Microsoft recognized Atea for its work in creating business value for organisations across both the private and public sectors through Microsoft technology. This year's winners were selected from more than 4,500 nominations worldwide.

- This recognition is first and foremost about our people and the value we create together with customers every day. Technology is moving faster than ever, particularly across AI and security. Our role is to make that change practical: to help customers understand the opportunities, manage the risks and put Microsoft technology to work in a secure and meaningful way. I am proud of what all our teams have built together with Microsoft, and even more excited about what we can help customers achieve next, says Carl-Johan Hultenheim, Chief Operating Officer, Atea ASA.

First-hand experience that creates customer value

Atea helps customers create business value across the Microsoft technology portfolio, drawing on the expertise of thousands of Atea consultants across cloud, infrastructure, productivity, business applications, AI and security. For Atea, being Customer Zero means putting the technology to work in its own organization. The company became a Microsoft Frontier partner in June and has rolled out the AI platform to all employees and created more than 14,000 AI agents. This positions Atea to help customers achieve business outcomes with Microsoft technology.

- Our certified specialists combine deep Microsoft expertise with practical experience from our own organisation and years of working alongside customers. That gives us a strong understanding of what it takes to choose the right solutions, put them to work and build lasting value. We continue to develop our expertise as the technology evolves, helping customers get more from their Microsoft investments over time," says Carl-Johan Hultenheim, Chief Operating Officer, Atea ASA.

Building cyber preparedness through hands-on practice

According to CIO Analytics 2026, 80 percent of organisations in Northern Europe have an incident response plan, but only 24 percent practice regularly. To address this, Atea, in collaboration with Microsoft, helps organisations strengthen their cyber preparedness through Esc Room. The exercise takes place inside a specially designed container, where participants experience a realistic cyberattack based on real-world incidents. A debrief afterwards helps them identify how to improve their response.

More than 4,500 nominations

The Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards celebrate partners delivering exceptional customer outcomes through Microsoft Cloud, AI, services, and devices. This year's winners and finalists were selected from more than 4,500 nominations submitted worldwide across a diverse range of categories and geographies. Atea was recognized for providing outstanding solutions and services as the Regional Channel Partner across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

- Congratulations to the winners and finalists of the 2026 Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards. This year's honorees are harnessing the power of Microsoft Cloud and AI to deliver transformative solutions, accelerate customer success, and expand what's possible. Their ingenuity and impact inspire us, demonstrating what can be achieved when bold vision and technology come together to empower organizations around the world, said Nicole Dezen, Chief Partner Officer and Corporate Vice President at Microsoft.

-  Atea combines deep expertise across the Microsoft technology portfolio with a strong understanding of customers' business needs. The company helps organizations adopt technology, strengthen security and turn their investments into business results. This award recognizes the value Atea helps customers create, the expertise and commitment of Atea's people, and the strong partnership across our both organizations", says Bart van der Knaap, Regional Vice President EMEA Channel at Microsoft.

The 2026 Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards are announced ahead of Microsoft Ignite, which will be held in San Francisco from November 17-20.

Additional details on the 2026 awards are available on the Microsoft Partner blog: https://aka.ms/2026POTYA_Announcement. The complete list of categories, winners and finalists can be found at https://aka.ms/2026POTYAWinnersFinalists.

For additional information, please contact:
Steinar Sønsteby, CEO Atea ASA, mobile (+47) 930 55 655
Carl-Johan Hultenheim, COO Atea ASA mobile (+46) 70 416 00 16

About Atea
Atea is the leading supplier of IT infrastructure in the Nordic and Baltic regions. Atea is present in 88 cities with over 8,000 employees in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Atea delivers hardware and software from leading global vendors, and provides consulting and technical services to support its customers with the design, implementation and operation of their IT environments. Atea had revenue of approximately NOK 37 billion (EUR 3.2 billion) in 2025 and is listed on Oslo Stock Exchange. atea.com