PLUS: Skillable ensures Microsoft’s lab sessions at events like Ignite run successfully IBM’s Leon Harris explains how compliance is a competitive advantage in finance Physical security keys matter. We hear why from Yubico experts Dynamics 365 is enabling organisations to unlock new opportunities Microsoft’s Tyler Pichach and Dalia Ophir on frontier finance ISSUE 38: AUTUMN 2025 £24.00 Out of the shadows Enterprise AI deployment moves from pilot to practice
s Let’s create sm smarter business s Let’s create sm smarter business s Let’s create sm smarter business s Let’s create sm smarter business Still waiting for the return on your AI investment?
marter business L s Let’s create sm marter business L sm marter business L sm marter business L s Let’s create sm Any business can use AI. IBM helps you use AI to change how you do business. To unlock the value of your AI, you have to do more than wait. You have to change the way you use AI in the first place: deploying it within and across your business so it helps the company, not just the person using it. We call this approach smarter business: infusing the right technology into the core of your business and the heart of every process. In this AI moment, that means finding ways to connect agents with AI-ready data and automating IT management to help your AI transform your business, not just workflows. In a smarter business, you don’t just use AI to help do what you already do; you use AI to change what you can do. © Copyright IBM Corporation 2025. IBM and the IBM logo are trademarks of IBM Corp., registered in many jurisdictions worldwide.
It’s built on preparation, precision, and confidence under pressure. Moody’s Agentic Solutions help teams operate at their highest level, powering complex workflows built on Moody’s data and advanced AI. Discover what’s possible at moodys.com/agenticsolutions Peak © 2025 Moody’s Corporation, Moody’s Investors Service, Inc., Moody’s Analytics, Inc. and/or their licensors and affiliates (collectively, “MOODY’S”). All rights reserved. performance isn’t accidental
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9 ANDY CLAYTON-SMITH: EXECUTIVE EDITOR Turning potential into advantage Rapid adoption of AI tools across all industries and regions has led to a new chapter in the evolutionary story of industrial and civil technology. From assisting in the simplest of individual internet searches to powering fundamental change across entire organisations, the inexorable rise of AI only seems set to continue, and at pace. The burning question is how best to gain a deeper understanding of these tools, whilst at the same time considering what ethical decisions might need to be made about the adoption of AI as a productivity tool. This issue provides some of the answers. Our lead news story on page 18 addresses the first of these two issues, reporting on a $4 billion investment by Microsoft in training and education. Brad Smith, vice chair and president of Microsoft, recently launched Microsoft Elevate, an initiative that brings AI tools and education to 20 million people. Meanwhile, in our cover story, Pamela Maynard, chief AI transformation officer at Microsoft, discusses how AI is helping to drive customer engagement like never before, with empathy, credibility and at scale. You’ll find that article starting on page 42. Throughout this issue we pay close attention to the ways technology is driving traditional industry values with greater efficiency and integrity, and also offering organisations an enhanced scope of ability to look at both internal operations and external markets. As AI strategies move from planning to execution, leaders around the world are unlocking new ways of thinking, exploring different avenues to enable their workforces, and creating greater opportunities to delight the customer. I hope you enjoy the read. WELCOME: AUTUMN 2025
CONTENTS 11 18 MARKETWATCH The latest news from Microsoft and its partners, including Microsoft’s $4 billion investment in global AI education and training 54 S killable’s Corey Hynes and Quinn Lamb discuss how interactive labs are helping professionals develop AI knowledge and skills 56 Todd Moore explains how Thales is unifying protection, simplifying control and strengthening compliance 57 I s your web security future-proof? GMO GlobalSign’s Steven Hall states that businesses need to prepare for new 2029 mandates 58 BitTitan’s Aaron Wadsworth and Powersync Pro’s Neil Langston encourage firms to update their infrastructure for better AI-powered tools 60 Peter Rodgers from Continuant explains how the firm’s acquisition of Fidelus is shaping a new global model for interoperability, innovation and growth 62 Why do physical security keys matter? Yubico’s Jonathan Hanlon explains the importance of phishing-resistant authentication across high-risk environments 64 Jason Myers explains how OpenText Cybersecurity helps customers to capitalise on new technologies to drive growth and operational efficiencies 66 Gene Moody shares how Action1’s platform can support organisations and IT administrators with device visibility and security in a hybrid world 68 Hardware-backed passkeys like YubiKey are helping enterprises deploy passwordless authentication at scale, according to Yubico’s Derek Hansen 72 A nthonie De Bos from Kyndryl emphasises the importance of data discovery, classification and protection before deploying AI solutions 74 S ynergy Technical’s Jonathan Meade explains the strategic groundwork needed for Microsoft Copilot 76 There’s no customer success without employee success, says Kyndryl’s Zoe Wilson. The key lies in Copilot 78 3Cloud’s Kevin Griffin and Matt Morse explain how the combination of human-led and AI-driven delivery transforms business outcomes 80 Miro and Microsoft are using AI to break down barriers and free teams to focus on innovation, says Miro’s Harkamal Singh OUT OF THE SHADOWS Enterprise organisations are moving beyond proof-of-concept phases to full rollout of AI solutions that will deliver a positive impact across customer experience, productivity and business growth. We spoke with Microsoft’s Pamela Maynard to find out more 42 ISSUE 38: AUTUMN 2025
Getting Started on Your Copilot Journey Discovery Purchase Copilot Licensing Extensibility/Agents tellmemore@synergy-technical.com Contact Us: 1 Environment Preparation 2 3 Pilot 4 5
CONTENTS FEATURED PARTNERS 13 177 A selection of Microsoft partners operating across all business sectors 184 THE LAST WORD IDC’s Louisa Barker tells us how AI is helping governments and humanitarian actors prepare for displacement before it happens IN FOCUS: DYNAMICS 365 82 C allTower is helping businesses turn Microsoft Teams into a customer experience powerhouse. We hear from Paul Holden 84 E volving customer experiences begins with overcoming issues in contact centres. CentrePal’s Sajeewa Nissanka details how AI can help 85 Q -SYS is supporting the rise of high-performance workplaces where employees can thrive with smart office spaces 86 Organisations need to make meetings, presentations and idea-sharing equal for everyone, says Crestron’s Brad Hintze 88 Sam Sabet at Shure advocates for strong communication foundations to unlock return on technology investments 90 Barco’s newest addition to the ClickShare portfolio helps organisations create flexible meeting spaces, reveals Oliver Van Camp 92 Lab environments allow employees to test and try new solutions without risking data or cost. Skillable’s Danny Abdo explains how they work 94 Using the power of AI to transform fragmented document systems M-Files and Microsoft have created a secure, intelligent collaboration solution 97 John DeMatteo from Melissa explains how accurate data drives stronger customer relationships 98 IBM’s Bill Primerano reveals why financial data is essential for reporting, planning and decision-making 1 00 Microsoft’s Ian Story and Antti Nivala of M-Files discuss how their collaboration will improve data management for users 1 02 Practical AI, secure cloud solutions and strong partnerships will power business transformations, according to AVEVA’s Fabio Terezinho 1 05 As technology advances, firms are increasingly trying to harness the cloud for long-term results, says Kyndryl’s Sunil Bhargava 106 Agents for change Generative and agentic AI are enabling organisations to grow, connect with customers and unlock new opportunities in Microsoft Dynamics 365 115 The key to good customer experience lies in getting your digital documents in order, says Formpipe’s Mike Rogers 116 Sunrise Technologies worked with the Center for Creative Leadership to build an intelligent automation solution that is helping the sales team access leads quicker and with more accuracy 118 Avalara’s Vsu Subramanian discusses the firm’s pioneering use of AI and automation to transform the way in which businesses approach tax 120 Konica Minolta’s Markus Bauten shares how real-world customer feedback is helping to create solutions designed specifically for SMBs FEATURED PARTNERS Welcome to the featured partners section of Technology Record. Our intention is to highlight a selection of Microsoft partners and provide information on the innovative solutions and services they are delivering to help meet your enterprise technology needs. We hope that you find this a valuable insight into the Microsoft partner community and look forward to spotlighting more partners in future editions. Please visit www.technologyrecord.com for a comprehensive partner directory and the latest news and views from hundreds of Microsoft partners across all business sectors.
14 CONTENTS FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRIALS & MANUFACTURING 138 Simulation and AI reshape manufacturing design Microsoft’s John Chien highlights the benefits that manufacturers are yielding by adopting new practices that are possible thanks to new technology 142 Formpipe helped Steel Warehouse to replace its disparate ERP systems with Dynamics 365 144 Stephen Reynolds of AVEVA explains how AIpowered solutions will help chemical companies to turn challenges into new opportunities 148 Rebuilding the foundations Microsoft’s Jimmy Parker-Barratt explains why the extraordinary potential of AI can only be unlocked with a dramatic rethinking of data strategy across the media industry MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS 122 The rise of frontier finance Microsoft’s Tyler Pichach and Dalia Ophir explain how frontier firms are harnessing AI agents to reimagine core systems, boost productivity, enhance compliance and deliver personalised customer experiences 130 Moody’s is building on more than a century of financial expertise to deliver its AI solutions. Cristina Pieretti explains why that legacy matters now more than ever 133 Metro Bank can open in-store accounts for customers in just 15 minutes thanks to Temenos Transact and Formpipe’s all-inclusive solution, Autoform DM 134 Emily Prince of LSEG highlights how modern infrastructure and AI are reimagining financial modelling 136 IBM’s Leon Harris reveals how financial services organisations can turn compliance into a competitive advantage
15 166 From reactive to regenerative The CPG industry is undergoing seismic shifts. Microsoft’s Dina Zhou shares why it is time to reimagine revenue growth management in the age of agentic AI 170 Zebra Technologies’ Matthew Guiste details how AI agents are empowering the frontline and transforming store operations 172 Retail planning is the new supply chain crisis, says Toolio’s Eytan Daniyalzade 174 While agents bring a wealth of opportunity to retailers, Srikrishna Shankavaram from Zebra Technologies emphasises they should be deployed safely and responsibly RETAIL & CG PUBLIC SECTOR 152 Building the cities of the future Microsoft’s Doug Priest explains how data and AI are empowering city leaders to optimise resources, personalise service delivery, and create safer and more resilient places to live 160 City planners need real-time traffic data to minimise congestion and enable smarter mobility solutions, says TomTom’s Ralf-Peter Schäfer 162 Sally Ann Frank from Microsoft highlights why Microsoft for Startups is a launchpad for global success 164 ZS’s Vikas Hegde and Satish Jha explain how pharma businesses can use AI agents to enhance drug safety testing
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 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 38: AUTUMN 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 IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. It helps clients in more than 175 countries gain the competitive edge in their industries. 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, and plays 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. Lasernet enables the easy creation and multichannel distribution of brand-rich documents that can be tailored to the exact needs of customers. Zebra Technologies is an innovator at the edge of the enterprise with solutions and partners that enable businesses to improve performance. Skillable is the trusted pioneer and innovator in hands-on learning and skill validation. Since 2004, more than 400 global customers have created and launched 50 million labs. Sunrise Technologies delivers Microsoft Dynamics 365 solutions for retail, manufacturing and distribution, empowering global brands with unified operations, supply chain expertise and proven industry success. ZS is a management consulting and technology firm that partners with companies to improve life and how we live it. The YubiKey from Yubico is a hardware security key supporting smart card and Fast Identity Online that delivers phishingresistant multifactor authentication and passwordless authentication across Microsoft environments.
18 MARKETWATCH caption... Xernatibus et officto bernam, sum quae. Optatem nim dis eaquunt, Microsoft has made a commitment to invest $4 billion in AI education and training globally over the next five years through its new initiative, Microsoft Elevate. The company will provide support and financial donations to schools and community and technical colleges, as well as nonprofit organisations. The investment comes amid growing concerns regarding the impact of AI and the skills of the future workforce, a challenge worrying many decision makers, organisations and wider society alike. “For a student wondering what to study, a teacher rethinking how to teach, or a business owner managing a workforce – AI is no longer theoretical; it’s personal,” said Brad Smith, vice chair and president of Microsoft in a blog post on the Microsoft website. “It’s why we believe some of the most important work ahead isn’t just building smarter machines – it’s ensuring those machines help people thrive. As AI transforms our world, we’re putting people first by equipping them with the skills, knowledge, and tools to thrive with AI.” Over the next two years, the Microsoft Elevate Academy will provide AI education and skills to 20 million people, equipping them with in-demand AI skills and credentials, from foundational literacy to advanced technical training. To achieve this, Microsoft will collaborate with LinkedIn and GitHub to deliver AI education and skilling at scale. “The conversation about AI and jobs must begin with people – not just productivity,” said Smith. “Machines can process data, but only humans can exercise judgment. Machines can mimic language, but only humans can offer empathy. Machines can optimise, but only humans can care. The goal isn’t to build machines that replace us – it’s to build machines that help us do more and do it better.” Microsoft Elevate will work in close coordination with the Microsoft AI Economy Institute, a corporate think-tank designed to bridge the gap between technological innovation and societal impact through independent research and the development of Microsoft to invest $4 billion in global AI education and training Microsoft Elevate aims to equip up to 20 million people with AI skills, knowledge and tools over the next two years Brad Smith speaking at the Microsoft Elevate launch event in July 2025
19 actionable solutions. The Institute will directly inform Microsoft Elevate’s skilling programmes and initiatives, partnerships and policy frameworks. “Through workshops, convenings and applied research, the AI Economy Institute is poised to become a leading voice in the global conversation on AI and economic transformation, ensuring that the benefits of AI are broadly shared and that the infrastructure for inclusive growth is built alongside the technology itself,” said Smith. Microsoft will team up with governments on a national, state and local basis. It will also work with nonprofit organisations, such as computer science education nonprofit Code.org, with which it will launch an ‘Hour of AI’ project designed to help students and educators take their first step into understanding and creating with AI. Additionally, Microsoft will partner with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) on the National Academy for AI Instruction, an education initiative providing access to free AI training and curriculum for all 1.8 million AFT members. Smith describes Microsoft Elevate as the “next chapter for corporate philanthropy”. The initiative is the successor to and expands upon the long-standing work of Microsoft Philanthropies and the Tech for Social Impact team. “As we look ahead, we must ask ourselves: Are we building machines to replace people, or to help people thrive? Are we trying to create AI that will outsmart humanity – or elevate it?” asked Smith. “At Microsoft, we’re putting a clear stake in the ground: we believe in advancing AI by putting people first.” “ Machines can optimise, but only humans can care”
20 MARKETWATCH According to IBM’s 2025 CEO Study, over half of CEOs (61 per cent) say they are actively adopting AI agents and preparing to implement them at scale, but their firms are struggling to build the right talent, prioritise use cases and test AI capabilities. To help overcome these hurdles, IBM Consulting and Microsoft launched a global Agentic AI hackathon, designed to give participants the technologies and expert support they need to experiment and scale agentic AI solutions. In April 2025, more than 900 participants from 25 countries took part in the hackathon. The 225 teams had representatives from retail, healthcare, manufacturing and government. Over 200 AI prototypes were submitted and evaluated by a panel of experts from IBM and Microsoft. One winning solution, Checkmate, was developed by the State of New Jersey Department of Community Affairs in partnership with IBM. Designed to improve efficiency for code enforcement inspectors, Checkmate replaces manual data entry with a series of AI agents built using Microsoft Azure AI, Dynamics 365 and Power Automate. To read more about the hackathon, visit: bit.ly/3J7U07v Formpipe introduces new Lasernet packages Action1 expands free offering to 200 endpoints Action1 has expanded its free offering to cover up to 200 endpoints, with the aim of making cybersecurity universally accessible in today’s threat landscape. The patch management platform is designed to help IT teams close security gaps, maintain compliance and ensure business continuity. The expansion of the free offering means small and medium-sized businesses can protect their environments at no cost, while larger enterprises can evaluate the solution and scale as needed. In addition, Action1 has been recognised as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the USA according to the 2025 Inc. 5000 list, underscoring the market’s demand for accessible, scalable cybersecurity solutions. Formpipe has expanded its Lasernet packaging line-up to offer additional editions that support scalable document and output management. The expansion builds on the launch of the free, embedded Lasernet Essentials for Dynamics 365 in 2024. “These new offerings make us a better partner for businesses in every stage of growth,” said Anders Terp, head of dynamics at Lasernet. “Whether you want to get online fast or you’re an enterprise looking for solutions that scale, we give you the tool to design your ideal documentation programme with drag and drop functionality. Build it, set it, and change as your needs evolve.” IBM-Microsoft hackathon helps overcome AI adoption barriers
21 TomTom and Microsoft improve traffic management with AI agent support TomTom and Microsoft have launched AI agent support through TomTom MCP Server to help cities, traffic planners and software providers extract and analyse traffic flow data with ease and speed. The solution integrates Microsoft Copilot and VSCode Editor Agent with the TomTom MCP Server and TomTom’s MOVE traffic data to give users fast and easy access to accurate traffic insights without the need for complex programming or manual data extraction. Unlike traditional solutions that rely on multi-step interfaces or external consultants, TomTom’s MCP server and Microsoft VSCode Editor Agent integration leverages large language model interfaces to simplify direct interaction with traffic data and make it intuitive, fast and scalable. TomTom will demonstrate how the solution can benefit organisations at Smart City Expo World Congress, which is taking place in Barcelona, Spain, from 4-6 November 2025. Ralph Lauren launches AI-powered conversational shopping tool Ralph Lauren has introduced Ask Ralph, a new shopping experience powered by Microsoft Azure OpenAI, designed to provide consumers with personalised outfit recommendations. The tool has been rolled out to Ralph Lauren app users in the USA and will continue to develop over time based on user interactions. Developed with Microsoft using the Azure OpenAI platform, Ask Ralph uses conversational AI and natural language processing to interpret prompts and generate shoppable looks drawn from Polo Ralph Lauren’s men’s and women’s collections. Users can request guidance in natural language, such as asking what to wear to an event or how to style a specific item. The system responds with complete outfit suggestions presented visually, alongside styling tips, and allows individual items or full looks to be added to a shopping cart. “AI is transforming the way consumers get inspired, educated and purchase from fashion brands around the world,” said Shelley Bransten, corporate vice president of global industry solutions at Microsoft. “We’re proud to bring the combination of our trusted generative AI capabilities through Azure OpenAI together with Ralph Lauren’s iconic brand to pave the way for an entirely new conversational commerce experience.” David Lauren, chief branding and innovation officer at Ralph Lauren, said: “Twenty-five years ago, we partnered with Microsoft to launch one of the fashion industry’s first e-commerce platforms, and we are once again redefining the shopping experience for the next generation.”
22 Crestron Electronics has updated its 1 Beyond intelligent video camera line, introducing intelligent switching for up to five cameras in a single room, alongside a variety of features that enhance tracking, automation and integration in workplace and learning spaces. The new 1 Beyond multi-camera module helps integrators create custom programmes based on audio triggers, like those from ceiling microphones. Features include recallable presenter tracking profiles in i20 cameras, which is useful for rooms with multiple presentation points; face priority focus in p-series cameras to focus on speakers in a presentation; DM NVX AV-over-IP technology integration; and home position for p-series cameras that enable automatic repositioning to a designated starting point after rebooting or exiting privacy mode. Crestron upgrades 1 Beyond with multi-camera switching Collaboration technology provider Barco is introducing its fifth-generation ClickShare Button, designed to facilitate seamless hybrid meetings. The button is integrated with the new ClickShare Hub, a modular room system built on the Microsoft Device Ecosystem Platform, and combines one-click sharing with Wi-Fi 6E, ensuring faster, more reliable wireless connections with less interference. In addition, the USB-C DisplayPort Alt Mode enables quick guest sharing without downloads, while enhanced control prevents accidental sharing. The button is compatible with all major operating systems and secure environments, to make sharing effortless and secure for every meeting. Barco introduces next-generation ClickShare Button MARKETWATCH CallTower’s Entra Sync streamlines Microsoft Teams user management CallTower’s new platform, Entra Sync, will help IT administrators and communication professionals to automate and simplify Microsoft Teams use. Entra Sync manages voices users, policies, phone numbers, licences, call queues and Teams group templates to reduce the time and resources required to onboard, modify or offboard Teams users. Administrators can complete provisioning tasks in fewer than five minutes, compared to the traditional 30-minute process, while improving accuracy by up to 99 per cent and reducing the need for escalated support. The platform syncs to Microsoft Entra ID so user data is always up to date. This means IT teams can build and assign persona templates based on job role or location, organise and reserve numbers with advanced tagging, monitor number pool usage and receive alerts when availability drops below custom thresholds.
23 Jabra launches PanaCast 40 VBS Jabra’s newest meeting room camera, and the first 180-degree Android-powered video bar designed for small rooms, is now available. The Jabra PanaCast 40 VBS features advanced audio technology for voice clarity and is designed for quick installation with Express Install for Microsoft Teams Rooms. Furthermore, the camera comes with new packaging, which enables rapid deployment and provisioning without the need to remove the product from the box. 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. For more information, visit: www.shure.com/IntelliMixRoomKits Shure IntelliMix Room Kits certified for Microsoft Teams CentrePal becomes first to receive Unify certification for Teams series CentrePal has become the first contact centre solution to achieve Microsoft’s new Unify certification for Teams, powered by Teams Phone Extensibility and Azure Communication Services. The Unify model enables contact centres to run directly on Teams Phone infrastructure, eliminating the need for legacy session initiation protocol systems or complex integrations. For customers, this unlocks AI-powered capabilities such as natural language call routing, real-time transcription and sentiment insights, and automated post-call summaries. These features are delivered natively within Teams, helping organisations reduce complexity, improve service consistency and boost agent productivity.
24 MARKETWATCH GMO GlobalSign launches certificate lifecycle management solution GMO GlobalSign has debuted LifeCycleX, a certificate lifecycle management solution designed to help organisations centralise, automate and secure their digital certificate operations. Built to scale for small businesses to large enterprises, LifeCycleX provides a unified platform to collect and manage digital certificates across diverse environments, including Microsoft certification authorities. “Organisations can no longer afford fragmented or manual approaches to certificate management,” said Devan Rice, product manager at GMO GlobalSign. “We also recognise every customer’s needs and environments are different. LifeCycleX empowers IT and security teams with the visibility, automation and intelligence they need to stay ahead of certificate sprawl and compliance mandates.” Sunrise Technologies named Microsoft Elevate partner for nonprofits Sunrise Technologies has been recognised as a Microsoft Elevate partner for nonprofit organisations for its work in helping to simplify operations and amplify impact with Microsoft solutions. The Elevate programme honours partners who deliver people-first, AI-powered solutions that expand opportunities and strengthen communities. Sunrise is supporting nonprofits such as the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) and Goodwill Industries, helping them to reduce manual workloads, improve efficiency and focus more resources on their missions. With this recognition, Sunrise joins a select group of trusted Microsoft partners dedicated to empowering nonprofits worldwide. Find out more about Sunrise’s work with the CCL on page 116 Photo: Goodwill Industries Skillable refreshes Insights for better user experience Skillable has refreshed its Skillable Insights feature to offer an improved and more intuitive user experience when accessing reports, metrics and key data on lab performance and popularity. Business decision makers can use this information to understand learner engagement, manage invoices and track activity data. It has also released a host of scoring features designed to generate highfidelity skills data based on group activities (activity group scoring), scaled scores across cohorts and labs (scaled scoring), and AI visually assessing lab performance through screenshots (AI vision). Skill data from these features can be populated into learner journeys and skill profiles for a performance-based measure of skills.
25 NEWS IN NUMBERS 95% faster data extraction has been unlocked by S&P Global Commodity Insights with Microsoft Copilot 30 seasons of English Premier League statistics are available on the Premier League Companion, which is powered by Microsoft Copilot, and was launched for the 2025-2026 season 0% of Fortune 500 companies will have fully eliminated human customer service by 2028, Gartner predicts 2,500+ Surface Copilot+ PCs will enhance the way players, coaches and staff from 32 American National Football League teams analyse insights in the Copilotpowered Sideline Viewing System during the 2025-2026 season Toolio joins Microsoft for Startups Pegasus Program Toolio, a cloud-native merchandise planning platform, has joined the Microsoft for Startups Pegasus Program and launched an integration with Microsoft Azure. Now Toolio’s AI-powered platform is available on Azure Marketplace, Microsoft sales teams can offer it to global retail customers, which helps them with demand forecasting, assortment planning and real-time analytics for creating promotional offers in store. Built on Azure and integrated with Dynamics 365 and Power BI, Toolio is designed to deliver enterprisegrade performance and rapid value. The partnership will also help Toolio scale its machine learning capabilities and deepen its alignment with Microsoft’s retail technology ecosystem. Miro, the innovation workspace, has expanded its Microsoft 365 integration suite to eliminate workflow fragmentation for enterprise teams. The centrepiece is Miro Agent for Microsoft Copilot, which transforms conversations into visual workflows by converting prompts into flowcharts and collaborative documents. The platform also addresses duplicate content and lost productivity through seamless import/export capabilities for Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint files, plus smart screenshots that sync Miro boards directly into Office documents with one-click refresh. The enhanced integration suite delivers unified productivity ecosystems while maximising existing Microsoft investments through advanced visual collaboration capabilities for enterprise organisations. To learn more about the integration suite, visit: mirohq.click/4lFW6Jt Miro expands integration suite with AI-powered collaboration tools Photo: iStock/svetikd
26 MARKETWATCH OpenText Cybersecurity delivers high ROI for managed service providers According to a recent Canalys report, managed service providers using OpenText Cybersecurity’s small and medium-sized business solutions and Secure Cloud platform are seeing returns of up to 6.7 times for every dollar invested. The OpenText Partner Ecosystem Multiplier (PEM) Study revealed customers who build integrated services on top of OpenText’s solutions – across the full customer lifecycle – can expect the highest return on investment. The PEM study highlighted the true driver of value are the firm’s product innovation, integrations and secure cloud delivery model. “The OpenText ecosystem creates lasting value by enabling partners to grow far beyond the first transaction,” said Muhi Majzoub, executive vice president of security products at OpenText. “Our Secure Cloud platform and cybersecurity portfolio provide the foundation managed service providers need to strengthen protection, simplify delivery and unlock sustainable profitability.” Zebra Technologies to boost self-service capabilities with Elo Touch Solutions Zebra Technologies has has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Elo Touch Solutions, a provider of touchscreen and self-service solutions for retail and other industries. The move will expand Zebra’s capabilities in customer engagement, automation and edge computing, complementing its existing hardware, software and services for frontline workers. By combining portfolios, the companies aim to deliver a more comprehensive consumerfacing experience and address growing demand for self-service technology. “This acquisition represents the next step in our journey to accelerate the connected frontline,” said Bill Burns, CEO of Zebra Technologies. BitTitan has enhanced its MigrationWiz Active Directory solution, giving enterprise IT teams a faster, more secure way to manage complex migrations. The update simplifies tenant-totenant moves, mergers and hybrid transitions while preserving user access and minimising disruption to operations. Features such as simulated migrations and automated workflows reduce risk and streamline processes, helping teams save time and cut costs. With Microsoft Entra ID support coming soon, MigrationWiz provides enterprises with the capabilities to modernise IT environments and accelerate their move to the cloud with confidence. BitTitan expands Active Directory tools for Microsoft customers
27 Photo: Adobe Stock/DC Studio For the first time, Microsoft Azure has surpassed $75 billion in revenue in financial year 2025 (ending 30 June), representing a 34 per cent year-overyear increase. “We have come a long way from Project Red Dog... we now add as much capacity in a month as we did in our first five years,” Satya Nadella, chairman and CEO at Microsoft wrote on LinkedIn. “Super grateful for the trust so many customers have placed in us through the years.” DID YOU KNOW? Synergy Technical, a cloud solutions provider, is offering an AI Transformation Strategy Engagement programme to help organisations leverage AI effectively while ensuring security and compliance. This in-depth engagement identifies AI opportunities across a business, evaluates vendor offerings and builds a customised roadmap for adoption. Organisations receive actionable insights into AI integration, security best practices, vendor evaluation and phased implementation strategies. With a focus on tailored solutions and user enablement, Synergy Technical empowers businesses to get the most from their AI investments while accelerating collaboration, innovation and operational efficiency. Synergy Technical helps organisations turn AI potential into performance According to AVIXA’s 2025 Industry Outlook and Trends Analysis, 70 per cent of companies use outdated video conferencing solutions. However, with hybrid working becoming more commonplace, meeting room and remote office toolsets need to evolve accordingly. One headwind is the high costs of large-scale upgrades, but progress is being made. The global conferencing and collaboration market is valued at more than $60 billion, including products, services and channel costs. Driving adoption is the next generation of solutions, namely cloud-based tools, which comprise more than a third of the market. Meanwhile, AI tools are adding automation and efficiency to meeting management. 70 per cent of firms operating with outdated conferencing tools Infrastructure firm Balfour Beatty has made a £7.2 million ($9.8 million) investment in Microsoft 365 Copilot to help 27,000 employees use AI to plan smarter, inspect sites instantly and cut costly errors. DID YOU KNOW? Conferencing and Collaboration Market ($bn) Source: AVIXA IOTA 59.0 63.3 60.9 2024 2025 2026
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29 MARKETWATCH: EVENTS 13-17 October 2025 | Dubai, United Arab Emirates GITEX Global The 45th edition of GITEX Global will take place at the Dubai World Trade Centre and welcome more than 200,000 executives and 6,500 exhibiting companies from over 180 countries. The five-day event will include conferences, live-action workshops and networking opportunities for creators, investors and technology enthusiasts from all over the globe. Conference sessions will include ‘Power shifts’, which will focus on digital sovereignty, and ‘Cybersecurity and privacy’, which will highlight AI-powered threats and explore how privacy architecture can keep the internet secure. Attendees will be able to visit over 40 exhibition halls to see an array of AI, cybersecurity, mobility and sustainable technologies from companies of all sizes, including Acer, Genesys, Hewlett-Packard, Obelus, Siemens and others. Find out more and register for GITEX Global: www.gitex.com DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Smart Retail Tech Expo USA 15-16 October 2025 Las Vegas, USA www.whitelabelexpo.com/ourshows/smart-retail-tech-expo Power Platform Community Conference 28-30 October 2025 Las Vegas, USA www.powerplatformconf.com ADIPEC 3-6 November 2025 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates www.adipec.com Smart Retail Tech Expo UK 12-13 November 2025 London, UK www.whitelabelexpo.com/ourshows/smart-retail-tech-expo
30 MARKETWATCH EVENTS 4-6 November 2025 | Barcelona, Spain Smart City Expo World Congress Smart City Expo World Congress will host its largest edition ever on 4-6 November 2025 under the theme ‘the time for cities’. Over 1,000 exhibitors and 25,000 attendees with be present at the event to explore some of the strategies to transform cities into sustainable, efficient spaces. A major focus will be the role of AI in improving and speeding up urban transformation projects worldwide. On the exhibition floor, technology leaders such as Microsoft, Dassault Systèmes, Dell and NVIDIA will showcase their latest solutions. In addition, the event will house a large number of country pavilions, including those from Argentina, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, UK and the USA. Find out more and register for Smart City Expo World Congress at: www.smartcityexpo.com Konica Minolta Business Solutions to appear at Directions EMEA 2025 Konica Minolta Business Solutions (KMBS) will be participating in the ISV-Forum at Directions EMEA 2025, which will take place from 4-6 November at the Poznan Congress Center in Poland. During the three-day event, the company will showcase AI-based solutions that systematically analyse previously unused customer data and transform it into actionable insights. This enables small and medium-sized enterprises to optimise processes, make informed decisions, and enhance the customer experience. On this basis, long-term strategies can be developed to strengthen competitiveness and support sustainable growth. Find out more and register for Directions EMEA 2025: www.directionsforpartners.com/emea2025 Read more about KMBS's Business Transformation Suite: bts.konicaminolta.eu/bt-en/business-transformation-suite 4-6 November 2025 | Poznan, Poland Photo: Facebook/Directions 4 Partners
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
32 MARKETWATCH: EVENTS 29 September-2 October 2025 | Frankfurt, Germany Sibos: the next frontiers of global finance 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’, focusing 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. “At Sibos 2025, we’ll be showcasing how the ‘frontier firm’ strategy is transforming financial services, from hyper-personalised client experiences to AI-powered compliance and fraud detection,” said Tyler Pichach, global head of AI strategy and go-to-market for payments and banking at Microsoft. “Expect to see demos of human-agentic collaboration in action, including copilots for relationship managers, operations teams and compliance officers. “We’ll also highlight new partnerships and customer stories that show how banks are using the Microsoft Cloud to modernise core banking, innovate in payments, and build resilient, agentic organisations – the frontier firm.” To find out more and register for Sibos, visit: www.sibos.com
To outsmart hackers, two heads are better than one. Microsoft Defender layered with Huntress Managed EDR is a smart, hybrid approach that crushes hackers and maximizes your Microsoft investments. Huntress manages more than 4M endpoints including Microsoft 365 environments. Learn more about how Huntress + Microsoft protects your M365 environments and crushes hackers. Learn More Huntress Managed Defender configuration stops a remote access attack
34 The 2025 edition of Microsoft Ignite will be held at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California, USA, from 17-21 November. Attendees will hear from Microsoft executives and other leaders on their vision for AI. Microsoft spokespeople will include chairman and CEO Satya Nadella, executive vice president and chief commercial officer Judson Althoff, and chief technology officer Mark Russinovich. Key themes will include modernising data estates to build a foundation primed for AI-ready infrastructure, seeing what’s possible with Azure AI apps and agents, eliminating silos with AI-powered tools, and protecting sensitive data and supporting compliance across digital estates. The event includes an optional pre-day on 17 November, for demonstration labs and sessions. Attendees can learn about a variety of topics ahead of Ignite, such as adding AI to existing apps running on Azure Container Apps, unifying data and building AI solutions with Microsoft Fabric, and securing and simplifying Windows Server. The labs are designed to provide hands-on experience with technologies and an opportunity to test cloud solutions from Microsoft and its partners. This will be followed by three and a half days of experiences, sessions and opportunities designed to strengthen attendees’ skills and help them build connections and explore emerging technologies. Ignite is also a chance to connect with Microsoft experts, partners, executives and customers. Over 14,000 Microsoft partners and customers attended Microsoft Ignite 2024 in Chicago, USA, with 200,000 more joining online. Find out more and register for Microsoft Ignite 2025: ignite.microsoft.com/en-US/home 17-21 November 2025 | San Francisco, USA Microsoft Ignite 2025 MARKETWATCH: MICROSOFT IGNITE Photo: Microsoft
35 We highlight a selection of the Microsoft partners attending Ignite 2025, and outline how their solutions and services have generated customer success Partner spotlight AVEVA AVEVA’s partnership with Microsoft has continually delivered real business outcomes. In the Philippines, AVEVA’s partnership with the ABS-CBN Foundation and Calibr8 is transforming environmental stewardship. By harnessing AVEVA’s CONNECT on Microsoft Azure, it is empowering local communities with real-time water quality data – collected by internet-of-things boats and visualised through Power BI – to drive citizen science and protect the Verde Island Passage biodiversity hotspot. This connected ecosystem shows how robust industrial software can deliver grassroots conservation objectives: CONNECT was originally developed for manufacturing and energy sectors; it now supports environmental use cases with a model that can be replicated anywhere. Action1 Carwow, a digital automotive platform with over 400 remote employees, enhanced its security and compliance posture by combining Microsoft Intune with Action1. Intune provided foundational endpoint management, while Action1 added advanced visibility, automation and policy enforcement. Together, they enabled Carwow to easily scan for deviations from Microsoft’s security baseline, auto-remediate through PowerShell and accelerate common IT tasks like Windows 11 upgrades. As a result, weekly effort dropped from six hours to 20 minutes, with faster rollout and stronger compliance. This joint solution empowered Carwow’s lean IT team to manage remote endpoints efficiently and securely. Photo: Unsplash/why kei Photo: Unsplash/Gianni Orsatti Photo: Barco ClcikShare Barco ClickShare When the Flemish Government was looking to turn its newly renovated Brussels hub in Belgium into a place where employees could feel at home and easily connect, it installed over 1000 ClickShare solutions in all meeting spaces. The office building features a variety of spaces, including open offices, quiet workstations and even a ‘forest’ where people can collaborate. Now, employees and guests can start hybrid meetings on platforms such as Microsoft Teams with just one click on the ClickShare Button or ClickShare App. In addition, the devices support the government’s bring-your-own-device model and are designed to support its sustainability goals.
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