Kabaun Studio joins the OpenAI Partner Network

What happened

On 21 October 2026, OpenAI confirmed in writing that Kabaun Studio is an active member of the OpenAI Partner Network, at the Registered tier. It is the programme through which OpenAI recognises companies that help businesses build, sell and put into production solutions based on its models.

For us, it recognises a practice already in place. Part of the agents, automations and tools we deliver run on OpenAI models, and the team already holds two of the vendor's certifications: OpenAI Consultative Solutions Practitioner and ChatGPT Solutions Practitioner. Joining the network gives that work an official framework.

The OpenAI Partner Network in brief

OpenAI announced the programme on 14 June 2026. It is its first formal partner programme, backed by an announced investment of 150 million dollars in its partner ecosystem.

The programme publicly describes three tiers, Select, Advanced and Elite. Partners progress on four criteria: sales performance, technical expertise, co-selling with OpenAI and successful customer deployments. The tier OpenAI confirmed to us is Registered, and that is the one we display, no more and no less.

Beyond tiers, the programme offers specialised certifications, notably on Codex, cybersecurity and AI agents. OpenAI has also launched a pilot, Forward Deployed Experts, which pairs practitioners from qualified partners with its own engineers deployed at customer sites, on the most complex projects. The vendor has set itself the goal of training 300,000 certified consultants by the end of 2026.

Two vendors, one principle: the model fits the task

We have been members of Anthropic's Claude Partner Network since September. Being a partner of two competing vendors is not a contradiction: it follows directly from the way we work.

• No model is best everywhere. Depending on the task, volume, language, cost per request and hosting constraints, the right choice changes. Some tasks need no AI at all.
• The model is a setting, not a dependency. We build tools so that changing model does not mean rewriting the application. When a new version ships, from either vendor, we test it on your real cases before switching.
• Cost can be managed. Comparing two vendors on the same task is often the simplest lever to cut the bill. It is one of the principles of our framework for managing AI costs.

What it changes for you

• More direct access to the vendor. Our engineers have OpenAI's resources, documentation and training. When model behaviour raises a question in production, we escalate it through the right channel.
• Closer watch on releases. Models move fast, and every release changes costs and capabilities. Being in the network helps us assess early what a new version changes for the tools we run.
• A team that keeps training. The programme's certifications, on agents or on Codex, add to those the team already holds.

What it does not change

• Anything that commits the business never comes from the model. A price, an availability, a reference: this data is computed server side and checked before display, whatever the vendor. That is the subject of our article on why an AI agent must never quote a price.
• Your data stays yours. The partnership changes nothing about data processing. Hosting, access and reversibility are decided with you, project by project. Our article on hosting an AI project in France sets out the options.
• The method stays the same. Our engineers work at your site, on your data, alongside the people who will use the tool. That is the forward deployed engineer model, the very one OpenAI highlights with its Forward Deployed Experts pilot.

How to check a vendor partner

Whether for us or for another provider, three checks are enough.

• Ask for the exact tier. "Partner" says nothing on its own. OpenAI's programme distinguishes several tiers, and a serious provider tells you which one it holds.
• Ask for proof from the vendor. A badge on a website proves nothing. Written confirmation from the vendor, or a listing in an official directory, is the reference.
• Deployments matter more than the title. Ask what the provider has put into production, and talk to the people who use it.

What comes next

We are continuing to certify the team across both ecosystems and will keep documenting here what we learn while building.

If you are considering a project on OpenAI or Anthropic models, or are unsure which model fits your case, our AI diagnostic places your project in a few minutes, and our AI agent method describes how we would run it.

Sources

• OpenAI, Introducing the OpenAI Partner Network (June 2026)
• Channel Insider, OpenAI Debuts Partner Network Backed by $150M Investment (June 2026)

Frequently asked questions

What is the OpenAI Partner Network?

It is OpenAI's programme recognising companies that help businesses build and put into production solutions based on its models. It gives access to the vendor's training, certifications and resources.

What is Kabaun Studio's tier in the programme?

OpenAI confirmed in writing, on 21 October 2026, our status as an active member at the Registered tier. We display no other tier.

Why be a partner of both OpenAI and Anthropic?

Because we choose the model by task, cost and each project's constraints. Knowing both ecosystems from the inside lets us compare on your real cases rather than out of habit.

Does your data go through OpenAI because of this partnership?

No, the partnership changes nothing about data processing. Hosting, model and access choices are made project by project, with you, according to how sensitive the data is.

What does it change for a project already under way?

Nothing in method or commitments. The partnership gives us more direct access to the vendor's resources, useful when model behaviour raises a question or when a new version ships.