Security software vendor, Marshal, has become a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner after earning a competency in Network Infrastructure Solutions.

The competency is for partners who have proven proficiency in implementing solutions based on Microsoft Windows Server 2000 or 2003, or Microsoft Small Business Server 2000 or 2003. Marshal Microsoft global alliance manager, Oscar Marquez, said the process of gaining certification took the vendor four months.

"We were lucky that the company we broke away from a few years ago [NetIQ] is a platinum Microsoft partner, so we already had Microsoft savvy professionals on the team," Marquez said.

Marshal already had a good relationship with Microsoft prior to the certification, he said, with some 30,000 Microsoft servers running its products.

"We wanted to make sure our partners had the best support," Marquez said. "The certification helps our customers by giving us better access to Microsoft's roadmaps around releases and better sales and support team support."