A focused effort by staff at Jersey-based software developer Puritas recently achieved Microsoft Gold Partner status, a highly sought underscore of professional commitment and competence.

Achieving Gold Partner status means Puritas, which specialises in finance industry applications, joins a select group of Microsoft accredited organisations. Doing so requires a company’s developers to complete a structured programme of professional qualifications.

MD Trevor Cole says despite a busy client workload, and Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, the team settled down to the challenge once set.

‘Being an established Microsoft user meant our developers already had extensive hands-on experience of Microsoft products, including Azure and SQL Server,’ he said. ‘But we recognised the importance of clearly demonstrating competence, alongside reinforcing our commitment to continuing professional development. I established a learning and development programme and encouraged the team to dedicate time as workload permitted. Once started, it was impressive to see the collective effort they made – a bit of friendly rivalry always encourages focus.’

As well as demonstrating competence and commitment, becoming a Gold Partner opens access to an extensive suite of Microsoft tools, knowledge and support. It is an advantage that Mr Cole anticipates benefiting Puritas clients as well as the company.

‘Our developer teams in Jersey and Liverpool support some of the finance industry’s biggest names across nine key global markets.’ he continued. ‘These companies have understandably high demands for advanced, secure and reliable software applications. Becoming a Gold Partner helps demonstrate that Puritas is committed to and capable of delivering client expectations now and into the future.’

Microsoft recognition is the second stamp of quality recently received by Puritas. In 2020, the company completed lengthy accreditation efforts to gain ISO 9001 status.