Double Recognition, For the Fourth Year Running: Karel Beránek Is One of Just 16 Microsoft FastTrack Architects Worldwide

<p data-pasted="true">Being recognized once by Microsoft's FastTrack program is rare. Being recognized in two categories at the same time is rarer still. There are 56 FastTrack Recognized Solution Architects for Dynamics 365 worldwide, and 79 for Power Platform. Only 16 people hold both titles at once. Karel Beránek, Delivery Director at ACTUM Digital, is one of them. The overlap is so small because the two areas require genuinely different expertise: deep, delivery-focused knowledge of Dynamics 365 on one side, and broad, fast-evolving Power Platform architecture on the other. Very few people go deep enough in both to qualify for either, let alone both.</p><p>And this year marks something even more telling: his fourth consecutive year holding this dual recognition, building on <a href="/insights/microsoft-honored-beranek-with-prestigious-certifications" data-channel-guid="bf0f72af-7483-48d9-90ec-b2f04a7cd593">the three FastTrack certifications he received last year</a>. It reflects how <a href="/technologies/microsoft" data-channel-guid="bf0f72af-7483-48d9-90ec-b2f04a7cd593">ACTUM Digital approaches Microsoft architecture</a>, not as a one-time achievement, but as an ongoing discipline. We sat down with Karel to talk about what it actually takes to stay at that level, year after year.&nbsp;</p><h2><strong>This is your fourth consecutive year receiving this recognition. Is staying on this list actually harder than getting on it the first time?</strong></h2><p>Interestingly, the first time actually felt harder, mainly because the process itself was unknown to me. Microsoft's criteria have stayed consistent since then, so every year you still need to prove the quality of your work through real projects and demonstrated business benefits. At the same time, the Power Platform and the broader Microsoft ecosystem are growing rapidly, with more applications, users, developers, and architects entering the market. That naturally drives demand for this recognition, and my impression is that Microsoft protects its value carefully rather than opening the door to everyone. I don't know exactly how many candidates fail the interview, but I'd guess a fair number of nominations don't make it through.</p><h2 data-pasted="true"><strong>FastTrack recognition is built on real project evidence and client feedback. Walk us through what Microsoft actually looks at when evaluating an architect for renewal each year. </strong></h2><p>FastTrack is not a theoretical certification. It’s a reality check. Every year you must present new projects, new evidence, and new outcomes. FastTrack is essentially an external benchmark of architectural quality.</p><p>The first prerequisite is the PL-600 or MB-700 certification, which itself already requires several years of hands-on experience with the platform. Beyond that, you need a published reference architecture or technical sample: work that's been generalized and shared as inspiration for others, without exposing any client details. Since Microsoft publishes this content officially in its documentation, the review process is very precise about both the level of detail and the quality of the work.</p><p>Finally, you have to demonstrate real customer implementations, backed by client confirmation of your role and contribution. A recognized architect is expected to play a genuinely important role in the client relationship and to show clear technical leadership.</p><h2><strong>How does this recognition actually show up for clients, not as a certificate on a wall, but in how a project gets delivered day to day? Can you share a recent example? </strong></h2><p>The recognition badge itself, and the stickers on my laptop, are really just the cherry on top. The real benefit for the client is the architect's constant involvement throughout delivery: pushing the team to use the latest technologies where they genuinely add value, while always keeping the client's needs and business priorities first. My goal is to inspire the team, open new horizons, bring a different perspective, challenge us with new ideas, and show clients through practical demos how the technology is evolving and what that means for their operating model.</p><p>A good recent example is our early access to preview features and ongoing community discussions. That lets us give clients immediate recommendations on what to use, how to use it, and just as importantly, what not to use yet because it's still too early.&nbsp;</p><h2><strong>How does an individual recognition like this actually reflect team-level capability? </strong></h2><p>This recognition would never have been possible without the amazing team at ACTUM Digital. I may be the front man of the show, but we make the magic together. The projects, the client outcomes, and the evidence behind this recognition all come from the capability of the whole team, not from one individual.&nbsp;</p><h2><strong>With four years of consistency behind you, where do you see the next challenge? Deeper in D365/Power Platform, or into adjacent areas like Data &amp; AI or Security?</strong></h2><p>The next challenge is definitely multi-domain specialization, along with rising speed to market expectations. It's no longer enough to understand just one tool or feature, because the platforms overlap more and more. The agentic layer across the ecosystem can make development look easier than it was a few years ago, as if everything can simply be prompted. But the fundamentals underneath remain stable and very similar to before. The risk for new adopters is that they may not understand what sits behind the prompting layer and end up trusting the output blindly.</p><p>Our next challenge is to make sure that AI-generated solutions are never delivered without meeting the same proven architecture, quality, security, and delivery standards we've always expected.&nbsp;</p><h2><strong>What's changed in how you personally define "good architecture"?&nbsp;</strong></h2><p>Good architecture isn't defined by how impressive the documentation, process flows, or diagrams look. These days, all of that can be generated very easily and presented beautifully on paper. The real proof is whether the architecture fits the client's actual needs and works in practice. That's still where experienced consultants and architects add value: understanding what's really needed, why it matters, and how the technology should be shaped around it.</p><h2 data-pasted="true"><strong>Looking to build architecture that lasts, not just looks good on paper? If you'd like to talk with&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/karelberanek/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Karel</strong></a><strong>&nbsp;or the wider ACTUM Digital team about your Dynamics 365 or Power Platform project,&nbsp;</strong><a href="/contact-us" data-channel-guid="bf0f72af-7483-48d9-90ec-b2f04a7cd593"><strong>get in touch with us</strong></a><strong>&nbsp;and let's discuss how we can help.</strong></h2>