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Solution Design Group, Inc. Attains Gold Certified Partner Status in Microsoft Partner Program
February 15th, 2010
SDG Further Distinguishes Itself by Earning a Microsoft Competency in Business Intelligence & Data Management Solutions
MINNETONKA, Minnesota – February 15, 2010 – Solution Design Group, a local Twin Cities based IT consulting company, today announced it has attained Gold Certified Partner status in the Microsoft Partner Program with a competency in Business Intelligence & Data Management Solutions, recognizing Solution Design Group’s expertise and impact in the technology marketplace. As a Gold Certified Partner, Solution Design Group has demonstrated expertise with Microsoft technologies and a 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.
Founded in 1989, Solution Design Group, Inc. (SDG) is an IT consulting and software application development firm dedicated to business success through building long-term relationships with our clients and employees. Based in Minnetonka, SDG is locally recognized for providing outstanding customer service and a unique, fun, and engaging environment for our employees. SDG has been recognized multiple times by the Business Journal as one of Minnesota’s Best Places to Work. SDG has been recognized for the 2008 and 2009 as one of the Fast 50, a recognition awarded to fast growing privately held companies in the Twin Cities.
“We are extremely pleased to have attained Gold Certified Partner status in the Microsoft Partner Program. This allows us to clearly promote our expertise and relationship with Microsoft to our customers,” said Doug Rhodes, Director of Sales. “The benefits provided through our Gold Certified Partner status will allow us to continue to enhance the offerings that we provide for customers.”
“Customers are looking for partner companies that can bridge the gap between their business demands and technology capabilities,” said Allison Watson, corporate vice president of the Worldwide Partner 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 Solution Design Group as a new Gold Certified Partner for demonstrating its expertise in providing customer satisfaction using Microsoft products and technology.”
As one of the requirements for attaining Gold Certified Partner status, Solution Design Group 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. Within select Competencies, there are Specializations that focus on specific solution areas that recognize deeper expertise within that Competency. Serving as a specialized path to earning those Competencies, Specializations give direct access to the tools and resources that support that specific area of focus.
Competency: Business Intelligence
The Business Intelligence Competency is designed for partners that specialize in Microsoft Business Intelligence Platform and Performance Management. These partners are fully equipped to help customers leverage the data they’re already collecting to build more-effective business strategies.. For customers, accurate business intelligence often equals a competitive advantage, which is why robust business-intelligence solutions are always in demand.
“Partners are essential to delivering Microsoft Business Intelligence solutions to our customers helping them grow their business and ensure they can evaluate trends in their business and act upon them,” said Tom Casey, general manager SQL Server Business Intelligence at Microsoft Corp. “Solutions competencies give Microsoft partners the resources and training they need to meet their customers’ needs. And for partners, the opportunity to highlight their expertise to customers is tremendous in the fast growing business intelligence market.”
“We are committed to working with industry partners to take advantage of Microsoft’s business intelligence (BI) platform,” said Tom Casey, general manager SQL Server Business Intelligence at Microsoft Corp. “In today’s complex business environment, BI is one of the first priorities of CIOs. Achieving Gold Partner status is an indication that a partner strives to bring real-world solutions to our joint customers.”
Competency: Data Management Solutions
The Data Management Solutions Competency is designed for partners that have proven their competency in end-to-end data-management reporting and analysis solutions based on Microsoft technologies, including Microsoft SQL Server, Windows Server, and Microsoft Office System client tools. These partners have also proven expertise in implementing solutions focused on delivering migration tools and services, database- administration tools and services, and performance tools using SQL Server technology.
“Through the Data Management Solutions Competency we can assist our industry partners’ proficiency in helping them develop enterprise solutions that range from industry specific line of business applications to next generation Software + Services solutions and applications for the mobile workforce,” said Mark Jewett, director of SQL Server marketing at Microsoft Corp. “Only SQL Server 2008 provides dynamic development to accelerate time to solution, supports all data types, and provides pervasive business intelligence, accessible to everyone.”
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.
About Solution Design Group
Founded in 1989, Solution Design Group, Inc. (SDG) is helping customers deliver Information Technology solutions. SDG has expertise in implementation, delivery, and custom application development. The company is dedicated to business success through building long-term relationships with our clients and employees. SDG is locally recognized for providing outstanding customer service and attracting the best consultants with a unique and engaging employment experience.
For more information:
Doug Rhodes, Solution Design Group, (952) 278-2548, doug.rhodes@solutiondesign.com
Solution Design Group Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal Fast 50 winner 2009
October 23rd, 2009
Solution Design Group (SDG) has been named a Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal Fast 50 winner for the second consecutive year. The Fast 50 is the ranking of the 50 fastest-growing private companies in Minnesota.
Solution Design Group chosen as a consulting partner for Microsoft HealthVault
September 10th, 2009
Solution Design Group is the first HealthVault consulting partner based in Minnesota.
MINNETONKA, Minn. – September 10, 2009 – Solution Design Group, Inc., a local Twin Cities based IT consulting company, is pleased to announce that they have achieved consulting partner status as a Microsoft HealthVault partner. 
Solution Design Group is the first Microsoft HealthVault consulting partner based in Minnesota.
“This is another milestone in our long standing relationship with Microsoft” states Brice Pleschourt from Solution Design Group. “Microsoft’s HealthVault is leading the market in putting consumers in control of their health information by creating a connected healthcare ecosystem and we are excited to be an integral partner with Microsoft as a consulting partner.”
“Solution Design Group helps health organizations develop high quality and innovative solutions on Microsoft technologies,” said Bert Van Hoof, Director Program Management at the Microsoft Health Solutions Group. “With so much opportunity to improve the U.S. health system, consulting partners can shorten development cycles and help companies bring unique consumer health management solutions to market quicker.”
About Microsoft HealthVault
Microsoft HealthVault, launched in October 2007, is a personal health application platform designed to put consumers in control of their health information. HealthVault provides a security- and privacy-enhanced foundation on which a broad ecosystem of providers can build innovative health and wellness solutions such as personal health records, disease management, fitness, weight loss and other Web applications. HealthVault can be used to collect and store health information that would otherwise reside in disparate systems and transfer the information between a variety of providers’ health services and systems. It enables the reuse and free flow of interoperable and transportable personal health information. For more information, visit www.HealthVault.com.
About Solution Design Group (SDG)
Founded in 1989, Solution Design Group, Inc. (SDG) is helping customers deliver Information Technology solutions. SDG has expertise in implementation, delivery, and custom application development. The company is dedicated to business success through building long-term relationships with our clients and employees. SDG is locally recognized for providing outstanding customer service and attracting the best consultants with a unique and engaging employment experience.
SDG is uniquely positioned to design, develop, and deliver a wide range of applications that harness Microsoft HealthVault. Our staff has strong and diverse experience in the healthcare industry, allowing us to tailor solutions that best fit our customer’s needs. SDG’s technical staff offers a wide range of experience with various tools and techniques for integrating with—or building upon—HealthVault. These skills combine to assure that SDG’s customers make optimal use of HealthVault within their particular business and technical environment.
SDG’s HealthVault services range from education through to planning and implementation of a HealthVault application. For example, we identify and overcome the data portability issues that inevitably occur when integrating complex health information. We bring an understanding of the proper software techniques enabling patients to identify, push, and access their sensitive data using HealthVault. Finally, we use hard-won experience to shepherd our healthcare customers through the application and approval process for integrating their systems with HealthVault.
For additional information:
Brice Pleschourt
952-278-2546 office
brice.pleschourt@solutiondesign.com
Solution Design Group Minneapolis-St Paul Business Journal’s 2009 Best Places to Work winner!
August 27th, 2009
Solution Design Group is proud to announce that for the third time we have been named as a Best Place to Work by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. About 140 companies qualified for nominations. Quantum Workplace (a Wichita, KS based survey firm) conducted an on-line confidential survey of the employees about their employment experience. The top scoring companies were then awarded the honor of being name a Best Place to Work.
Here’s what our employees had to say about SDG:
“The measure of an organization can’t be taken in good times. SDG really showed its greatness when the economy slowed down through its decisions and the approach to the challenge. Fantastic!”
“I like the direction the company is headed.”
“I love working at SDG. It has been the best job I have had in a long time. I always know that my fellow co-workers in the operations team are willing to help me career-wise and personally. I couldn’t think of a better organization for me to work for!”
“SDG communicates with me, I feel valued and important. I’m paid well and I can tell my efforts are appreciated by other staff.”
“SDG is a great place to work; it really places value on every employee.”
“Solution Design Group is a wonderful place to work and has top-level talent. Leadership team really does go the extra mile to make it a great place and are always re-evaluating what works and what doesn’t work so that we stay that way.”
“SDG is a great place to work. The senior leadership team provides a very open and honest working environment. They are very good at making sure you feel part of a team and also plan a lot of fun activities.”
Solution Design Group proud sponsor of Twin Cities Chapter of the IASA
August 26th, 2009
Solution Design Group is a founding sponsor of the Twin Cities International Association of Software Architects (IASA) Chapter. The mission of the Twin Cities IASA Chapter is to connect, advance, educate and advocate the local community of IT Architects through a vendor-neutral, open community.
For more information, please visit http://www.iasahome.org/web/TwinCities.
The mission of the Twin Cities IASA Chapter is to connect, advance, educate and advocate the local community of IT Architects through a vendor-neutral, open community. IASA provides an opportunity to find mentors, assists with growing your professional skills, promotes networking, and hosts Architect Boot Camps and other specialized training events. For more information on IASA and to learn about upcoming events, please visit their web site at http://www.iasahome.org/web/TwinCities.
Association for Women in Computing (AWCTC) welcomes Solution Design Group as a Corporate Member
August 11th, 2009
The AWCTC is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting the advancement of women in computing professions. The members are a diverse group of professionals in careers that touch every aspect of the computer industry. The AWCTC is known for its comraderie among memebers.
AWCTC Mission
The AWC/TC seeks:
- To promote communications among women in the computer industry.
- To further the professional development and advancement of women in computing.
- To promote the education of women of all ages in computing
The Association for Women in Computing was founded on December 5, 1978 and now has local chapters from coast to coast. The parent organization provides a national network and supportive framework for local chapter activities.
The Twin Cities Chapter of the AWC first met in December, 1979 and became a chartered chapter on May 6, 1981.
For more information on AWCTC and to learn about upcoming events, please visit their web site at http://www.awctc.org/.
