LeapXpert Named Microsoft Partner of the Year

Here’s what it means for enterprises in the new era of compliance and data governance.

Being named Microsoft’s ISV Partner of the Year is a great honor for us. It brings recognition to the urgent problem we solve, our solution and innovative technologies, and our standing as a close Microsoft partner. 

 

During the 2022 Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards – part of Microsoft Inspire 2022, LeapXpert won the prestigious Top Independent Software Vendor Partner of the Year for Hong Kong.

This award reflects the importance of the problem we solve for Microsoft customers, particularly for regulated industries such as Finance Services, and how much value we bring with our innovative, feature-rich solution to Microsoft and its customers.

This recognition highlights four main points:

1. Record-keeping of business conversations through messaging apps is a must-have for financial institutions…. or they will pay a heavy price

Financial institutions, many of whom are customers of Microsoft Azure and 365  for business, have the regulatory obligation to record all business conversations with clients, regardless of the channel (email, voice, instant messaging) or whether the channel is authorized or not by the firm. 

Because these firms have forbidden the use of WhatsApp and other consumer messaging channels, they think they are safe. They are not. Many front office workers still use them for work purposes because it’s quick, convenient, and it’s what their clients expect. 

In recent weeks, we have seen lots of press coverage about the $1B fines imposed by regulators against top-tier banks (see our white paper for a deeper dive). Regulatory authorities are scrutinizing financial institutions and imposing heavy fines like never before for failing to ensure that every business message sent or received, regardless of the device or channel, is properly recorded. 

We are addressing this important and pressing challenge with our partnership with Microsoft. 

 

2. A mature messaging solution built on a modern architecture is the best approach to solve such a complex problem  

The problem is complex because:

• • • Different messaging apps are used in different parts of the world. Enterprises operate globally and need to address these various apps, each with its different architecture and APIs
    • Various incumbent IT environments such as on-premise and different cloud services are used. Azure infrastructure and applications facilitate a cost-effective, rapid, and easy deployment
    • Different user behaviors with corporate or Bring Your Own Devices (BYOD), along with native or third-party user experience preferences
    • Multiple integration points with enterprise systems and technologies such as compliance monitoring and surveillance (Microsoft Purview), collaboration and productivity (Microsoft Teams), Mobile Device Management (Microsoft Intune), Security (Antivirus / antimalware, Data Leakage Protection) or Cloud (Microsoft Azure infrastructure services).

Our solution, the LeapXpert Federated Messaging Orchestration platform, was specifically designed to address the different levels of complexity related to messaging platforms on a global scale. 

In this award, we see recognition of our unique set of features, our cloud-native architecture, and integration with different systems and Microsoft technologies. Furthermore, we see it as recognition of our market leadership and innovative approach, as legacy solutions designed for addressing different communication channels such as SMS, voice, or email (or using non-future-proof technologies) cannot manage these complexities, and are not viable solutions.

 

3. Start small, scale fast, and expand globally with Microsoft

In 2020, we started our Microsoft engagement by joining the ISV startup program. Within a few short weeks, a Microsoft customer already selected LeapXpert Federated Messaging Orchestration platform for integration with WhatsApp. What a promising start! 

After participating in multiple Microsoft events, in October 2020, our solution was approved and published in Microsoft Appsource. We experienced continued and significant growth, with our offer being approved for Microsoft’s co-sell program enabling LeapXpert to collaborate directly with Microsoft on significant client opportunities. Furthermore, our nomination for the Geo Expansion program helped develop our partnership in the APAC region, US and UK. 

Supported throughout by our  Partner Development Manager – a  key guide in our success – we were promoted to a Managed ISV partner status and gained recognition as a Microsoft Gold Partner in March 2022.

Using our advanced Microsoft technology skills with experience from successful project implementations, we continued to gain the trust that helped us expand our footprint from APAC to North America and Europe, where our teams are working closely with Microsoft and its partners. 

 

4. Fast customer adoption across multiple verticals and use cases

Since our first joint customer in 2019, we’ve developed dozens of customer engagement with Microsoft teams, primarily in financial services, expanding quickly to other verticals, such as legal (already winning two legal tech awards), and covering additional use cases such as data governance and data ownership. 

 

What’s next?

We are extremely proud of being recognized as a Microsoft Partner of the Year for 2022. At the same time, we are confident that our collaboration with Microsoft will continue to expand across regions, verticals and use cases. One example is Microsoft Teams, where we have launched a native integration that allows Teams users to communicate externally with consumer messaging applications. Stay tuned for more!