Microsoft's partner program is putting the fire into partners to transform their business with robust sales growth in the fast moving cloud market.

That was the message from a trio of Microsoft's best and brightest partners at the Best of Breed Conference who took to the stage Tuesday in a Masters of Cloud Transformation panel discussion hosted by David Geevaratne, co-founder and president of New Signature, Microsoft's 2014 U.S. Partner of the Year.

"It is 100 percent transformative," said Steve Ellis, executive vice president of Infusion, a Toronto, Ont.-based Microsoft partner, speaking about the software giant's cloud partner program. He called the Microsoft partner program the "best partner program" bar none from any vendor that he has ever worked with in the technology business.

Ellis credited the Microsoft partner program with helping Infusion drive sales growth at "20 [percent] to 25 percent clip" over the last several years with net new accounts up 30 percent this year.

What's more, he said, as Infusion has partnered closely with Microsoft in the cloud its cost of sales has declined, with Infusion selling more repeatable solutions. "When you sell repeatable solutions, you are able to better deliver those solutions so the overages you might incur on a project are reduced."

Another plus for Infusion: Microsoft's "competitive appetite to win" in the cloud business. "They may not always get it right the first time," Ellis said. "But I want to bet on a partner that has the long game in mind and has the hunger and competitiveness to win every single time."

George Hammerschmidt, COO of Nortec Communications Inc., a Falls Church, Va., Microsoft Gold partner, said the Microsoft partner program has "set his company on fire."

"They force you to adapt and get ahead of the curve," said Hammerschmidt, referring to Microsoft's drive to push partners to break new technology boundaries.