Avanade and Accenture have been named Microsoft's Global System Integrator (SI) Partner of the Year for a record 21st time, marking another milestone in their more than 25-year collaboration with Microsoft.

The recognition comes as organizations face growing pressure to translate AI investment into measurable business results. Together, Avanade, Accenture and Microsoft are helping clients move beyond AI experimentation to rethink how they operate, engage customers and create value.

In addition to the Global SI recognition, Avanade and Accenture were recognized as winners in nine additional Partner of the Year categories and finalists in a further eight awards, reflecting the breadth of their capabilities across AI, cloud modernization, industry transformation and markets around the world. Their complete list of Partner of the Year Award recognitions includes:

Winner:

Global System Integrator
Asia Enterprise System Integrator
Australia
Copilots & Agents at Work
Healthcare & Life Sciences
Japan
Ireland
Migrate & Modernize Your Estate
Netherlands
Retail & Consumer Goods

Finalists:

Agentic Services & Contact Center
Defense & Intelligence
Education
Frontier Transformation
Low Code Agentic Apps
Manufacturing & Mobility
Security
Unified Data Platform

Chris Howarth, CEO of Avanade, said: “AI’s next chapter won’t be defined by doing the same things faster, but by doing things that simply weren’t possible before. Being recognized as Global SI Partner of the Year for the 21st time is a remarkable milestone and a testament to the incredible talent of our people and what they are making possible with Microsoft and Accenture. But leadership is never something you get to stand still and admire. It has to be continually earned, and we’re only at the beginning of what AI can unlock.”

"Organizations are increasingly looking beyond AI pilots to achieve real transformation at scale. Our collaboration with Avanade and Microsoft brings together deep industry expertise, advanced technology and global delivery capabilities to help clients turn that ambition into action. This recognition reflects the strength of our partnership and our shared commitment to delivering measurable business outcomes through AI, cloud and digital innovation," said Richard Holsman, Accenture Microsoft Business Group lead.

The awards build on more than 25 years of collaboration between Avanade, Accenture and Microsoft. By combining Microsoft technology with deep industry expertise and global delivery capabilities, the three companies are helping organizations integrate AI into core business processes, modernize technology environments, and develop new ways of working.

For Avanade, this reflects a broader focus on helping clients move from AI on the business to AI in the business, embedding intelligence into the workflows, decisions and experiences that drive business performance.

To explore how Avanade and Accenture are accelerating frontier transformation through Microsoft innovation, clients can join Avanade at Microsoft Ignite 2026 in San Francisco November 17-20th for networking, thought leadership and live technology demos. Learn more: Microsoft Ignite 2026 | Accenture.

Avanade and Accenture named Microsoft's Global SI Partner of the Year for record 21st time