To confirm - probably due to my poor wording, there are a few different types of partners...
DD and Logicalis etc are Channel Partners (resellers) - they build solutions for customers and MS is one of many vendors they deal with. Dimension Data are a Global System Integrator - very large partner really, they work with significant accounts, businesses over 500 seats say - (I was in DD's shiny new offices two weeks ago and have been in contact with multiple Logicalis - TDL in Australia - reps this week and today).
Livetiles are an ISV - Indepdent Software Vendor - there are many that work in the MS universe - they are more like Alliance Partners than channel if that makes sense - Adobe is a MS Alliance partner...
(When I said 6,000 partners in Australia I mean't channel partners).
Remember MS is a massive global giant with many very large alliance and channel partners - even DD and Logicalis are multi billion companies - very large.
For them to award a tiny coy like LVT this prize especially in the US is to my mind a very positive sign...