ISSUE 41: SUMMER 2026 £24.00 PLUS: Clint Adkins of Coretek explores the rise of the AI frontier factory LSEG’s Dave Byrne and Microsoft’s Marc Esmiley on data for AI-era finance Amanda Oñate of AVEVA highlights the benefits of industrial intelligence Silvio Bessa from Microsoft discusses the strategic partnership with ServiceNow Microsoft’s Philippe Rogge outlines how agentic AI is impacting the public sector Stepping into a new frontier Enterprises are taking a people-focused approach to AI deployment for richer long-term results
As a Microsoft AI Frontier Partner, Coretek helps enterprises operationalize AI at scale. We enable secure, responsible AI through Microsoft AI Foundry and Copilot Studio—delivering both generative AI and intelligent agents embedded across the organization. From strategy to production, Coretek transforms data into insight, copilots into coworkers, and AI ambition into measurable business outcomes—accelerating innovation while maintaining enterprise-grade governance, security, and trust. From AI Vision to Real-World Business Value AI With Purpose. Agents With Impact. Results With Velocity. This is how we accelerate the future of intelligent business.
Coretek enables AI with a security- rst mindset—built on Microsoft’s trusted security platform. We protect identities, data, and infrastructure from the start, ensuring governance, compliance, and resilience are embedded into every AI initiative. The result: faster innovation without compromising control, giving organizations the con dence to scale AI securely and responsibly across the enterprise. As a Microsoft Solutions Partner with deep cloud, data, and AI expertise, Coretek is uniquely positioned to guide your organization through every stage of transformation—from hybrid cloud strategy to AI deployment. Every AI Breakthrough Demands a Secure Foundation. Let’s Build What’s Next. Visit coretek.com/ai or contact info@coretek.com to start your transformation. Follow us: Coretek Info@coretek.com Coretek.com z Smarter Operations Stronger Protection Seamless Cloud Execution
Igniting the enterprise AI era
About ServiceNow ServiceNow (NYSE: NOW) is putting AI to work for people. We move with the pace of innovation to help customers transform organizations across every industry while upholding a trustworthy, human centered approach to deploying our products and services at scale. Our AI platform for business transformation connects people, processes, data, and devices to increase productivity and maximize business outcomes. For more information, visit: www.servicenow.com. About Microsoft Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) creates platforms and tools powered by AI to deliver innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers. The technology company is committed to making AI available broadly and doing so responsibly, with a mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Start your enterprise AI journey. Schedule a consultation today. https://www.servicenow.com/contact-us-microsoft-cloud.html ServiceNow was named Microsoft’s 2025 ISV Innovation Partner of the Year AI has moved from productivity enhancement to a catalyst for how organizations operate, enabling intelligence to flow effortlessly across tools, systems, and workflows. Frontier firms are already embracing this shift—placing AI at the center of strategy, redesigning processes end to end, and driving measurable impact for employees and customers. This progress depends on connecting intelligence with action. Microsoft delivers the copilots, Work IQ, and experience layer that bring AI into the flow of work. ServiceNow builds on that foundation—turning intelligence into coordinated action across systems, teams, and processes. Together, they’re taking AI from insightful to operational. Innovation accelerates when platforms collaborate. Foundry, Copilot Studio, and Azure’s next-generation infrastructure open the door to multi-agent ecosystems, allowing custom agents, enterprise systems, and domain applications to work side by side. But the real breakthrough is not simply having more agents; it’s having the observability, trust, and governance to manage them responsibly through ServiceNow AI Control Tower. The future belongs to organizations that unify insight and action, design AI around people, and scale with trust and clarity. A future where agents work for people
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7 WELCOME: SUMMER 2026 New ambitions Much of the hyperbole that revolves around AI is focused on the professions it will make redundant and the workforces it will slash in order to achieve efficiency gains. But among those enterprises that are making pioneering strides with AI, the reality is different. It is less about who AI can put out of a job, and more about how it can help people spend more of their time on high-value work, and achieve things that were not previously in reach. “The long-term value comes from elevating the role of every employee – giving them tools that help them operate at a higher level and empower them to achieve new ambitions,” says Kees Hertogh, vice president of global industry marketing at Microsoft, in our cover story for this issue. Microsoft refers to the organisations that are facilitating this empowerment among their workforce as ‘frontier firms’, where humans direct, manage and orchestrate AI agents to execute tasks while focusing their own time on strategy, creativity and outcomes. Partners are intrinsic to this transformation, developing services and solutions to help their clients to free up employee time. Coretek, for example, has embedded Microsoft Copilot agents across human resources, finance and operations for one of its clients, cutting onboarding cycle times by 40 per cent while lifting employee satisfaction measurably. You can read the perspectives of 12 partner firms as part of our cover feature, which begins on page 32. “The companies getting this right are not chasing technology,” says Chad Scheller of ServiceNow. “They are giving their people time back to do work that matters.” Employee empowerment is also a key theme of our focus on Copilot, beginning on page 68, where you can find out not only about the momentum in rollout of the AI companion, but also how partners including Introhive, Moody’s and Synergy Technical are integrating Copilot into their solutions. I hope you enjoy the read. ANDY CLAYTON-SMITH: EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Learn more at synergy-technical.com/studio Out of this world productivity with AI agents Automate tasks, Streamline workflows, Empower your crew. Synergy Technical helps organizations build custom AI agents that accelerate productivity and drive real business impact. Contact Us: tellmemore@synergy-technical.com
CONTENTS 9 32 STEPPING INTO A NEW FRONTIER Organisations across industries are deploying AI to improve processes and gain economies of scale, but a people-focused approach will deliver richer long-term results, says Microsoft’s Kees Hertogh 16 MARKETWATCH The latest news from Microsoft and its partners, including the launch of the Project Solara platform 26 EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW Microsoft’s Philippe Rogge explores how agentic AI is impacting the public sector, and why organisations are embracing the new wave of technology 44 I rina Shamkova from Intermedia Intelligent Communications explains how the company is weaving AI into everyday communications workflows 47 A ligned teams and technology are the foundation for intelligent commerce, says Conga’s Celia Fleischaker 48 Silvio Bessa explains how Microsoft’s alliance with ServiceNow is bringing governance to the age of AI agent sprawl 50 Coretek’s Brian Barnes discusses how the firm uses its own operating data to demonstrate what its customers can achieve with AI 52 R obbie Morrison explains how a customer-zero approach has built Velosio’s deep understanding of successful AI transformation ISSUE 41: SUMMER 2026
11 54 C loud4C’s Hitesh Bhardwaj shares why enterprise AI begins with operational foundations, not use cases 56 Swiss energy group BKW has collaborated with Microsoft to build an AI-powered weather forecasting platform that will enable it to deliver reliable energy services across Europe 58 M icrosoft platforms and tools provide an intelligent, secure foundation for the new era of AI-powered operations, says Coretek’s Clint Adkins 60 UK theme park Drayton Manor Resort improves internal planning and international communication by installing Shure’s Microsoft Teams Rooms solution 62 Enterprise application innovator SAP Finland has built future-ready meeting spaces with Crestron 64 Barco’s Jan van Houtte and Huddly’s Fraser Park discuss how their new wireless meeting room bundle supports inclusive hybrid conferencing with Microsoft Teams 66 GlobalSign’s Aditya Anand shares insights on why the shortening lifespan of TLS certificates means its crucial for organisations to automate renewal processes 68 Copilot spreads its wings A look at how Microsoft’s AI companion is transforming from personal assistant to virtual co-worker 73 AI agents can guide revenue teams to new levels of performance, says David Buggy of Velosio 74 The integration of relationship intelligence into AI assistants enables business development teams to make informed decisions in real time, says Introhive’s Lee Blakemore 75 Research from ServiceNow reports a widening divide between organisations experimenting with AI and those driving real business value from it CONTENTS IN FOCUS: MICROSOFT COPILOT
12 CONTENTS FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRIALS & MANUFACTURING 92 Robotics is entering its next industrial era Microsoft’s John Chien explains why the future of robotics lies not in individual machines, but in AI-orchestrated industrial intelligence 96 AVEVA’s Amanda Oñate discusses how industrial intelligence and connected ecosystems are empowering organisations to overcome operational challenges 100 Organisations must collaborate more deeply, securely and purposefully than ever before to overcome industrial risk, advises AVEVA’s Zubin Davar 78 Mastering risk and compliance with AI Microsoft’s Bastian Bahnemann explains how AI empowers financial firms to combine transformation with resilience and trust 84 Cristina Pieretti shares why embedding Moody’s data intelligence into Microsoft’s AI ecosystem makes risk and credit intelligence a seamless part of decision-making 85 LSEG’s Dave Byrne and Microsoft’s Marc Esmiley discuss their ambitious data and AI partnership 88 Coretek uses AI to help payment solutions provider Transcard unlock new value for clients 89 A global social investment platform has used Melissa’s eIDV solution within Microsoft Azure to reduce identity verification time from days to seconds 90 Organisations should implement Microsoft Purview to protect sensitive information and improve governance, says Synergy Technical’s Kyle Elliot
13 RETAIL & CONSUMER GOODS 116 Human-led, AI-powered Microsoft’s Sue McMahon discusses how the adoption of agentic AI is creating a shift that’s freeing up merchandisers to focus on highervalue creative tasks 122 Noah Herschman of Intelo.AI believes the solution to disconnected merchandising systems is agentic AI PUBLIC SECTOR 106 Seeing the big picture Microsoft’s John Doyle explains how governments are moving away from a pilot project mindset to design connected, intelligent AI-powered experiences around citizens and employees 112 S ally Ann Frank from Microsoft shares insights on how startups are developing AI-powered tools to help advance innovation across the life sciences value chain 115 G overnment organisations must embed AI into core workflows with human oversight to improve services, says Accela’s Noam Reininger MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS 102 The agents of change Microsoft’s Rick Lievano and Denizcan Billor discuss how AI agents have transformed the management of its Azure network of fibre optic and undersea cables and data centres – and how it is helping telecom operators do the same FEATURED PARTNERS 124 A selection of Microsoft partners operating across all business sectors 1 28 THE LAST WORD Toby Ingleton looks at new research from Microsoft which indicates business leaders must shift their focus from deploying software to redesigning work and processes
ISSUE 41: SUMMER 2026 Executive editor Andy Clayton-Smith Head of editorial Rebecca Gibson Editorial team Kasturi Datta, Jacqui Griffiths, Richard Humphreys, Laura Hyde, Lindsay James, Alex Smith Contributor Ashlea Miller Production manager Stuart Fairbrother Design Bruce Graham, Libby Sidebotham, Dhanika Vansia Website development Chris Jackson Partner managers James Luscombe, Ricky Popat, 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.alamy.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. © 2026 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: ANALYSTS AND INDUSTRY ORGANISATIONS PUBLISHED IN COLLABORATION WITH Microsoft is the world leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realise their full potential. 14
15 PUBLISHING PARTNERS LSEG is a global financial markets infrastructure and data provider, and plays a vital social and economic role in the world’s financial system. By unifying legacy systems, departmental tools, cloud applications and AI agents, ServiceNow connects intelligence to execution across every corner of business. Velosio is a Microsoft partner helping organisations transform through AIpowered, industry-specific solutions across Dynamics 365, Azure and the Microsoft cloud. AVEVA creates industrial software that inspires people to shape the future, by delivering solutions across the asset and operations life cycles. Coretek is a Microsoft AI Cloud Provider, renowned for solving complex business challenges through AI-driven innovation, high performance consulting, security and managed services. 602X100 Intermedia delivers intelligent cloud communications through an AI-powered unified platform – voice, video, chat, contact centre and more – trusted by more than 150,000 businesses and 7,500 partners worldwide. SPONSORS
16 caption... Xernatibus et officto bernam, sum quae. Optatem nim dis eaquunt, MARKETWATCH Microsoft has launched Project Solara, a new ‘chip-to-cloud’ platform designed to run AI agents rather than traditional apps. Unveiled at the annual Build 2026 developer conference in San Francisco, the platform is built on the Android-based Microsoft Device Ecosystem Platform and allows organisations to extend their agents onto purpose-built form factors. “This is not just about bringing intelligence to the PC, the browser, or the phone – it is about bringing intelligence into the places where people need it most: in the flow of work, in the environment, and closer to the task at hand,” said Steven Bathiche, who leads the Applied Sciences Group at Microsoft. Project Solara “establishes hardware and software requirements that will meet enterprise needs for manageability, security and privacy, while ensuring critical user experiences are delivered,” says Bathiche. There will be three pillars to the platform: enterprise-readiness, with privacy, security, control and trust; an agent-driven interaction model with ‘just-in-time UI’ so developers do not need to redesign Microsoft launches Project Solara to support agent-first devices Platform will ‘bring intelligence into the moments and places where people need it most’ Photo: Microsoft Microsoft is working with MediaTek on a desk companion concept and with Qualcomm for a wearable employee badge
17 the experience for every form factor; and extensibility, so that multiple agents can be brought together in a coherent experience. Microsoft is working with chipmakers Qualcomm and MediaTek on initial concept designs, respectively a wearable employee badge and a desk companion. “Microsoft’s Project Solara is an important step in advancing agent-first experiences across a wide range of devices and form factors,” said Dino Bekis, senior vice president for personal and wearable AI at Qualcomm. Both devices are being designed with the aim of helping employees better manage workflows. The wearable badge has an integrated camera to help the agents understand the environment they are in and deliver informed insights, while the desk companion enables Bluetooth connectivity with PCs so users can hand off tasks. “Together, the badge and desk concept devices show what becomes possible when agents are no longer confined to one app, one screen or one device,” said Bathiche. “They show how agent-first experiences can move across stationary, portable and wearable forms – adapting to the user, the context and the work.” Microsoft employees are already using the concept devices, and Microsoft will be piloting its agentfirst ecosystem with enterprises including AccuWeather, Best Buy, CVS Health, Levi’s and Target. It will enable OEMs and product makers to develop specialised solutions for specific scenarios and environments in different industries. “Agent builders will be able to reach more people in more places, using the adaptability of the Project Solara platform to bring their agents into the workflows, environments and moments where they can create the most value,” said Bathiche. Photo: Microsoft Microsoft debuts new quantum computing chip Microsoft unveiled a new quantum chip, Majorana 2, at Build 2026. The chip features a next-generation stack and paves the way to creating a scalable quantum computer by 2029. Microsoft’s quantum team is overcoming key barriers in reliability, speed and size that have limited the application of quantum computing for real-life scenarios. The new chip’s qubits can maintain their quantum state 1,000 times longer than the first generation, with a mean qubit lifetime, previously measured in milliseconds, now around 20 seconds, with some lasting up to one minute. “We need to make improvements each year that will get us closer to delivering a computer that we believe will have massive commercial and societal value,” said Chetan Nayak, Microsoft technical fellow. “We’ve got to keep marching to that roadmap to accomplish that, but where are we relative to last year? We’re 1,000 times better.” The new chip was developed with the help of the Microsoft Discovery agentic AI platform, which is now generally available and can help scientists and organisations accelerate research and development. “In the year since we’ve launched, we’ve seen customers light up use cases across critical industries like life sciences, chemicals and materials, energy, manufacturing and consumer goods,” said Aseem Datar, corporate vice president and product innovation for Microsoft Discovery. Photo: John Brecher/Microsoft
18 Introhive has developed a model context protocol (MCP) server that enables law firms to connect relationship intelligence with Microsoft Copilot to strengthen client partnerships and business development. The MCP Server enables AI agents to securely access Introhive’s relationship intelligence and deliver contextualised insights to lawyers without exposing raw data, returning only the information needed to answer each query. Lawyers can use it for tasks such as preparing pitches or identifying cross-sell opportunities. “The expectation today – and the new norm – is that you can ask very specific, nuanced questions and get an answer you can act on immediately,” said Lee Blakemore, CEO of Introhive. “Delivering that requires connecting relationship, customer relationship management and billing data without asking AI agents to read through all your emails or other sensitive information.” New Introhive MCP Server brings relationship intelligence to law firms Conga continues to enhance its platform to support intelligent commerce. It recently launched AiMe, a unified AI layer built into the Conga Advantage Platform to help eliminate operational blind spots, accelerate decision-making and improve commercial performance. The company’s Advantage CPQ and Contract Lifecycle Management solutions are also now available on Microsoft Dynamics 365 and the Azure Marketplace – furthering Conga’s commitment to expand the ways its platform integrates with the tools people already rely on. In April 2026, Conga was named as a leader in the 2026 Gartner Magic Quadrant for business-tobusiness pricing and rebate optimisation software. Conga advances connected commerce platform MARKETWATCH
19 Crestron has been named the official provider of smart hospitality systems at Espai Barça as part of FC Barcelona’s initiative to modernise and expand its Spotify Camp Nou stadium and campus. The company is delivering the underlying technology infrastructure across Spotify Camp Nou, to provide an integrated ecosystem of content, collaboration and control solutions. Crestron technology – which is designed to integrate with Microsoft Teams – will be embedded across the venue as part of the multi-year collaboration. It will enable instant room transformations and consistent user experiences in hundreds of different environments, from hospitality suites to locker rooms, meeting spaces and operational hubs. Crestron powers smart hospitality systems at Espai Barça Coretek unveils managed service for the Microsoft AI era Coretek has launched Modern MSP/MSSP, a unified managed service provider (MSP) tailored to organisations deploying Microsoft AI and data workloads at scale. The offering pairs Coretek’s AI Frontier Factory – a ‘build-once, scale-fast’ engine for agentic AI – with a continuously validated security operation built on Microsoft Defender XDR, Entra, and Purview and Elastic. “Our Modern MSP/MSSP is the first managed service designed around the realities of Microsoft AI: governed data, validated controls and response measured in minutes,” said Michael Swiencki, chief operating officer at Coretek. Early adopters report 60 per cent reductions in mean time to resolution, with three production AI use cases live within 90 days of engagement. Global certificate authority GMO GlobalSign has debuted TLS Connect to help businesses automate public trust Transport Layer Security (TLS) certificate deployment and renewal. Designed to run on-premises, TLS Connect automatically manages and configures TLS certificates across multiple endpoints from a single interface. The tool has a built-in certificate scanner, a dashboard and reporting capabilities. It integrates with various network devices and servers, the Automated Certificate Management Environment protocol, GlobalSign’s Atlas platform and the GlobalSign Certificate Centre. TLS Connect reduces the cost and administrative burdens of managing certificates, while lowering the risk of service outages and data breaches. Read more about how GMO GlobalSign can help organisations keep pace with changing TLS certification regulations on page 66. New GMO GlobalSign solution automates TLS certificate management
20 MARKETWATCH Accenture is implementing Microsoft 365 Copilot for around 743,000 employees, nearly its entire workforce. The consultancy began deployment in 2023 and by 2025, a study of nearly 200,000 users found that 97 per cent of employees reported completing routine tasks 15 times faster with Copilot. “If Microsoft 365 Copilot weren’t delivering real value, our people simply wouldn’t be using it – our high adoption rate is what shows us that there is value,” said Tony Leraris, chief information officer at Accenture. “That’s what led us to continue deploying Copilot to more people”. Avanade, the consulting and technology services joint venture between Accenture and Microsoft, is implementing the tool to deliver customer-focused sales insights to sellers. Copilot works in tandem with the conversational agent that sellers engage with to deliver research, which would have previously taken days, in a matter of seconds. Since rolling out the tool to 25 per cent of sellers, Avanade has reported 43 per cent more sales opportunities compared to those not using the tool. Accenture rolls out Microsoft 365 Copilot to majority of workforce Velosio deepens Microsoft ecosystem alignment with Domain 6 acquisition Velosio, a Microsoft Inner Circle partner that specialises in data analytics, AI and automation services and support across multiple industries, has acquired Domain 6, a Microsoft-focused consultancy specialising in enterprise solutions and industry-specific transformation. The acquisition expands Velosio’s enterprise capabilities across the full Microsoft stack and strengthens its ability to support Microsoft’s largest and most complex customers. Domain 6 offers expertise in industries demanding specialised depth – including media, advertising, construction and core professional services – and complements Velosio’s deep experience across professional services, manufacturing, distribution, agribusiness and field services.
21 Turck adds Intermedia AI-powered features to its Microsoft Teams environment Industrial automation and sensor technology company Turck has modernised its communications with Intermedia Unite for Teams, adding enterprise-grade calling, AI-powered contact centre capabilities, and seamless telephony directly into Microsoft Teams. As part of Intermedia’s partner-first approach, Turck partnered with Telematch to guide the evaluation and deployment, ensuring a smooth transition to the cloud aligned with its global operations. Turck reports multiple benefits, including lower maintenance costs, simplified IT management and greater uptime. Barco’s latest ClickShare Hub room systems feature seamless bring your own device (BYOD) capabilities for Microsoft Teams meeting rooms. Many organisations have standardised Microsoft Teams Rooms for its security, consistency and ease of use. However, last-minute changes such as unavailable rooms or guests trying to connect on different platforms and devices can cause delays and result in makeshift set-ups. With the ClickShare Button, meeting participants can connect their laptop to the room’s audiovisual set-up wirelessly and start meetings on any videoconferencing platform. This flexibility enhances the Microsoft Teams Rooms experience, so meetings run smoothly even when plans change. Barco brings wireless BYOD for Microsoft Teams Rooms on ClickShare Hub Shure IntelliMix Bar Pro improves meeting room experiences Organisations can deploy Shure’s new all-in-one IntelliMix Bar Pro to enhance the meeting experience in medium to large spaces. Built on the Microsoft Device Ecosystem Platform, the bar combines audio and video into a single device, with four 4K cameras featuring AI-powered face framing and multiple Microflex array microphones that isolate voices and minimise background noise. The stereo speakers produce clear, immersive sound, enabling AI tools like Microsoft Copilot in Teams to generate precise transcriptions, while an onboard computer system makes setup simple for IT teams.
22 MARKETWATCH Moody’s Corporation has expanded its partnership with Microsoft and will integrate its credit intelligence into the firm’s AI tools, including Microsoft 365 Copilot. The integration operates through two main channels. Using the Model Context Protocol, organisations can access Moody’s workflow and data services without the need for custom integrations via a dedicated agent within Microsoft 365 Copilot. Additionally, Moody’s data is available as a source within Copilot features, including Copilot Chat, the Researcher agent and Microsoft Excel. “By embedding that intelligence directly into Microsoft’s AI solutions at enterprise scale, we’re making decision-grade analysis available not just to specialists, but to every person across an organisation who needs it,” said Rob Fauber, president and CEO of Moody’s. Microsoft joined AVEVA to discuss topics including AI, data, cloud, digital twins and industrial intelligence at AVEVA World 2026, which took place in Milan, Italy, on 19-21 May 2026. Microsoft was the platinum sponsor of the event, which focused on the need to make supply chains more diversified and resilient, as well as the importance of open ecosystems for accelerating digital transformation. “Microsoft and AVEVA are coming together to transform the way industrial manufacturers build, engineer and operate their businesses,” said Caroline Shao, global senior partner marketing manager for Microsoft. “We’ve been working together for over 30 years and will continue this tradition of innovation to solve the world’s biggest industrial manufacturing challenges. AVEVA's industry-leading solutions built on the Microsoft Cloud enable manufacturers to gain real-time visibility, unlock AI-powered insights and unite their IT and operational technology data.” Moody’s embeds credit intelligence in AI workflows Synergy Technical achieves new Microsoft Support Services designation Synergy Technical has been named a Microsoft Support Services partner for demonstrating “proven capability, maturity and excellence” in delivering customer support for Microsoft cloud technologies. The customer satisfaction score (CSAT) is a central pillar of the designation. The CSAT – regarded as the most direct indicator of support quality in the industry – is a measure of how quickly issues were resolved and how supported customers felt throughout the process. In its audit, Synergy Technical posted a 99.1 CSAT score, a result that reflects the consistency, technical depth and care the team brings to every customer interaction. For the company’s customers, the designation means higher prioritisation in Microsoft support scenarios and the assurance that they're working with a partner Microsoft has independently vetted for support excellence. “Being recognised by Microsoft through the Support Services designation validates the quality, discipline, and dedication our team brings to every customer interaction,“ said Rohana Meade, CEO of Synergy Technical. “A 99.1 CSAT score isn't an accident – it's the result of a team that takes every ticket personally. This designation is a signal to the market that our customers can trust us to deliver consistent, exceptional support at scale.” Microsoft and AVEVA explore future of manufacturing at Milan event
23 Local governments across the USA are accelerating efforts to modernise permitting and licensing as they respond to growth, housing demand and resource constraints. Accela continues to support this shift, helping agencies move core planning and construction workflows to the cloud to improve efficiency and transparency. In early 2026, the city of Cleveland highlighted its modernisation efforts as part of a broader initiative to support development and improve service delivery. As detailed in Accela’s blog and podcast, Cleveland processes nearly $2 billion in construction permitting annually, with some projects requiring coordination across up to 16 departments. Cleveland has moved permitting and plan review to the cloud, implemented a citywide electronic plan review system and introduced real-time dashboards to improve accountability and coordination. These changes are designed to create a more transparent, predictable and business-friendly experience for residents, developers and staff. Across the market, agencies are now looking beyond digitisation toward automation and AI embedded within core platforms. Rather than standalone tools, these capabilities are being applied to streamline reviews, improve consistency and surface issues earlier – while maintaining human oversight – helping governments continuously improve how services are delivered. Read the full blog post to find out how Accela has helped the city of Cleveland transform licensing processes: bit.ly/4xDA5lX Accela helps cities modernise permitting to support growth Photo: DJ Johnson Enterprise workflow provider ServiceNow has expanded the integration between its AI Control Tower and Microsoft Agent 365. AI Control Tower’s governance, originally covering integrations with Foundry and Clubhouse Studio, now also includes Agent 365. ServiceNow AI specialists will also be available in the Microsoft Agent 365 Marketplace later this year. This will allow ServiceNow’s Autonomous Workforce to operate across the Microsoft 365 tools used by employees. “ServiceNow and Microsoft are helping organisations maximise value from every AI investment,” said Jon Sigler, executive vice president and general manager of AI Platform at ServiceNow. “With this expanded integration, customers can securely apply governance across ServiceNow and Microsoft environments with integrated visibility and controls, while putting ServiceNow Autonomous Workforce to work across the Microsoft 365 environment. This is an example of what it means to put AI to work at enterprise scale, with the trust and interoperability that business transformation requires.” ServiceNow expands AI Control Tower integration with Microsoft Agent 365 Photo: ServiceNow
24 EVENT PREVIEW DATES FOR YOUR DIARY ARC Industry Leadership Forum India 9 July-10 July Bangalore, India www.arcweb.com/events/arcindustry-leadership-forum-asiabangalore ARC Industry Leadership Forum Singapore 27 August Singapore www.arcweb.com/events/arcindustry-leadership-forum-asiasingapore European Microsoft Fabric + SQL Community Conference 28 September-1 October Barcelona, Spain espc.tech/conference/fabconeurope-2026/ Smart Retail Tech Expo 30 September-1 October New York, USA www.whitelabelexpo.com Digital Transformation Expo 14-15 October London, UK www.dtxevents.io/london 11-14 September 2026 | Amsterdam, Netherlands IBC2026: Turning innovation to action The global media, entertainment and technology community will converge at IBC2026 in Amsterdam, Netherlands, from 11-14 September 2026. “IBC2026 comes at a defining moment for the global media and entertainment industry,” said Michael Crimp, CEO of IBC. “In a market where companies are placing greater emphasis on meaningful engagement and real business value, IBC provides a truly international meeting point where ideas move forward, partnerships take shape and innovation is put into practice – creating moments that matter for the industry.” With exhibitors, speakers and visitors from more than 170 countries, IBC2026 will showcase advances in areas such as AI, cloud-native workflows, content provenance, cybersecurity, immersive experiences, private 5G, sustainability and next-generation production tools. Throughout the RAI Amsterdam conference centre, attendees will experience a comprehensive programme of demonstrations, presentations, panels and networking events designed to help industry players across every region navigate change and unlock new commercial opportunities. Register for IBC2026 at show.ibc.org
26 Unlocking AI opportunities Microsoft’s Philippe Rogge explores how agentic AI is impacting the public sector, and why organisations are embracing the new wave of technology Agentic AI brings unique opportunities for public sector organisations to create value for the citizens they serve. But as leaders embrace these capabilities, it’s vital they also manage the risks. Philippe Rogge, corporate vice president for worldwide public sector at Microsoft, is passionate about the prospects facing this traditionally conservative sector as it emerges into the AI spotlight. You spent 12 years at Microsoft before moving on, then returned in July 2025. What did you learn during your time away and what drew you back? I’ve learned it is healthy to step out of your bubble from time to time. I've always had a curious mind, and technology is just one of my interests. I originally joined Microsoft at an incredible time of technology and cultural transformation, but after 12 years, my curiosity drew me in a different direction. I had a great time working with another company, but I kicked myself when I realised I’d left Microsoft six months before the ChatGPT moment! Rejoining Microsoft, the company at the forefront of AI transformation, felt amazing. My current role fits perfectly with my interest in the intersection of technology and geopolitics. How are today’s geopolitical challenges impacting the public sector? We’re facing a technological inflexion point with AI and the evolving cyberthreat. This has caused an awakening in a sector that is traditionally conservative about technology adoption. Governments are grappling with demographic challenges, fiscal deficits and increasing budget pressures. AI – and especially agentic AI – can help them to significantly improve the way they deliver public services. That is incredibly valuable to them and they’re really embracing this new wave of technology. At the same time, the cyberthreat has never been bigger and the attack surfaces have moved. As targets like energy companies become better equipped to combat threats, attackers are looking at schools, hospitals, libraries and local and regional governments. Geopolitical changes are intertwined with these influences. Concepts of sovereignty have always existed, but the tectonic plates have shifted since the fall of the Berlin Wall and we’re now in a multi-polar world. I think the world is resetting and coming to terms with that, and every government will need to adjust and adapt. Microsoft is well placed to support public sector organisations as they navigate the changing landscape. We’ve invested in sovereign clouds and the European Union data boundary since 2023 and we have an incredible capacity to anticipate the shifts affecting our customers. A lot of the world runs on our technology, so we are committed to continue providing that understanding and agility. What does cyber resilience mean in practice for public sector leaders, and where should they prioritise their investment? Cyberthreats and sovereignty are often seen as separate issues, but in today’s world they intersect and it’s important we keep them both on the same spectrum. Cybersecurity exposures like ransomware attacks or data exfiltration are the most worrying way of losing the sovereignty of your systems. BY ANDY CLAYTON-SMITH EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW
“To safeguard sovereignty, organisations must find a balance between security and the innovation that drives prosperity” 27
28 Nobody likes to publicise a cybersecurity issue more than necessary and that’s why, as a society, we have grossly underestimated the prevalence and impact of cyberthreats. In addition, agentic AI presents new threats and needs that will significantly reshuffle the cards. Every company and government will need to reflect on their cybersecurity position. That’s where Microsoft can help. We process more than 100 trillion signals daily and we’re helping with Ukraine’s cybersecurity. We learn about the latest nation state attacks, identify and assess patterns, build patches and deploy them in real time. Security is core to everything we do and as such, we’re in an incredibly strong position to share threat intelligence and benefit our customers around the world. Ultimately, to safeguard sovereignty, organisations must find a balance between the innovation they want to drive prosperity, and the cybersecurity they need for business continuity. At Microsoft, we’re guiding EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW
29 customers through an objective assessment of what their exposures are and where they want to take risks. We’re helping them to identify the layers they can add that will give them the best trade-offs and, when they define that architecture, we have the technical, contractual and policy portfolio to respond to any changes they need. This isn’t about locking everything away in a private cloud. Organisations understand the protection a public cloud with sovereign controls can bring – especially the Microsoft public cloud, supported by a broad set of security capabilities. What gains are Microsoft AI tools delivering for public sector organisations today? One beautiful thing about the public sector is that it’s pretty much the perfect environment for agentic AI. There’s a high volume of reasonably low-complexity tasks and decisions that are incredibly well documented in terms of laws, policies, principles and procedures. AI makes it possible to execute these tasks at huge scale, which brings an incredible productivity gain and measurable citizen benefits. A good first step is to equip your people to reason against your own documents. That will typically yield productivity gains across the board. Microsoft Copilot plays a role here, and it’s been fascinating to see the traction it’s gained in the public sector. After that, organisations can move to the agentic space, where they can decompose and recompose business processes. The city of Burlington in Ontario, Canada and the metropolitan government in Tokyo have developed exciting agentic AI business cases – including one that has yielded a 70 per cent reduction in permit processing time. Another example is the way people are imagining complex services. Think about the process of coordinating repairs to street damage reported by citizens, for instance. The citizen uploads a photo of the issue to an app, and then multiple AI agents interact to identify the actions and equipment needed, check inventory, order parts, schedule the repair team, approve the work and notify the citizen that it’s done. It’s incredible to see our public sector customers’ openness to these new scenarios. They’re not just thinking about productivity gains, but also about citizen interaction, better decision-making and traceability. They’re making course corrections and adding new interfaces to deliver real value to citizens. Smart City Expo World Congress is a great place to explore these new opportunities. What will you be discussing there in November 2026? Things are moving so fast and we see new use cases every day, so it’s too early to go into detail.
30 EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW
31 We will showcase some specific public sector scenarios and we’ll focus on a couple of areas. One key topic is customer demand for a cybersecure, hybrid sovereign architecture. We’ve built a position of trust over the past few decades and IDC positions us as the leader in infrastructure and platform in this space. We will continue to earn that trust as we evolve our platforms and toolkits. Another subject is the incredible opportunity to do AI for local, regional and national governments, defence and education. Leading frontier models are available through Azure AI Foundry, which helps to increase reliability by grounding responses in organisational data and applying governance and evaluation. It will be great to explore the solutions and agentic scenarios that can be built on top of that. Customers have a lot of native information in existing investments like Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365. They need the ability to extract this information and reason against it using their model of choice, with the freedom to shift when they want. That’s the tooling we’re building: a scaffolding that can be used across many different domains. How are Microsoft’s partners adding to that picture? I’m proud we have created a marketplace environment where our partners can thrive. Microsoft is effectively a tool builder and platform operator, and AI leaves so much space for industry-specific and cross-industry innovation on top of our platform. One customer, the Abu Dhabi Digital Authority, has built a platform with around 1,300 citizen services – in effect rewriting the operating system of an entire city. We’re excited that we can bring components of this to any city that is thinking of re-platforming. Our classic software development partners are also creating point solutions based on everything from geolocation to public safety and security. Examples include algorithms around bodycams, city cameras and traffic management and monitoring. Sovereignty offers another big opportunity for our partners, many of whom are local players that are deeply trusted by government agencies as well as commercial customers. We are working to onboard those partners at scale so they can build and run hybrid, cybersecure cloud systems for customers, combining public cloud and Azure local private cloud components. We have the tooling for local players to build an Azure-compatible stack that allows them to develop solutions and lift and shift between public and private cloud, depending on what the client wants. Looking ahead, where do you see AI solutions having the greatest impact? No one can predict the future, but I expect cybersecurity and productivity to be the dominant forces. In terms of cybersecurity, we’re coming out of a period where we’ve often struggled to contain most human-initiated threats. Now we’ll see more focus on AI-initiated and AI-defended threats. Microsoft will play an important role in reminding people of the cybersecurity realities in a world where threats are harder to hide. We’ll also see an unlocking of business processes that operate at massive scale. There’s an opportunity for countries to focus on the diffusion of technology, to train people of all ages and transform their business processes. I’m already seeing the first proof points of productivity gains and I think agentic workflows and transformation will lead to much more efficient, effective, citizen-oriented decision-making at every level of government. Unlocking these opportunities quickly will involve a balance between risk and innovation. What excites me most about the public sector is that, for the large part, none of these organisations are competitors. That means we can share best practices quite freely. The more of these experiments we get, the more we can share, and if the tooling is easy to do, the solutions will be adopted. I think this will snowball because the barrier to entry is so low. That gives me a lot of hope for the future. “ The public sector is pretty much the perfect environment for agentic AI”
32 Organisations across industries are deploying AI to improve processes and gain economies of scale – but a people-focused approach will deliver richer long-term results BY JACQUI GRIFFITHS Business transformation is AI’s great promise, but according to Deloitte, deploying new tools is the easy part. To define and achieve true long-term value from their AI, leaders must redesign the way work gets done. For ‘frontier firms’ – which have moved beyond experimentation to embed AI across their organisation – it starts with empowering people. “Frontier firms are redefining how work gets done in the era of AI,” says Kees Hertogh, vice president of global industry marketing at Microsoft. “They enrich employee experiences by making AI part of everyday work; reinvent customer engagement by using AI to deliver more responsive and personalised service; reshape business processes so work moves faster and decisions improve; and bend the curve on innovation by helping teams test, learn and scale new ideas faster. “As a result, frontier firms see tangible benefits: higher productivity, better outcomes across areas like customer service and product development, and more engaged employees. Yet the biggest advantage is agility. These firms are better equipped to adapt because they have both the technology and the culture to keep evolving.” Putting people at the centre of AI strategy is the way to unlock these results. “Efficiency, cost reduction and streamlining processes are real AI benefits, but the bigger opportunity is about how AI empowers individuals, not just organisations,” says Hertogh. “The longterm value comes from elevating the role of every employee – giving them tools that help them operate at a higher level and empower them to achieve new ambitions.” At its core, Hertogh says, AI changes the relationship people have with work. “For the first time, you have technology that can act as a true assistant – helping you think, create and solve problems. It can take on repetitive tasks, summarise complex information and help generate ideas. This means individuals can spend less time COVER STORY into a Stepping new frontier
33 “ The bigger opportunity is about how AI empowers individuals, not just organisations”
34 on routine work and more time on what really matters – and we consistently see that this leads to better and more fulfilling work. People can focus on creativity, judgement and collaboration. A marketer can spend more time on strategy. A clinician can spend more time with patients. A government worker can focus more on outcomes rather than administrative tasks. There’s also a confidence aspect. When people have access to AI that is grounded in the organisation’s data, they can make decisions faster and with greater clarity. It reduces friction in the day-to-day.” It’s this investment in people that ultimately makes the enterprise more innovative, adaptive and competitive. “Organisations today are operating in a much more dynamic environment, whether that’s evolving regulations or increasing customer expectations,” says Hertogh. “The challenge has often been that the signals are there, but they’re fragmented across systems, teams and data sources. AI brings the ability to connect those signals and surface them in real time. For example, in areas like security and compliance, AI can continuously monitor large volumes of data, identify potential risks earlier and help the business respond proactively rather than reactively. “Meanwhile when it comes to customer expectations, the bar has simply moved. Customers expect responsiveness, personalisation and consistency, and AI allows companies to better understand customer intent and anticipate needs to respond in a much more tailored way. “In healthcare, for example, we analysed more than 500,000 real conversations with a generalist chatbot for health queries, and the pattern is very consistent. People are not asking for generic information. They are looking for personalised guidance, help interpreting complex information and support navigating systems that are often difficult to use. They also expect this support to be available whenever they need it. Many of these interactions happen outside of traditional hours, especially in the evening, when access to services is limited.” Fashion brand Ralph Lauren has also put this principle to work. It introduced an AI-powered assistant – called Ask Ralph – to help improve how customers shop online while reducing the effort required to find the right items. “In simple terms, Ask Ralph acts like a digital stylist,” says Hertogh. “A customer can describe what they’re looking for, then the system recommends outfits matching their preferences. COVER STORY “ For the first time, you have technology that can act as a true assistant – helping you think, create and solve problems” KEES HERTOGH, MICROSOFT
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