By Alice Chambers |
According to Microsoft’s 2025 Work Trend Index, 53 per cent of leaders say they need more productivity from their teams – yet 80 per cent of employees report they don’t have the time or energy to get their work done. With an average of 275 interruptions each day, many say their work feels chaotic and fragmented. It’s no surprise, then, that organisations are turning to AI for support.
“AI is becoming part of how they operate, serve customers and make decisions,” says Kathleen Mitford, corporate vice president of global industry marketing at Microsoft. “This is where real transformation begins.”
In the Summer 2025 issue of Technology Record, Mitford joins her colleagues Satish Thomas, corporate vice president of Microsoft business and industry solutions, and Shelley Bransten, corporate vice president of global industry solutions, to discuss how generative AI is transforming industries as organisations move from experimentation to scaled implementation. From Microsoft’s AI and cloud roadmap to examples of early adopters, our executive interview contributors consider the evolving opportunities for customers and the far-reaching potential of AI-powered solutions.
Bransten, Mitford and Thomas at Microsoft’s Redmond Washington Campus, USA
Meanwhile, our cover story highlights how business leaders and executives from companies like Microsoft, Accenture, Bayer KPMG and Novo Nordisk are driving AI strategy and implementation.
Over 20,000 people attended the Microsoft’s 2025 Ability Summit in March 2025, all to discuss how AI is improving accessibility – an important topic since 1.3 billion people worldwide are living with significant disabilities, according to the World Health Organization. In our feature, Jenny Lay-Flurrie, chief accessibility officer at Microsoft, explores how organisations can break accessibility barriers.
Also in this issue, Simon Crownshaw, worldwide lead for media and entertainment at Microsoft, explains how the smartest media companies are uniting enterprise and creative workflows. As the global media community prepares for IBC2025 in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in September, Crownshaw highlights how media organisations are using Microsoft technology to gain clearer insights into their content and drive better storytelling.
Doctor Who also exemplifies how the media industry is embracing more visual, data-driven storytelling to reach larger audiences
Elsewhere, Microsoft executives offer their insights into how AI is driving change across multiple industries. Parag Ladha outlines how digital and AI tools are reshaping frontline operations in the industrials and manufacturing industry. Kirk Arthur and Eric Basha discuss why they believe AI has the power to transform government operations and take the strain off employees. Felice Miller reveals how AI can help retail and consumer goods organisations operate in turbulent times, and Chris Knox and Tyler Pichach give an insight into how the technology is empowering workers to confront the growing global risk of financial crime.
Textron Aviation has streamlined operations with a new AI assistant built on Microsoft for Manufacturing and Azure OpenAI Service
The Summer 2025 issue of Technology Record also offers a selection of news, interviews, case studies and viewpoints from industry experts. We hope you enjoy the read.