As a Gold Certified Partner, Parlano has demonstrated expertise with Microsoft technologies and proven ability to meet customers' needs. Microsoft Gold Certified Partners receive a rich set of benefits, including access, training and support, giving them a competitive advantage in the channel.

Parlano's MindAlign persistent group chat solution combines the immediacy of instant messaging with the stickiness of email as well as the scalability and security of an enterprise application. MindAlign for Microsoft's Live Communications Server (LCS) leverages LCS, Active Directory, SQL Server, and Sharepoint infrastructure for instant messaging and presence management.

"Although we've partnered closely with Microsoft for some time, being a Gold Certified and Managed Partner affirms our leadership in bringing persistent group chat to the financial services industry, including four of the world's top five banks, and to the business world in general," said Parlano SVP Worldwide Marketing Jeff Schultz. "Gold Partner certification also acknowledges our vision and execution in unified communications, a global movement to transform the way people communicate and collaborate to achieve their business goals. The benefits provided through our Gold Certified Partner status will allow us to continue to enhance the offerings that we provide for our customers."

"Customers are looking for partner companies that can bridge the gap between their business demands and technology capabilities," said Allison Watson, vice president of the worldwide partner sales and marketing group at Microsoft Corp. "They need to trust in a company that can act as an expert adviser for their long-term strategic technology plans. Microsoft Gold Certified Partners, which have certified expertise and direct training and support from Microsoft, can build a positive customer experience with our technologies. Today, Microsoft recognizes Parlano as a new Gold Certified Partner for demonstrating its expertise providing customer satisfaction using Microsoft products and technology."

As one of the requirements for attaining Gold Certified Partner status, Parlano had to declare a Microsoft Competency. Microsoft Competencies are designed to help differentiate a partner's capabilities with specific Microsoft technologies to customers looking for a particular type of solution. Each competency has a unique set of requirements and benefits, formulated to accurately represent the specific skills and services that partners bring to the technology industry.

The ISV/Software Solutions Competency recognizes the skill and focus partners bring to a particular solution set. Microsoft Gold Certified Partners that have obtained this competency have a successful record of developing and marketing packaged software based on Microsoft technologies.

"Solutions competencies are an important way for Microsoft to better enable ISVs to meet customer needs," said Sanjay Parthasarathy, corporate vice president of the developer & platform evangelism group at Microsoft. "They allow ISVs to keep and win customers through their deep knowledge of solutions-based Microsoft platform technologies. Microsoft has a long history of working closely with ISV partners to help them deliver compelling solutions and applications to our mutual customers, and the Microsoft Competencies are an important step in continuing to enhance vital relationships with ISVs worldwide."

The Microsoft Partner Program was launched in October 2003 and represents Microsoft's ongoing commitment to the success of partners worldwide. The program offers a single, integrated partnering framework that recognizes partner expertise, rewards the total impact that partners have in the technology marketplace, and delivers more value to help partners' businesses be successful.