Beyond the Badge –
What Microsoft Certification Really Involves

“If you’re not using a certified recorder and you have an issue, Microsoft might say — that’s not a certified app. Turn it off.”
(Numonix CEO Mike Levy)

Microsoft Certification is far more than a logo on a website. It represents deep technical scrutiny of a solution, hands-on collaboration with Microsoft’s engineering teams, and third-party audits that probe both functionality and security. Certification requires thorough testing that can include extensive call scenarios and formal security and compliance checks.

As Mike Levy explains, “The certification is really important because it’s a badge, but it’s not just a badge — there’s a ton of work that goes into it.” Only by working closely with Microsoft engineers do vendors uncover the subtle platform nuances that matter most. “Only once you have that tight interaction with engineering do you learn the important nuances,” Mike says.

Certification also includes rigorous independent verification. Providers face a test plan that can span 250 call scenarios and must pass security and compliance audits that map to standards like ISO 27001. Some customers will require additional attestations like SOC 2 Type 2 for the product itself. The bottom line — certification turns a vendor claim into an audited, repeatable capability.

Trust and Support – Why Certification Protects Your Organization

For regulated industries and compliance recording, trust is a very high-stakes partnership that is anything but optional.

Certification creates a support framework that works when you need it most. If an issue arises with Teams calling and you are using a non-certified recorder, you may find yourself blocked from the help you expect.

Mike puts it plainly, saying, “If you’re not using a certified recorder and you have an issue, Microsoft might say — that’s not a certified app – turn it off.” Certified vendors, on the other hand, collaborate directly with Microsoft. “We collaborate very closely with Microsoft because we’re intrinsically involved in the actual call,” Mike adds.

Just like “nothing succeeds like success,” trust also compounds. Many sophisticated buyers look for ISO 27001 certification to validate a vendor’s security posture. They then look for Microsoft Certification to validate Teams-specific reliability. Some will require SOC 2 Type 2 for the product itself — annual audits that confirm the vendor continuously does what they promise.

In competitive bids, many public sector or enterprise customers will require that vendors provide answers to extremely comprehensive security and procedural questionnaires that probe each layer of the provider’s business operations. Having a trust-based business – with ISO certification and SOC 2 type 2 accreditation – eliminates this need and moves you to the top of the list – you’ve already proven you’ve taken significant steps to reduce risk across security, compliance, and support.

Avoiding the “Break/Fix” Trap – Staying Ahead of Platform Updates

Unlike the possibility of a regulatory audit, we know that Microsoft Teams is a living platform and it’s going to change. Features evolve. Behaviors change. Recording requirements shift. Certified partners have early visibility into upcoming changes and the tools to adapt in time, before it becomes a break/fix situation. That matters because break/fix is not a theoretical concern — it is a predictable outcome if you are not prepared.

Mike illustrates this with a critical example, explaining, “We’ve had customers in (Conference Mode) preview testing it out – I’ve heard of customers now with 2,000, 3,000 call queues in Teams. Do you really want to be in that position where your 3,000 queues, your inbound calls are not recording and then you have to figure out how quickly you can get it working again?”

Working with a Microsoft Certified solution eliminates those risks by building change readiness into the process.

Clearing Up SOC 2 – Product Specific, Not Company Wide

SOC 2 Type 2 is often misunderstood. It does not certify the company in general — it certifies the specific product and its controls across a period of time. A vendor may have SOC 2 Type 2 for one platform while the product you plan to buy has no such attestation. That difference matters.

Mike clarifies, saying, “SOC 2 does not apply to the company — it applies to the product.” He adds, “There’s an audit every year to make sure you’re doing what you say you’re doing.”

Buyers should verify that the recording product itself is in scope for the audit and that the report is current. Annual reviews and physical audits confirm that the vendor continues to operate as documented. In a space where only a small number of compliance call recording providers have SOC 2 Type 2 for their actual call recording product, diligence protects you from confusing labels and misplaced assurances.

Key Takeaways

Certification is a rigorous, hands-on process — extensive scenario testing plus security and compliance audits that validate real-world reliability.
Certification unlocks practical support — Microsoft and certified vendors work together to troubleshoot calling and recording issues quickly.
Microsoft Teams changes constantly — certified vendors get early visibility and tools to adapt, reducing break-fix events for customers with complex call queues.
SOC 2 Type 2 is product-specific — confirm the actual recording product is in scope and current, not just the company.
For compliance and regulated use cases, Microsoft Certification should be considered essential — it is a core element of trust, support, and continuity.

In Conclusion

Microsoft makes certification stringent for a reason — they put their trust in certified providers so those providers can deliver trust to you.

If compliance-caliber call recording is mission-critical in your organization, certification is not a nice-to-have — it is table stakes for security, support, and staying ahead of inevitable platform changes.

Beyond the Badge – What Microsoft Certification Really Involves