Dicker Data Becomes First ANZ Distributor to Achieve Microsoft Frontier Status

Dicker Data has become the first local distributor in Australia and New Zealand, and one of only four distributors globally, to achieve Microsoft Frontier Distributor status, the technology vendor’s highest benchmark for distributor capability across cloud, services, enablement and partner support. 

The designation places Dicker Data alongside the world’s largest global distributors, but the significance lies in how it was achieved. Rather than replicating a multinational operating model, Dicker Data has built its Microsoft business around a partner-first, locally executed approach designed specifically for the Australia and New Zealand market. 

Introduced by Microsoft as its most rigorous distributor benchmark, Frontier recognises organisations that can support partners across the full lifecycle of modern cloud and AI delivery. The assessment spans operational performance, service maturity, platform capability, partner enablement, technical resourcing and marketing execution, making it a meaningful indicator of both scale and execution.

Built for ANZ, Recognised Globally 

Fiona Brown, Executive Chair and Managing Director of Dicker Data, said the designation reflects a deliberate long-term strategy to build deep Microsoft capability in-market and back partners with locally delivered support, services and enablement. 

“I want to thank all of the Dicker Data team members whose hard work, expertise and commitment have contributed to this achievement,” Brown said. 

“This is Microsoft’s most rigorous distributor designation, so to achieve it as a focused ANZ business is a significant milestone for Dicker Data and for the partner ecosystem we serve,” Brown added. 

“It shows that a distributor built for this market can deliver at a globally recognised standard, while staying true to a model that strengthens the local channel ecosystem.” 

Built Through Deliberate Capability Investment

The achievement reflects sustained investment in Dicker Data’s Microsoft practice and digital platform across Australia and New Zealand, supported by specialist capability across sales, pre-sales, helpdesk, technical services, marketing and partner enablement.  

Sarah Loiterton, General Manager – Microsoft ANZ at Dicker Data, said achieving Frontier designation had been the result of a focused effort across the organisation, reflecting the strength of collaboration between the business and broader Microsoft ecosystem.  

“Achieving Microsoft Frontier designation has been a six-month journey, and I’m incredibly proud of the work our Microsoft teams across Australia and New Zealand have done to make it possible,” Loiterton said.  

“Frontier sets a very high bar for what modern distribution needs to deliver. It’s not just about scale. It requires proven capability across the full partner lifecycle, from technical depth and services delivery through to platform capability and partner enablement. 

Over the past six months, we’ve made deliberate investments across our team, our systems and our partner ecosystem to ensure we can meet those expectations in a way that’s relevant to the ANZ market. 

For our partners, that means access to stronger capability, greater confidence to pursue more complex opportunities, and the support they need to deliver better outcomes for their customers.” 

Dicker Data’s Microsoft practice now includes more than 50 specialists across Australia and New Zealand spanning sales, technical, services, marketing and enablement.  

Together, the team supports more than 3,000 Microsoft partners across ANZ, helping them build capability, pursue opportunity and deliver customer outcomes. 

Vlad Mitnovetski, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, Dicker Data, said the designation reflects both the scale of capability Microsoft now expects from distribution and the role distributors play in helping partners evolve. 

“Microsoft’s Frontier designation sets a clear benchmark for what modern distributors need to deliver. 

It reflects the increasing expectation on distributors to support partners beyond transactions, across capability, services and platforms, and to help them adapt as customer demand continues to shift toward more complex cloud and AI solutions. 

This is where distributors can add the most value, by helping partners access the expertise and support they need to grow while staying focused on their customers.”

A Partner-Powered Services Model

A defining feature of Dicker Data’s Microsoft strategy, and a key factor in achieving Frontier status, is its services model built around the strength of the local partner ecosystem. 

Instead of building each of the required capabilities in-house, Dicker Data has developed a partner-powered model that connects its extensive reseller base with specialist Australian and New Zealand partner organisations who are certified and able to deliver advanced services across Azure, Security, Modern Work, Data and AI.  

A central part of the model has been Dicker Data’s strategic and exclusive partnership with TechClick, whose specialist Microsoft capability played an important role in helping Dicker Data meet the requirements for Frontier designation. That partnership has strengthened the depth of technical support available to partners across the Microsoft stack, while broader initiatives such as Solution ConX provide a mechanism for partners to access deeper expertise without losing ownership of the customer relationship. Alongside TechClick, collaboration with specialist Microsoft partners such as 365Architects further extends capability across architecture, migration, deployment and optimisation. 

“What sets us apart is the way we’re delivering the required capability,” Brown said. 

“We’ve built a model that delivers the capability required under Microsoft’s Frontier criteria, while ensuring it is applied in a way that supports where the channel and customers are today, and where they need to go. It gives partners access to the expertise required, while reinforcing their role at the centre of the customer relationship, rather than displacing it.”  
 
“That is a different way of operating to many global distributors, and it’s now been recognised by Microsoft as both credible and effective.”

Positioned for the Next Phase of Cloud and AI Growth

Frontier status gives Dicker Data and its partners greater access to Microsoft programs, resources and advanced tooling, strengthening their ability to pursue larger and more complex opportunities across cloud, security and AI. 

For partners, that means stronger support to: 

• Grow faster across Azure, Security, Modern Work and AI workloads 

• Take on more complex, higher-value customer engagements with confidence 

• Deliver solutions aligned to Microsoft’s evolving delivery and governance standards 

• Capture emerging demand in areas such as Copilot, data platforms and AI-driven applications 

A Local Model with Global Credibility 

While Dicker Data operates exclusively in Australia and New Zealand, the designation reinforces its ability to compete at a globally recognised standard through a model built specifically for local partners and customers. 

It also demonstrates that world-class Microsoft capability can be built and delivered from this region by backing the channel and investing deeply in local execution. 

“This is recognition not only for Dicker Data, but for what the ANZ channel can achieve when local capability, investment and partner alignment come together,” Brown said. 

“It proves that partners in our market can access globally credible capability, delivered locally, through a model designed to help them grow.” 

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