“Planet Technologies is proud to have been selected as a finalist for the Microsoft Education Partner of the Year Award. This recognition is a testament to our team’s commitment to empowering U.S. academic research institutions with secure, scalable, and compliant cloud solutions,” said Steve Winter, Executive Vice President at Planet Technologies. “This year alone, we’ve enabled more than 30 leading U.S. universities to accelerate innovation, protect sensitive data, and confidently compete for more than $60 billion in annual federal research grants. Built entirely on Microsoft technologies, our Secure Research Enclave and Secure Research Framework solutions are transforming how higher learning institutions approach compliance, collaboration, and digital transformation.”
The Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards recognize Microsoft partners that have developed and delivered outstanding Microsoft Cloud applications, services, devices, and AI innovation during the past year. Awards were classified in various categories, with honorees chosen from more than 4,600 nominations across more than 100 countries. Planet Technologies was recognized for providing outstanding solutions and services to the Education industry.
Purpose-built for the education sector, Planet Technologies’ Secure Research Enclave (SRE) and Secure Research Framework (SRF) solutions support the secure research needs of universities navigating the complex requirements of federally funded research. These solutions enable institutions to meet stringent federal compliance and cybersecurity standards, accelerate grant readiness, and protect sensitive data.
With dozens of successful implementations across U.S. higher learning institutions, Planet’s SRE and SRF solutions have delivered measurable outcomes—saving institutions up to $300,000 per research grant environment and safeguarding millions in research funding from non-compliance risks. By leveraging Microsoft Azure Government, Microsoft 365 GCC High, and advanced security tools, Planet empowers researchers to focus on discovery while ensuring their environments remain secure, compliant, and future-ready.
“Congratulations to all the winners and finalists of the 2025 Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards, said Nicole Dezen, Chief Partner Officer and Corporate Vice President at Microsoft. This year, our partners harnessed the transformative power of Microsoft’s Cloud and AI platforms to deliver transformative solutions that redefine the boundaries of innovation. The energy and ingenuity across our ecosystem continue to inspire us. The 2025 honorees exemplify what’s possible when technology and vision unite to empower customers around the world.”
The 2025 Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards are announced ahead of Microsoft Ignite, which will be held in San Francisco from November 18-21. Additional details on the 2025 awards are available on the Microsoft Partner blog: https://aka.ms/2025POTYA_Announcement. The complete list of categories, winners and finalists can be found at https://aka.ms/2025POTYAWinnersFinalists.
About Planet Technologies
Planet Technologies is the leading provider of advanced Microsoft services to the public sector. Proudly supporting U.S. government agencies, educational institutions, and the Defense Industrial Base for 27 years, Planet is backed by 13 Microsoft Specializations and 28 Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards. Trusted by clients and endorsed by Microsoft, Planet’s deep experience spans a range of competencies, including artificial intelligence, technology modernization, application development, cybersecurity and compliance, and end user adoption. Learn more at go-planet.com.
