Provoke Solutions has taken out the top honour in the local Microsoft community, with the company awarded the New Zealand 2014 Country Partner of the Year Award.

Announced annually in the lead up to the Microsoft Worldwide Partners Conference held in July, this year, awards were presented in multiple categories, with Provoke coming out on top in New Zealand.

“We are rapt to be the 2014 Microsoft New Zealand Partner of the Year," says Mason Pratt, CEO, Provoke.

"In particular, we’re humbled to be recognised as the Partner of the Year for the third time in our 13 year history with Microsoft and it’s a wonderful nod to the incredible talent and expertise we have on our team – not just in New Zealand, but across our whole organisation.

"It is also testament to the way the Microsoft offering is evolving and the exciting opportunities technologies such as Azure and Office 365 are creating.

"We’re extremely proud to be recognised amongst such an elite group of partners and we will certainly be celebrating with a few lemonades."

The award, received in large part for the work Provoke are doing in Microsoft Azure and Office 365, is great reward for the leadership position the company has sought to take in these key Microsoft technologies, adds Pratt.

“Taking top spot in New Zealand for 2014, and our recent Microsoft Azure Solution Partner of the Year Award are due in large part to great clients like Partners Life and New Zealand Rugby Union who have been quick to adopt the cloud," he says.

"Helping organisations get to the cloud has been core part of our service offering for some years and to now have a number of clients well advanced in their cloud journeys is very pleasing. To be recognised for it is the icing on the cake.”

This is the third time Provoke has received this global honour in their 13 year partnership with Microsoft.