Microsoft’s Jenny Lay-Flurrie on creating more accessible workplaces How three Microsoft leaders are driving real change with AI £24.00 ISSUE 37: SUMMER 2025 Our greatest ally? Combining human and AI capabilities can superpower organisations for quicker and more effective progress towards business goals PLUS: Microsoft and Denodo help organisations unlock AI by prioritising data Connection’s CNXN Helix brings proven Navy-grade AI power to enterprises Structured implementation drives industrial AI success, says AVEVA’s Jim Chappell
Remember when business followed a script? Quarterly plans. Five-year forecasts. Predictable demand. Cute. Now, uncertainty has the wheel—with no GPS. Supply chains stretch. Markets swerve. And your customers expect real-time everything —or ghost your product like it’s a bad date. You could panic. Or you could pivot. There’s no playbook for what’s next. Good thing you don’t need one.
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9 ANDY CLAYTON-SMITH: EXECUTIVE EDITOR We live in a time of change, where seemingly monolithic establishments and philosophies are challenged daily by new ways of thinking and technology that powers innovation. In this issue of Technology Record we examine how fresh perspectives are driving change within enterprise and public sector organisations, where the arrival of generative AI is accelerating progress across all walks of life. Our introduction to this theme begins on page 36 as we talk with senior leaders from Microsoft about the ways in which AI is transforming organisations of every kind. The specially extended executive interview shows how powerhouse trio Kathleen Mitford, Satish Thomas and Shelley Bransten are working together to help organisations move beyond the confines of conventional thinking to reimagine both industry and civic landscapes worldwide. While AI is enabling a new wave of infrastructural development, it is also changing the conversation at an individual level by creating opportunities for those who would historically have found it difficult to progress through traditional organisational environments. Microsoft’s chief accessibility officer Jenny Lay-Flurrie tells us how technology is broadening accessibility for those who may previously have been overlooked, by creating more inclusive and supportive workplaces for everyone. You’ll find that story beginning on page 94. The summer season is a busy one for industry events, many of which Technology Record is delighted to collaborate with as a media partner. From the industrial AI-focused ARC Asia in July to FabCon EMEA in September, which will explore data analytics with Microsoft Fabric, these events reflect the themes shaping numerous industries today – many of which are explored in greater depth in our dedicated features starting on page 102. As always, I hope you enjoy the read. New visions for the old order WELCOME: SUMMER 2025
CONTENTS 11 18 MARKETWATCH The latest news from Microsoft and its partners, including Microsoft’s commitments to Europe’s digital future 36 Real change, right now Shelley Bransten, Kathleen Mitford and Satish Thomas share their insights on how generative AI is transforming industries, how real-life organisations are achieving real change, and what’s next for Microsoft 60 Denodo’s Errol Rodericks and Microsoft’s Peter Humble discuss how they are working together to ensure organisations get the most out of their data 62 Brady Willis explains how Armor Defense’s new AIpowered platform accelerates threat detection with complete transparency and explainability 64 We find out how GEP’s solutions help enterprises adapt to market volatility and enhance supplier resistance in an interview with Santosh Nair 66 Kris Caron and Brian Gatke share how Connection and Microsoft are collaborating to help customers capitalise on new technologies 68 Coretek’s Robert Lovelace reveals how the AI revolution requires a strong focus on security, ethics and accountability from organisations 70 Synergy Technical’s Rohana Meade explains why organisations must prioritise people, processes and readiness for AI success 72 D ennis Perpetua shares Kyndryl’s guidelines for unlocking the power of agentic AI OUR GREATEST ALLY? Combining human and AI capabilities can superpower organisations for quicker and more effective progress towards business goals 46 ISSUE 37: SUMMER 2025
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CONTENTS FEATURED PARTNERS 13 161 A selection of Microsoft partners operating across all business sectors 168 THE LAST WORD We consider how AI agents are collaborating with workers to automate complex tasks and transform the way we work IN FOCUS: ACCESSIBILITY 74 C NXN Helix has proven the power of its AI platform in a major US Navy challenge. Connection’s Travis Cook tells us more 76 Microsoft is at the forefront of the AI revolution and leading the shift to AI-augmented work. Brian Barnes at Coretek explains how 79 Melissa’s Greg Brown reveals how the firm’s partnership with SharpXRM is giving organisations better access to data 80 Intelligent platforms are the essential foundation for organisations looking to unlock the full potential of AI, says 3Cloud’s Matt Morse 82 We report on SAP’s partnership with Microsoft, and how it will deliver integrated solutions that empower enterprises of all sizes 84 Infiterra’s Anastasia Barba explains how Infiterra is empowering IT and telecommunications businesses to transform their subscription services 86 Alex Baulf tells us how Avalara’s E-Invoicing and Live Reporting platform can help businesses navigate different systems around the world 87 W hat’s the key to seamless hybrid work? Brad Hintze at Crestron says it’s three things: content, collaboration and control 88 T yler Troutman explains how Shure’s AV technology helps businesses to overcome the challenges of modern meetings 90 Meeting spaces are evolving and, according to Huddly’s Knut Helge Teppan, organisations must deploy technology that adapts to human behaviour 92 As office spaces continue to evolve, employees can use Barco’s solutions to meet and collaborate effectively 94 Creating a more accessible workplace Disability is part of being human. Microsoft’s Jenny Lay-Flurrie explains how technology is unlocking new opportunities for accessibility at work
14 CONTENTS FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRIALS & MANUFACTURING 120 Bringing frontline workers to the forefront Digital and AI tools have the power to reshape frontline operations, and Microsoft’s Parag Ladha shines a light on several companies that are finding success through the Microsoft ecosystem 126 AVEVA’s Jim Chappell tells us how manufacturers can implement AI in the right way to drive success 128 PetroVietnam Ca Mau Fertilizer Joint Stock Company has future-proofed its meeting spaces using Crestron’s audio and video solutions 129 Vicinity Software’s ERP solution has helped a British dessert manufacturer improve efficiency and meet industry requirements 130 Mines of the future will be digitally enabled, automated and centrally controlled, predicts Glenn Kerkhoff of AVEVA 102 Something seem off? AI noticed too Microsoft’s Chris Knox and Tyler Pichach explain how AI is empowering workers to confront the growing global risk of financial crime 110 Cristina Pieretti from Moody’s explains how agentic AI is transforming financial services with intelligent automation and decision-ready insights 112 W e hear form LSEG’s Nej D’Jelal and Microsoft’s Niall Archibald on how the firms are working together to enable smarter finance services operations 116 Kyndryl’s Niloy Sengupta discusses what the future of finance could look like in the age of agentic AI 118 A utomation and AI tools are helping wealth management firms unlock greater efficiency. M-Files’ Yohan Lobo explains why
15 RETAIL & CG 148 Driving operational excellence in times of uncertainty Global retail and consumer goods organisations are operating in turbulent times, how can AI help them come out on top? We hear from Microsoft’s Felice Miller 154 Rafa Mercado discusses how Kyndryl and Microsoft are working together to help organisations transform their supply chains 156 Retailers can boost customer loyalty by using microstimuli and AI-powered hyperpersonalisation, according to Saurabh Srivastava from Fractal 158 Dutch grocery chain Albert Heijn has used Microsoft Azure AI Foundry to build an AI assistant that reduces time spent on food shopping and meal planning PUBLIC SECTOR 138 Breaking new frontiers with AI Microsoft’s Kirk Arthur explains why he believes AI has the power to transform government operations and take the strain off employees 146 Startups are using AI to transform healthcare operations, from automating administrative processes to streamlining revenue cycle management. Sally Ann Frank from Microsoft tells us more 134 Where content meets corporate Has the media industry landscape become highly fragmented? Microsoft’s Simon Crownshaw explains how the smartest media companies are uniting enterprise and creative workflows to drive better storytelling MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS
Executive editor Andy Clayton-Smith Head of editorial Rebecca Gibson Editorial lead Alice Chambers Digital content lead Amber Hickman Editorial team Richard Humphreys, Laura Hyde, Alex Smith Production manager Stuart Fairbrother Design Bruce Graham, Libby Sidebotham, Dhanika Vansia Website development Chris Jackson Publication manager Ricky Popat Partner managers Tim Grayson, Daniel Thurlow, Thomas Wills, Paul Zmija Subscriptions For subscription enquiries, please contact Tudor Rose on subscribe@tudor-rose.co.uk or visit the website www.technologyrecord.com/subscribe Circulation Sophia Brinkley Publisher Toby Ingleton Photography courtesy of contributors, www.istockphoto.com, www.stock.adobe.com, www.unsplash.com and www.pexels.com Business management Rachael Heggs, Richard Pepperman Published by Tudor Rose Tudor House, 6 Friar Lane, Leicester LE1 5RA Tel: +44 116 222 9900 www.tudor-rose.co.uk Technology Record is a quarterly magazine about technology solutions for enterprise organisations, published by Tudor Rose in collaboration with Microsoft. For further information and to subscribe, please visit: www.technologyrecord.com/subscribe Visit www.technologyrecord.com for up-to-date news and articles about Microsoft technology for enterprise businesses, a comprehensive directory of Microsoft partners that provide solutions for enterprise businesses, and to find out more about our printed publications. ISSN 2754-3277 (Print) and 2754-3285 (Online). Printed in Great Britain by Micropress. © 2025 Tudor Rose Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be stored or transmitted or reproduced in any form or by any means, including whether by photocopying, scanning, downloading onto computer or otherwise without the prior written permission from Tudor Rose Holdings Ltd. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of Microsoft or the publishers. Acceptance of advertisements does not imply official endorsement of the products or services concerned. While every care has been taken to ensure accuracy of content, no responsibility can be taken for any errors and/or omissions. Readers should take appropriate professional advice before acting on any issue raised herein. The publisher reserves the right to accept or reject advertising material and editorial contributions. The publisher assumes no liability for the return or safety of unsolicited art, photography or manuscripts. Follow Technology Record: ISSUE 37: SUMMER 2025 PUBLISHED IN COLLABORATION WITH Microsoft is the world leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realise their full potential. ANALYSTS AND INDUSTRY ORGANISATIONS
17 SPONSORS PUBLISHING PARTNERS Coretek is a leading Microsoft AI Cloud Provider, renowned for solving complex business challenges through highperformance consulting, managed services, security and AI-driven innovation. Kyndryl is a leading provider of missioncritical enterprise technology services offering advisory, implementation and managed service capabilities to thousands of customers in more than 60 countries. LSEG (London Stock Exchange Group) is a leading global financial markets infrastructure and data provider, playing a vital social and economic role in the world’s financial system. M-Files is the leading platform for knowledge work automation. With the M-Files platform, knowledge workers can find information faster, work smarter and achieve more. Moody’s delivers solutions, insights and innovative technologies to help organisations manage risk, understand markets and drive informed growth. AVEVA creates industrial software that inspires people to shape the future, by delivering solutions across the asset and operations life cycles. Connection, a Fortune 1000 company, calms the confusion of IT by delivering customers industry-leading technology solutions to enhance growth, elevate productivity and empower innovation. Denodo’s data management platform transforms data into trustworthy insights and outcomes for all data-related initiatives across the enterprise, including AI and self-service. Zebra Technologies is an innovator at the edge of the enterprise with solutions and partners that enable businesses to improve performance. SAP, founded in 1972, has more than 230 million cloud users, more than 100 solutions covering all business functions and the largest cloud portfolio of any provider.
18 MARKETWATCH Microsoft has made five new commitments to support digital resilience and the cloud ecosystem, protect data privacy, improve cybersecurity and strengthen economic competitiveness across Europe. “As a multinational company, we believe in transatlantic ties that promote mutual economic growth and prosperity,” said Brad Smith, vice chair and president at Microsoft. “We were pleased the Trump administration and the European Union (EU) recently agreed to suspend further tariff escalation while they seek to negotiate a reciprocal trade agreement. We hope that successful talks can resolve tariff issues and reduce non-tariff barriers, consistent with the recommendations in the recent Draghi report.” The first commitment will see Microsoft expand its cloud and AI infrastructure in Europe to help every country fully leverage these technologies and boost economic competitiveness. These include a 40 per cent increase in European data centre capacity over the next two years and expanded operations across 16 countries. “AI and cloud data centres represent the next stage of industrialisation,” said Smith. “They are creating real-world capabilities to fuel business and manufacturing innovation, run national health systems, enable secure government services and support digital tools in education – all while keeping data and operations close to home, subject to European laws and regulations.” To ensure users have confidence in the digital infrastructure, Microsoft’s Microsoft backs Europe’s digital future Microsoft commits to building a broad AI and cloud ecosystem, upholding Europe’s digital resilience, protecting the privacy of European data and strengthening economic competitiveness across the continent Microsoft president Brad Smith (right) announcing the company’s five commitments on stage at an Atlantic Council Front Page event in Brussels, Belgium Photo: Atlantic Council
19 European data centre operations will be overseen by a board of directors consisting exclusively of European nationals and operating under European law. Microsoft also vowed to “promptly and vigorously” contest any order by a government anywhere in the world to suspend or cease cloud operations in Europe, should the unlikely event ever occur. It will also make contingencies with European partners to ensure operational continuity if it is ever required by a court to suspend its services across the continent. “By including a new European Digital Resilience Commitment in all of our contracts with European national governments and the European Commission, we will make this commitment legally binding on Microsoft Corporation and all its subsidiaries,” said Smith. “We are confident of our legal rights to ensure continuous operation of our data centres in Europe.” The third commitment ensures Microsoft will continue to protect the privacy of European data by enabling customers to control where their data is stored and processed, how it is encrypted and secured, and when Microsoft can access it. The EU Data Boundary project, which was implemented in January 2024, offers European customers the ability to have their data stored and processed in Europe. It was extended in 2025 to include professional services data from technical support interactions. Microsoft also provides tools via Microsoft Azure Confidential Compute, Azure Key Vault, Purview Customer Key, and its Cloud for Sovereignty for securing and encrypting data. Additionally, Microsoft has appointed a new deputy chief information security officer for Europe – temporarily held by Ann Johnson, who leads Microsoft’s Enterprise Cybersecurity Group – as part of its Cybersecurity Governance Council. This senior executive will be accountable for compliance with current and emerging cybersecurity regulations in Europe. Microsoft will also dedicate additional resources to comply with the Cyber Resilience Act, which sets common cybersecurity standards for products with digital elements in the EU. Plus, the new European Security Program will expand the geographic reach of Microsoft’s existing work and introduce new elements that will protect European governments from ransomware groups and cyberattacks. There are three key elements to the programme: increasing AI-based threat intelligence sharing with European governments, making additional investments to strengthen cybersecurity capacity and resilience, and expanding Microsoft’s partnerships to disrupt cyberattacks and dismantle networks used by cybercriminals. Finally, Microsoft committed to updating its AI Access Principles, which were launched in 2024 to ensure the Azure AI platform and infrastructure is open to a variety of business models. It now hosts over 1,800 AI models, most of which are open-source models and available via public APIs to facilitate interoperability. This allows customers to choose which models to use and where to build and run their AI-powered solutions – on Azure, in another public cloud, or in their own data centre. “As we celebrated Microsoft’s 50th birthday, earlier this month we recognised that our longstanding presence in Europe has been a lynchpin of our success,” said Smith. “Europe has treated us well. Our support for Europe has always been – and always will be – steadfast.” “ We will always be dedicated to creating jobs, promoting economic opportunities and strengthening cybersecurity on both sides of the Atlantic” We will help build a broad AI and cloud ecosystem across Europe. We will uphold Europe's digital resilience even when there is geopolitical volatility. We will continue to protect the privacy of European data. We will always help protect and defend Europe's cybersecurity. We will help strengthen Eurpose's economic competitiveness, including for open source. Microsoft's new European digital commitments 1 2 3 4 5
22 Microsoft to ‘help every developer build apps and agents that empower people and organisations everywhere’ At Microsoft Build, which took place in Seattle, USA, from 19-22 May 2025, Microsoft unveiled an array of new tools and features designed to help developers build AI agents and contribute to the open agentic web. An asynchronous coding agent has been integrated into GitHub so developers can experiment with models from Grok, Hugging Face, Meta and Mistral without leaving the platform. The agent can help to fix bugs, build new features or manage ongoing code maintenance, all autonomously. Additionally, Windows AI Foundry offers a unified and reliable platform to support AI developers through training and inference. Developers can manage and run open-source large language models via Foundry Local or bring a proprietary model to convert and deploy across client and cloud. General availability of Azure AI Foundry Agent Service means developers have access to multiple specialised agents to handle complex tasks, while new features in Azure AI Foundry Observability provide an overview of metrics for performance, quality, cost and safety. Plus, developers can now choose from more than 1,900 partnerhosted and Microsoft-hosted AI models to securely manage data, model customisation and governance. Microsoft Build 2025 was opened by Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft MARKETWATCH: MICROSOFT BUILD A new layer of the internet where AI agents – built on large language models, reasoning engines and integrated APIs – act on behalf of users with greater autonomy and less direct supervision to proactively plan, decide and act. “The open agentic web is reshaping every layer of the stack, and our goal is simple: help every developer build applications and agents that empower people and organisations everywhere,” said Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, which has launched NLWeb – a new way for websites to talk directly with AI – on GitHub. Define: agentic web [uh-JEN-tik] noun
Microsoft identifies ‘frontier firms’ as shaping the future of work There is a seismic shift underway in the world of work, according to The 2025 Work Trend Index Annual Report. A new type of organisation is emerging: the frontier firm, which has intelligence on tap and sees AI agents working alongside humans. This new type of firm is already taking shape, and Microsoft expects every organisation to be on the journey to becoming one within the next two to five years. The report found 46 per cent of organisations are already using agents to fully automate workstreams, with 81 per cent of leaders saying they expect to use digital labour to expand workforce capacity in the next 12-18 months. Currently, 71 per cent of workers at these frontier firms say their company is thriving, compared to just 37 per cent of workers globally. To further support organisations in this new era of work, Microsoft also revealed wave two of the Microsoft 365 Copilot Spring release, which includes Copilot Notebooks, Copilot Search and updates to Copilot Control System. Find out more about frontier firms in our cover story, on page 46 Armor Defense cuts cybersecurity threat investigation time to 40 seconds The Armor Intelligence Platform (AIP), a core capability in the company’s managed detection and response architecture, uses agentic AI to compress complex threat investigations from 15 minutes to just 40 seconds. “Accelerating time to action is not just about speed – it is about replicating the sharp judgment of top-tier analysts at scale,” said Brady Willis, vice president of security operations at Armor Defense. “This is not automation for its own sake. It’s applied intelligence: modular agents designed to think like humans, act at machine speed and deliver consistent, explainable decisions. This is how we rethought detection and response – and why it is changing what is possible in cybersecurity.” DID YOU KNOW? Scammers drained the global economy of more than $1 trillion in 2024, according to the Global AntiScam Alliance, with nearly half of the world’s consumers dealing with at least one attempted scam per week. NEWS IN NUMBERS $400 million is to be invested by Microsoft into expanding cloud and AI infrastructure for Swiss data centres, which serve 50,000 existing customers. 80% of generative AI business applications will be developed by organisations on their existing data management platforms by 2028, predicts Gartner 30% of Microsoft's direct emissions were successfully reduced in 2025 compared to 2020, according to its Environmental Sustainability Report. 23 Read more about Armor’s approach to AI on page 62
24 MARKETWATCH CASE DISCOVERY AI EVALUATION ROADMAP PLANNING SECURITY IMPLEMENTATION AND ADOPTION Jabra launches Engage AI Complete Synergy Technical helps businesses navigate their AI journeys Synergy Technical’s AI Transformation Strategy Engagement provides a roadmap to responsible, effective AI adoption. Starting with use case discovery, the programme helps firms evaluate AI solutions and outlines a customised roadmap aligned with business goals, security requirements and compliance standards. Clients receive strategic guidance on vendor selection, risk mitigation and phased implementation. Professional audio brand Jabra has launched Jabra Engage AI Complete for call centres, a new premium tier for its Engage AI software. Engage AI Complete provides real-time speech-to-text transcription and generative AI to improve customer interactions. The software is designed to support employee with live assistance, personalised coaching and automated call summaries to help boost efficiency and customer communications. Supervisors will be able to obtain real-time insights, sentiment analysis and analytics tools, enabling them to better support teams. Infiterra's new vendor-agnostic billing importer for IT distributors, managed service providers and telcos lets teams easily upload and reconcile monthly data from any cloud vendor – no manual formatting or custom workflows required. By standardising inputs across providers, Infiterra eliminates reconciliation bottlenecks, accelerates close cycles, and boosts accuracy. Finance and operations leaders can now scale faster, reduce overhead, and more easily support growing service portfolios. According to Infiterra, early adopters have reported up to a 40 per cent productivity gain after implementing the solution. Infiterra introduces new solution for streamlined subscription billing AI could help boost productivity, innovation and competition for small and medium-sized businesses in the UK to the amount of £78 billion ($105 billion) in additional economic value by 2035. Read more in Microsoft’s Unlocking Regional Growth: The impact of AI adoption by SMEs report DID YOU KNOW?
Microsoft Teams
27 BlinkOps launches industry’s only agentic security automation platform BlinkOps has launched Security Agent Builder, the industry’s first no-code platform that lets enterprise security teams deploy custom AI-powered security agents at scale in minutes to handle specific tasks across the security operations centre, identity and access management, cloud security, network defence, vulnerability management, and governance, risk and compliance. Teams define every aspect of each agent, from its role and permissions to the workflows it supports (its capabilities). Agents can operate autonomously or collaborate with other agents to complete more complex tasks, helping security teams resolve issues faster and scale response without adding additional headcount. Security Agent Builder enables a modular, auditable approach to automation. Organisations maintain full control over what each agent does and what it executes, reducing manual effort, minimising risk and freeing analysts to focus on higher-level investigations and strategy. “Security Agent Builder gives organisations the ability to create agents tailored to their exact technology stack, processes and policies,” said Gil Barak, co-founder and CEO of BlinkOps. “In just a few weeks since the launch, our customers have built more than 200 unique agents, automating work across their security teams.” Connection earns all four Microsoft Security specialisations IT solutions provider Connection has achieved Microsoft Security specialisation across all four key areas: cloud security, identity and access management, information protection and governance, and threat protection. These recognitions highlight Connection’s deep expertise in delivering end-to-end security solutions built on Microsoft technology. “Attaining all four specialisations reflects the significant investment Connection has made in our technical expertise, resources and solution-building capabilities – and our commitment to helping customers integrate advanced security into every layer of their organisations,” said Dave Hall, general manager at Connection. “We will continue to align with trusted partners and invest in our capabilities to help customers build innovative, effective security strategies to protect their users, devices and critical data.” Barclays Bank to roll out Microsoft 365 Copilot to 100,000 employees Barclays Bank is integrating Microsoft 365 Copilot into its own colleague productivity tool to create a single agent, which will enable 100,000 of its employees globally to access the bank’s ecosystem of collaboration tools, portals and online resources. Barclays employees will be able to access several new AI-powered tools, such as Colleague AI Agent, which will deliver self-service solutions and help workers to book business travel, check policy compliance and find answers to human resources-related questions quickly. “Our rollout of Copilot, integrated with our colleague productivity tool, is a significant step forward in simplifying the way we work, making it easier to get things done,” said Craig Bright, group chief information officer and deputy group co-chief operating officer at Barclays. MARKETWATCH
28 MARKETWATCH New ClickShare Hub from Barco enhances meeting room connectivity Collaboration technology provider Barco has introduced the ClickShare Hub, a modular, wireless video conferencing system designed to enhance hybrid meetings. The hub features two ClickShare Buttons (with Wi-Fi 6E and USB-C DisplayPort) and provides meeting participants with secure, 4K wireless content sharing and dual display support to improve meeting engagement and visibility. For IT managers and integrators, ClickShare Hub Pro offers a customisable solution for all room types, enterprisegrade security and compliance. ClickShare is built on Microsoft’s Device Ecosystem Platform to meet enterprise-grade security and compliance requirements. Huddly introduces new AI-driven video bar Huddly’s new C1 video bar makes meetings smarter and more inclusive by capturing clear audio and automatically framing participants. Designed for small and medium-sized meeting rooms, the device features a 150-degree field of view and uses onboard AI to deliver enhanced sound through a 16-microphone array. The Huddly C1 works both as a standalone solution and can be expanded with Huddly Crew Add-On Cameras for increased visual coverage in larger spaces. Huddly showcased the video bar as part of a joint European roadshow with Microsoft and Lenovo prior to its official launch at Infocomm 2025. Pre-orders are now available, with worldwide shipping from September 2025. Find out more on page 90 Shure IntelliMix Room Kits certified for Microsoft Teams Shure’s new IntelliMix Room Kits, which are designed to scale from small to large meeting spaces to support different organisations, have been certified for Microsoft Teams. In addition, the IntelliMix Room Kits are built with high-quality audio technology to accurately capture participant speech, which will help improve transcription and feedback in AI tools such as Copilot in Microsoft Teams. They are now available across the Americas. For more information, visit: www.shure.com/ IntelliMixRoomKits
29 GEP shares how manufacturers are responding to the tariff war Global manufacturer demands for inputs (raw materials, components and commodities) reduced in April 2025, according to the GEP Global Supply Chain Volatility Index, signalling a likely production slowdown in the near future. In North America, factories have been responding to tariffs by buying fewer inputs and aggressively stockpiling. Meanwhile, purchasing activity by Asian manufacturers is at its weakest since December 2023 as demand slumps across the region. “The first blows of the tariff war have landed on global manufacturers,” said John Piatek, vice president of consulting at GEP. “Stockpiling is accelerating at a concerning rate and the first signs of manufacturers anticipating slower demand and supply shortages have emerged.” Read how procurement and supply chain leaders can tackle ongoing tariff uncertainty on page 64 SAP and Microsoft’s joint initiative, the SAP Business Suite Acceleration Program with Microsoft Cloud, will help businesses move faster and work smarter with cloud and AI. The programme makes it easier for companies to upgrade to cloud-based SAP software by combining SAP’s business tools with Microsoft 365, Azure and Copilot. This enables smoother data flow between systems, so users can access insights from SAP’s Joule copilot directly from Microsoft tools like Teams and Outlook. “By combining forces, we provide partners with proven frameworks, shared resources and scalable tools that address complex challenges,” said Karl Fahrbach, chief partner officer at SAP. SAP and Microsoft to speed up cloud migration GEP supply chain volatility index Positive = supply chains are stretched. Negative = underutilised capability APR 24 MAY 24 JUN 24 JUL 24 AUG 24 SEP 24 OCT 24 NOV 24 DEC 24 JAN 25 FEB 25 MAR 25 APR 25 -1.5 -1.0 -0.5 0.0 +0.5 ASIA EUROPE NORTH AMERICA UK Sources: GEP, S&P Global PMI
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31 MARKETWATCH Optimising media for real-time results Media organisations are under pressure to do more with their content by being faster and smarter, and working across more platforms than ever before. Coretek empowers firms by integrating advanced Microsoft platforms to optimise content creation, streamline asset management and strategise distribution. But in a fast-evolving media landscape, efficiency alone isn’t enough. Our solutions leverage real-time analytics to repurpose and maximise the value of produced media, enhancing audience engagement and enabling faster, data-driven decisions. By connecting creative and operational workflows, we give teams the tools to respond to change in real time and stay ahead. This integration offers a reliable method for companies to unlock their creative potential and scale with confidence. Brian Barnes is chief product officer at Coretek Reflecting on AVEVA World 2025 A lesson from Moody’s in embracing the risk of being an early adopter Moody’s journey with generative AI shows how rapid experimentation and strategic partnerships can turn uncertainty into innovation. AVEVA’s customers and partners came together at AVEVA World 2025 in April 2025 to discuss how radical collaboration can unlock innovation and drive sustainable value by connecting people, expertise and technology. The event had over 150 breakout sessions covering 12 industries, discussing how industrial intelligence is enabling companies to analyse, visualise and contextualise their data to improve decision-making, build resilience and enhance sustainability across the enterprise. AVEVA World 2025 also featured over 160 global speakers including Stanford professor Erik Brynjolfsson; Olivier Blum, CEO of Schneider Electric; Starlee Sykes, CEO of Archaea Energy; and many other business leaders. To watch AVEVA World sessions on demand, visit: events.aveva.com/aw-2025 Read more about Moody’s generative AI journey on page 110 Early 2023 CEO Rob Fauber says Moody’s “sprints into the fog” by committing to exploring generative AI, even without a clear destination. July 2023 Moody’s partners with Microsoft to gain access to Microsoft Azure and OpenAI models. December 2023 First generative AI product, Moody’s Research Assistant, goes live. July 2024 Advanced Query workspace launches within Research Assistant, unlocking the capability to perform complex analyses and screening for entities based on user-defined criteria. June 2025 Moody’s pioneers the use of AI agents and its proprietary data to automate high-value workflows, purpose-built for each customer. VIEWPOINT
32 London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) has launched a new Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint Add-in for its Workspace that makes it easier for finance professionals to access and visualise market data. Available globally through Microsoft AppSource, the LSEG Workspace Add-in lets users explore deals data, build charts with key news annotations and reuse content like tables and slides – all within familiar Microsoft tools. Workspace Add-in is powered by Microsoft’s cloud and productivity platforms and aims to help users make faster, smarter decisions. It is the latest step in the 10-year partnership between Microsoft and LSEG to modernise financial services workflows. MARKETWATCH UK police force uses Microsoft technology to better protect the public Durham Police is using Microsoft technology to speed up public information requests. The UK police force worked with Microsoft Power Automate partner Robiquity to develop bespoke case management systems for legislations. These include Clare’s Law and Sarah’s Law, which help individuals assess potential risks related to partners or ex-partners for domestic violence or abuse, as well as enable parents or carers to request information about individuals who have contact with children, particularly if there are concerns about child sexual abuse. Each request is discussed as part of a Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference application, with information given by representatives from the police, health organisations, child protection, housing, probation and other organisations. The new management system automates these applications to cut the average time it takes between an individual requesting the information and receiving an answer from the police from 28 to 17 days. LSEG brings its financial data tools to Excel and PowerPoint
Discover the power of LSEG Make more possible with a global partner that combines leadership and partnership to drive your business forward. LSEG plays a vital role in the world’s financial system, guiding you to opportunities that work for your business. Our cutting-edge markets infrastructure, open approach and unmatched data and analytics capabilities empower you to create sustainable growth. With a 300-year track record of stability, resilience and innovation, we’re here to help you achieve more. As one of the world’s leading providers of financial markets infrastructure, we deliver financial data, analytics, news and index products to 44,000+ customers in over 170 countries. Operating across every point of the trade lifecycle, LSEG can help you seize opportunities and stay ahead of changing markets. In collaboration with Microsoft, we are building next-generation data and analytics solutions using innovative technology. Together, we are reshaping the future of global finance. Find out more
34 MARKETWATCH: EVENTS 5-9 September 2025 | Amsterdam, Netherlands IBC2025: where media and entertainment take shape The world’s leading broadcasters, content owners, rights holders and solution providers will converge at IBC2025 to address the challenges and opportunities shaping the media industry. The three-day programme will include keynotes, panels and research presentations delivered by media experts. Sessions are set to explore use cases for AI in content creation and distribution, as well as immersive content and next-generation workflows. Confirmed conference speakers include representatives from BBC Studios, CBS News, Disney, Facebook, Formula One, Microsoft, Netflix, NowTV, Paramount, Warner Bros Discovery and YouTube. Speakers will cover topics like reshaping the business of broadcast, the rise of new platforms for TV and solving the prominence problem. Plus, over 1,250 exhibitors will showcase their solutions including Adobe, Akamai, Avid, Prime Focus Technologies, Samsung, Sony and Yamaha. To find out more and register for IBC, visit: show.ibc.org Sibos: bringing the financial services industry together The 2025 edition of Sibos will host thousands of business leaders, decision makers and experts from across the financial ecosystem. This year’s theme is ‘the next frontiers of global finance’ and will focus on the transformative forces reshaping the financial ecosystem and how enterprises can drive greater connectivity, interoperability and resilience to successfully adapt to these changes. Conference topics will include the role of AI, sustainable finance, cybersecurity, data governance and customer experience. On the exhibition floor, Microsoft and a variety of its partners will present tools and solutions to support financial institutions. Partners in attendance include Accenture, Cognizant, EY, Finastra, Infosys and Kyndryl. To find out more and register for Sibos, visit: www.sibos.com DATES FOR YOUR DIARY ARC Asia 10-11 July 2025 Bangalore, India www.arcweb.com/events/arcindustry-leadership-forum-asiabangalore ITS World Congress 24-28 August 2025 Atlanta, USA www.itsamericaevents.com/worldcongress/en-us.html IBC2025 12-15 September 2025 Amsterdam, Netherlands show.ibc.org European Microsoft Fabric Community Conference 15-18 September 2025 Vienna, Austria www.sharepointeurope.com/ european-microsoft-fabriccommunity-conference Sibos 29 September – 2 October 2025 Frankfurt, Germany www.sibos.com DTX & UC Expo London 1-2 October 2025 London, UK www.dtxevents.io/london 29 September – 2 October 2025 | Frankfurt, Germany Photo: IBC Photo: Swift
35 24-25 September 2025 | Antwerp, Belgium BOOST25: driving the change BOOST25, an event hosted by Ferranti Computer Systems to connect energy and utility leaders, will take place on 24-25 September 2025 in Antwerp, Belgium. Data, AI and security will be big topics of discussion with technology use cases, customer cases and industry analysts sharing their knowledge. For example, Microsoft’s Swamy Narayana, vice president of the Dynamics 365 customer experience programme, will lead a session on ‘The autonomous enterprise: how generative AI is reshaping business applications’, and Matt Jackson, customer relationship management solution specialist, will highlight digital transformation in the utilities industry. The event will host keynotes from industry visionaries like Rik Vera, a renowned futurologist and business philosopher, and Gaia Gallotti, research director at IDC Energy Insights Europe. Attendees can learn about Microsoft Azure Services, Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Ferranti’s cloud offering MECOMS 365, which is based on the Microsoft technology stack. They will hear about how the technology is helping to better connect the energy and utility industry across customer care, billing, meter data management and more. Panel discussions will include experts from Ferranti and partners like Microsoft, IDC, Faktion Dadir, Conscia and Tabellae. They will inspire attendees and cover technology trends and opportunities, such as AI, virtual power plants, cyber resilience and more. Experts from Ferranti will also host ‘deep dives’, focused on customer engagement and information, field services, finance and operations, and process integration and orchestration. Plus, attendees can hear from energy providers Corona Energy, Fluvius, Gen-I and Scholt Energy on how they are using technology to enhance operations. To find out more and register free of charge for BOOST25, visit: www.ferranti.be/boost25
36 EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW Behind every successful AI transformation is a sharp strategy and at Microsoft, that strategy is being driven by a powerhouse trio who are helping organisations move beyond hype to real-world impact, combining deep industry insight, cutting-edge technology and strong partner momentum. Kathleen Mitford, corporate vice president of global industry marketing, leads with the industry lens by helping ensure Microsoft’s AI solutions are grounded in the unique needs of sectors like healthcare, retail, financial services and manufacturing. Satish Thomas, corporate vice president of Microsoft business and industry solutions, brings the technology to life by showcasing how Microsoft’s latest innovations, industry-adapted models and next-generation AI agents are moving customers from concept to implementation. And Shelley Bransten, corporate vice president of global industry solutions, focuses on outcomes by sharing how customer and partner collaboration is driving measurable results. Three Microsoft executives – Kathleen Mitford, Shelley Bransten and Satish Thomas – share their insights on how generative AI is transforming industries and what’s next as organisations move from experimentation to scaled implementation BY ANDY CLAYTON-SMITH right Real change, now
37 Together, they’re shaping the future of AI across industries and in this interview, they share how. As Microsoft enters a new fiscal year, can you share how AI is already making an impact, and how it will continue to accelerate transformation at scale across sectors? Kathleen Mitford: Over the past year, I’ve had conversations with business and government leaders around the world, and there’s a clear shift happening. The question is no longer whether to use AI. The question now is how to get the most out of it. We’ve reached a point where AI is no longer a distant concept. It’s here, it’s real and it’s already transforming how people work across industries, roles and geographies. At Microsoft, we’re working alongside customers and partners to support AI transformation and while productivity is often the starting point, what’s most exciting is how organisations are using AI to go much deeper. AI is empowering employees with tools that enable them to focus on more creative and strategic work; transforming how they engage with customers through more personalised and responsive experiences; streamlining operations to automate workflows and provide real-time insights; and accelerating innovation to bring new ideas to market faster. The real impact of AI is increasingly being measured in three strategic ways. First, organisations are seeing a return on employee. AI is helping people focus on higher-value work by automating repetitive tasks, reducing burnout and improving engagement. Second, there’s a clear return on investment. Companies are realising cost savings, accelerating time to market and unlocking new revenue streams, especially when AI is applied to high-impact, industryspecific scenarios. And third, there’s a return on future opportunity. AI is enabling organisations to innovate with confidence, whether that means launching new services, entering new markets, or rethinking how they deliver value to customers. Bransten, Mitford and Thomas at Microsoft’s Redmond Washington Campus, USA
23-25 SEPTEMBER ANTWERP, BELGIUM DRIVE THE CHANGE
39 As we enter Microsoft’s new fiscal year, our focus is on helping customers lead with AI, starting with tools and technologies that are grounded in the realities of their industry. AI can’t be one-size-fits-all. It needs to reflect the language, processes, regulations and challenges that are specific to each sector. That’s why we take an industry-first approach, combining the full breadth of the Microsoft Cloud with industry-specific AI capabilities and the deep industry expertise of our global partner ecosystem. Our ambition is to help every organisation evolve into what we call a ‘frontier firm’. These are companies that use AI not just to optimise but to transform. They bring together human expertise and intelligent systems to move faster, operate more efficiently and innovate more boldly. They’re structured for agility and scale, with AI embedded across their value chain. Whether in healthcare, manufacturing, retail or finance, becoming a frontier firm means being ready to lead in this new era of AI. We will continue to power innovation across industries by advancing a new wave of AI capabilities that are built specifically for the needs of each sector. A clear example is the emergence of industry AI agents and industryspecific copilots. These agents are designed to automate tasks and support individuals, teams or entire organisations. What makes them unique is their ability to address sectorspecific needs. Whether it’s gathering realtime insights in financial services, improving personalised shopping experiences in retail, or accelerating factory issue resolution in manufacturing, these agents are built to address the unique use cases of each industry. They’re fully customisable, allowing customers to align them with their own data, workflows and business logic. Alongside these agents, we’re also expanding our impact with solutions like Microsoft Dragon Copilot, the first unified voice AI assistant for healthcare. It uses ambient intelligence to streamline documentation and surface insights during patient visits, helping reduce administrative burden and improve care quality. Together, these innovations are helping organisations move faster, operate more intelligently and deliver better outcomes in ways that are deeply aligned with their mission. EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW Microsoft's Karuana Gatimu hosted an interview with Mitford and Thomas at Microsoft Ignite 2024, where they discussed industryspecific solutions
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