7 ANDY CLAYTON-SMITH: EXECUTIVE EDITOR Nickle LaMoreaux, chief human resources officer at IBM, recently told Forbes that “AI isn’t just accelerating our work, it’s amplifying human potential and fuelling growth”. Consumers are embracing generative AI and other digital technologies, but they also want transparency, control and data security, according to Deloitte’s 2025 Connected Consumer Survey. So how can enterprise and public sector executives embrace AI while ensuring their organisations remain secure, transparent and accessible to all? In our cover story (beginning on page 28), Alysa Taylor, chief marketing officer for commercial cloud and AI at Microsoft, addresses the desire to exploit the potential of AI while also needing to instil confidence and trust among those who use it. She explains how Microsoft and its ecosystem of partners are helping ‘frontier firms’ turn data into insights that have a genuine real-world impact, while enhancing operational integrity. As adoption of AI surges, we also take a closer look at its impact on a technology that has already experienced rapid growth, having moved at speed from early to widespread adoption over recent years. In our special focus on Microsoft Teams (beginning on page 50), Ilya Bukshteyn, corporate vice president of Microsoft Teams calling, devices and premium experiences, outlines how AI is extending the reach of Teams, with innovation that not only helps users to work more creatively but also operate in a more secure environment. Elsewhere there is, as usual, a wealth of content covering a broad spectrum of interests and a range of industries. At Technology Record, our immediate focus is on the retail sector, as we look forward to another year as media partner for NRF 2026: Retail’s Big Show in New York. Starting on page 132, Anya Minbiole, business strategy leader of retail and consumer goods at Microsoft, offers a preview of the conversations she and her colleagues will be having with delegates about the demonstrable value of AI in retail. There is much more too, over the following pages. I hope you enjoy the read. WELCOME: WINTER 2025 Delivering growth and trust
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