are responsible for billing your customers on a monthly, quarterly, or yearly basis for the cloud services they consume.

Automation platform

CSP direct partners are required to have a platform for automated provisioning, billing, and configuration of cloud solutions. This platform has to use the CSP APIs and the self-service portal. CSP indirect partners are allowed to partner with a CSP Distributor like Resello to meet these platform requirements.

Support

Your company needs to offer high-quality support. This means meeting industry standards for response time, availability, and channels of support delivered.

Purchase volume

CSP direct partners must meet an annual purchase volume amounting to USD 100.000 or more. There are no yearly 

Indirect partner (tier 2) Microsoft-> Distributor -> Reseller -> End user

Many resellers prefer the indirect model and partner with a CSP Distributor (like Resello) for the support and billing infrastructure they need to sell through CSP.

The indirect model is a good fit for partners who want to fully leverage the benefits of selling Microsoft cloud solutions with a short time to market without having to make a large upfront investment. Indirect partners still build strong relationships with their customers, but offload Microsoft’s support and billing requirements to a specialized indirect provider.

Kind regards,

Timon Bergsma