Eastwall Earns Microsoft AVS Advanced Specialization for Azure VMware Solution

Eastwall’s announcement that it has earned the Microsoft Advanced Specialization for Azure VMware Solution (AVS) marks a significant milestone for the Azure‑only consultancy — one that reinforces its infrastructure credentials while also raising important procurement and technical questions for buyers evaluating AVS migration partners.

Background​

Microsoft’s Advanced Specializations are designed to sit above the Solutions Partner designations and provide workload‑specific, auditable proof that a partner can deliver production‑grade services for particular Azure offerings. The AVS advanced specialization specifically validates a partner’s ability to migrate, operate, and support VMware workloads on Azure in collaboration with the Azure VMware Solution platform. This award is not a marketing-only badge: Microsoft requires measurable performance signals, skilling among staff, and a third‑party audit or validated customer references as part of the application process.
Eastwall’s release — circulated through PR channels and summarized in the distributed news item provided — frames the achievement as the company’s fifth Advanced Specialization, adding AVS to an expanding list of Microsoft validations the firm has accumulated over the last 12–18 months. That positioning highlights Eastwall’s strategy of deep Microsoft platform alignment and rapid skilling across multiple infrastructure and data specializations.

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What the Microsoft AVS Advanced Specialization actually validates​

Core gates Microsoft checks​

Microsoft’s specialization framework for AVS requires partners to demonstrate three main capabilities:

• Performance (ACR): measurable Azure Consumed Revenue (ACR) tied specifically to Azure VMware Solution workloads in a recent trailing period. The Partner Center guidance documents the ACR association types that count (Digital Partner of Record / DPOR, Partner Admin Link / PAL, and Cloud Solution Provider / CSP) and the service‑level filters used to attribute AVS consumption.
• Skilling: named certified personnel with role‑relevant Azure credentials plus VMware expertise. For AVS, Microsoft requires a minimum set of Azure certifications (for example, Azure Administrator Associate and Azure Solutions Architect Expert) and verification of VMware competency through VCP (VMware Certified Professional – Data Center Virtualization) or an equivalent Master Services Competency in VMware. The program typically asks for at least three certified Azure staff and two FTEs who meet the VMware requirement, subject to manual audit verification.
• Third‑party audit / validated references: the AVS specialization sits in the audit‑required bucket. Microsoft or an approved third‑party auditor inspects delivery artifacts: architectural diagrams, runbooks, security controls, migration playbooks, evidence of customer outcomes, and operational processes that demonstrate repeatable, secure AVS delivery.

The technical meaning of “Azure VMware Solution”​

Azure VMware Solution itself is a Microsoft‑managed service that runs VMware vSphere, vSAN and NSX‑T on Azure physical hardware, enabling customers to run existing VMware workloads with minimal re‑architecture while integrating with Azure native services for backup, monitoring, networking, and identity. AVS enforces minimum cluster sizing (for example, three nodes) and is offered as a regionally‑available, supported platform with Microsoft‑backed SLA and integrations. Migration scenarios include lift‑and‑shift, disaster recovery, and eventual platform modernization using Azure native services.

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Summary of the provided announcement​

The press distribution around Eastwall’s milestone describes the firm as an Azure‑only, Microsoft‑only solutions partner that has successfully completed Microsoft’s audit process to secure the AVS advanced specialization. The public statements emphasize:

• Eastwall’s increasing cadence of Microsoft advanced specializations over the previous 12–18 months and the addition of AVS as the latest credential.
• The company’s practice offerings for AVS migrations, including assessment, migration planning, ExpressRoute and networking configuration, storage and performance optimization, and disaster recovery architecture tailored for healthcare and other regulated verticals.
• Eastwall’s intent to leverage the specialization for go‑to‑market acceleration and to deepen co‑sell and technical collaboration with Microsoft.

Buyers should treat these public statements as an invitation to validate the underlying evidence (audit letter, specific ACR attribution, certified personnel lists, anonymized reference projects), not as the final procurement decision. Microsoft’s partner program rules intentionally leave audit scope and specific evidence exchange to direct partner‑buyer conversations; the published badge is a starting filter, not a warranty.

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Why this matters: practical benefits for customers and implications for Eastwall​

Tangible buyer advantages​

• Faster shortlisting: the AVS advanced specialization is a clear signal in procurement processes that a partner has met Microsoft’s performance, skilling, and audit gates — a useful first filter when selecting bidders for VMware‑to‑Azure projects.
• Operational readiness: passing Microsoft’s audit typically requires documented runbooks, migration playbooks, incident response processes, and customer references — artifacts companies need to operate production AVS environments reliably.
• Co‑sell and discovery benefits: specialized partners are often prioritized in Microsoft partner discovery tools and can be better positioned for joint sales motions, early access to technical resources, and co‑funded pilots.

Commercial and technical implications for Eastwall​

• Market differentiation: adding AVS to Eastwall’s specialization mix strengthens its pitch for large lift‑and‑shift or disaster‑recovery projects where customers want minimal application rework.
• Revenue and delivery model: AVS work tends to create managed services and recurring revenue opportunities (monitoring, patching, backup, networking), helping convert one‑off migration projects into longer‑term engagements.
• Skill investment overhead: maintaining the specialization requires continuous ACR, recertification of personnel, and adherence to audit findings — an operational cost that Eastwall must sustain to avoid badge expiry.

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Critical analysis — strengths and limits of the announcement​

Strengths​

• Audit requirement raises the bar. Microsoft’s use of third‑party audits (rather than self‑attestation) for several advanced specializations meaningfully increases trust that the partner’s processes and evidence were inspected, not just claimed. That makes the badge more procurement‑friendly than legacy marketing certifications.
• Platform alignment reduces migration complexity. AVS is purpose‑built for VMware migrations: it preserves VMware operational models while enabling integration with Azure native services. Partners validated against AVS are more likely to have hardened playbooks for networking (ExpressRoute), storage tuning, and cross‑platform identity integration.
• Sector relevance for regulated workloads. Eastwall’s public materials emphasize healthcare and regulated verticals; specialized delivery methods, compliance runbooks, and validated DR patterns are valuable in those sectors where migration risk and compliance are high.

Limitations and risks buyers should not overlook​

• The badge is a point‑in‑time verification, not a service guarantee. Microsoft audits capture capability at the audit date; ongoing performance and the actual quality of assigned delivery teams must be verified through references, audit letters, and contractual SLAs. Relying on a badge without validating current staffing and recent projects is risky. Ask for the audit date and the names (and ID numbers) of the certified staff counted toward the specialization.
• Ambiguity around ACR thresholds and program updates. Program documentation has been updated frequently as Microsoft evolved the Solutions Partner and specialization models; partners may have met an earlier threshold or a regionally adjusted requirement. Procurement teams should request anonymized ACR evidence that explains which customer subscriptions and association types were used. Note: Microsoft documentation shows program requirements but occasionally differs by page and by date of publication — always verify the exact requirements in Partner Center at the time of evaluation.
• Potential vendor lock‑in and modernization path risk. AVS is intended to allow a phased migration and modernization. However, heavy reliance on VMware constructs without a clear modernization roadmap to Azure native services can increase long‑term costs or complexity. Ensure contractual commitments on handover, runbooks, and exit assistance.
• Operational scale and support model vary. A partner that demonstrates competency for a handful of mid‑sized AVS projects is different from a global integrator capable of regionally distributed, multi‑cluster migrations. Request references that match your scale and regulatory posture.

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A buyer’s checklist: what to request from Eastwall (or any AVS‑specialized partner)​

• Provide the Microsoft specialization verification letter and the audit completion date (or Partner Center public listing screenshot showing the AVS specialization status).
• Share an anonymized ACR summary that shows the eligible AVS consumption used to meet Microsoft’s performance gate and the association types (DPOR / PAL / CSP) used.
• Supply the names and certification IDs of the individuals counted toward the skilling requirement and their certification expiry dates (Azure and VMware certifications).
• Offer at least two anonymized reference projects with architecture diagrams, migration timelines, and documented outcomes (RTO/RPO, cutover approach, post‑migration support model).
• Deliver redacted operational runbooks: backup/restore, patching, incident response, network/security baseline, and cost governance tools (tagging, budgets, alerts).
• Provide contractual SLAs for onboarding, handover, and a documented exit plan that includes data portability and migration assistance away from AVS if needed.
• Map responsibilities between Eastwall, Microsoft (AVS managed service support), and any third‑party providers (storage, connectivity) in a RACI to avoid escalation gaps.

These items convert a public badge into enforceable delivery guarantees and make it possible to compare bids on equal terms.

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Reconciling program details and public claims — verification and caveats​

• Microsoft maintains program guidance in Partner Center and public documentation, but thresholds and qualifying filters are subject to change and may vary by solution area. For example, the Partner Center guidance enumerates both the required skilling and the need for an audit for AVS, along with the precise service‑level filters used to attribute ACR. Buyers should verify current thresholds and filters within Partner Center immediately before relying on them in procurement.
• Eastwall’s public materials present the AVS specialization as its fifth Advanced Specialization. While PR distributions and company pages reflect this claim, the vendor narrative does not replace the granular audit evidence procurement teams need. The public announcement does not — and typically cannot — publish sensitive audit details or exact customer consumption figures; those are the items buyers must request directly. Treat the public announcement as a starting point and request the audit letter and supporting evidence during vendor due diligence.

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Technical notes and what to expect during migration to AVS​

Typical AVS migration phases validated by auditors​

• Discovery and assessment: inventory of VMware objects, dependencies, licensing review, and network topology.
• Design and sizing: cluster sizing (minimum nodes per cluster), storage and IOPS planning, network (ExpressRoute, NSX‑T design) and identity integration.
• Pilot and migration: initial pilot migrations (VM replication, test failovers), validating application behavior, and adjusting storage/network tuning.
• Cutover and stabilization: final cutover, validation of performance, DR failover tests, and knowledge transfer.
• Operational handover: runbooks, monitoring, patch schedules, and cost governance in place for production support.

Well‑audited partners will show repeatable playbooks and sample automation templates (Terraform, ARM templates) used to deploy AVS clusters and network connectivity. Eastwall’s service descriptions list these capabilities as part of their AVS offering, which aligns with the artifacts auditors typically examine.

Integration with Azure native services — modernization options​

AVS enables hybrid patterns where VMware workloads remain operational while teams modernize specific services to Azure PaaS over time. Typical modernization steps include:

• Introducing Azure native backup/replication models.
• Using Azure NetApp Files or cloud block storage integrations for storage efficiency.
• Moving suitable workloads into Azure native services (App Service, AKS) when refactoring is feasible.

A strong AVS partner will document these modernization pathways and deliver a multi‑phase roadmap rather than a single migration event.

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Competitive context: who else is getting the AVS specialization​

The AVS advanced specialization is becoming common among managed service providers and integrators that operate at scale in the VMware migration market. Several global and regional firms have publicly announced the specialization in 2024–2025, illustrating the market’s push to prove operational competency for VMware workloads on Azure. That rising field means buyers must look beyond the badge and evaluate vertical experience, scale, reference quality, and automation assets.

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Final assessment and recommended next steps for enterprise buyers​

Eastwall’s addition of the Azure VMware Solution advanced specialization is a meaningful signal of capability: it indicates the company has invested in staff skilling, built migration/operational artifacts, and passed a formal audit process. For organizations that want a partner to execute AVS migrations with reduced application rework, a specialized partner can materially shorten timelines and risk.
That said, the specialization should be treated as a necessary but not sufficient criterion. Buyers must insist on the audit letter, anonymized ACR evidence, named certified staff, and reference projects that match their scale and regulatory needs. Insist on contractual SLAs, a clear exit and modernization roadmap, and documented runbooks to ensure the badge translates into predictable outcomes.

• Verify the specialization in Partner Center and request the audit date and letter.
• Demand anonymized ACR evidence and certification IDs for people who counted toward the skilling gate.
• Validate references at the scale you require and ask for redacted architecture and runbooks before final award.

In short, Eastwall’s announcement is commercially and technically positive for customers considering AVS migrations — provided procurement teams convert the announced credential into verifiable artifacts and enforceable contractual commitments. The AVS specialization reduces the initial selection risk, but the burden of proof remains with buyers to confirm recency, personnel, and delivery outcomes before awarding critical cloud migration work.

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Conclusion
Microsoft’s AVS advanced specialization is a high‑value, audit‑backed credential that signals a partner’s practical ability to migrate and run VMware workloads on Azure. Eastwall’s public claim of earning this specialization extends its rapid roster of Microsoft‑validated competencies and positions the firm strongly in the AVS migration market. Enterprise buyers should welcome the credential as a useful shortlisting filter, but must still require the underlying audit evidence, staff certifications, and production references before awarding scope to ensure the specialization delivers the operational assurances their programs demand.

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Source: WV News Eastwall Achieves Fifth Microsoft Advanced Specialization in "Azure VMware Solution"