Unveiling the way forward for AI innovation for ISVs

At Microsoft Ignite in November 2024, we introduced choices and sources to empower software program corporations within the panorama of AI-powered experiences.

In at the moment’s quickly evolving digital panorama, software program corporations are on the forefront of innovation. These organizations are uniquely positioned to reap the benefits of AI-powered options to drive progress, improve buyer experiences, and keep forward of the competitors.

AI is opening the door to useful alternatives for software program corporations by accelerating cloud migration, app modernization, and analytics, whereas making developer instruments extra accessible. To harness the ability of AI, software program growth is vital.

With 53,000 prospects at the moment utilizing Azure AI providers, it’s clear {that a} rising variety of corporations are investing in AI instruments for impartial software program distributors (ISVs)—and so they’re reaping the advantages.¹ On common, organizations see a 350% return on each greenback invested in AI inside 14 months.²

In the event you’re seeking to rework what you are promoting, Microsoft is dedicated to serving to you obtain your AI ambitions. At Microsoft Ignite in November 2024, we introduced product improvements, a collection of recent choices, and streamlined sources to empower software program corporations to distinguish, innovate, and develop within the ever-evolving panorama of AI-powered experiences.

ISV innovation with AI

Software program corporations play a major function as a result of they create the instruments and platforms that make AI accessible and sensible for varied industries. These corporations develop the foundational fashions and algorithms into their choices that drive AI functions, enabling differentiated revolutionary options throughout completely different sectors.

By advancing AI capabilities, software program corporations can push the boundaries of what’s doable, fostering an atmosphere of steady enchancment and discovery. 

With the fitting AI instruments for ISVs, it’s doable to develop clever functions that anticipate consumer wants whereas enhancing information privateness and safety. Along with elevating buyer experiences, many software program corporations are tapping into AI to streamline growth and go to market quicker.

Buyer developments driving AI transformation

We’ve recognized 4 key buyer developments which might be driving AI transformation and presenting important alternatives for software program corporations. In line with our prospects, AI makes it simpler for his or her organizations to:

1. Enhance buyer engagement. Organizations are bettering buyer engagement by AI-powered self-service capabilities. This enables corporations to ship participating, customized interactions and create extra significant connections with their prospects.
2. Elevate worker experiences. Groups are utilizing AI instruments to automate repetitive duties and achieve useful AI-driven insights. This empowers workers to give attention to higher-value actions, bettering their total work expertise.
3. Reinvent enterprise processes. AI is reshaping enterprise processes by course of automation and provide chain optimization. This enables organizations to streamline operations, scale back prices, enhance effectivity, and drive enterprise progress.
4. Speed up innovation. Organizations throughout all industries are tapping into AI to innovate quicker and achieve a aggressive edge. Analysis and growth, product, and engineering groups are profiting from deep AI-driven insights and self-learning instruments to spice up productiveness, streamline processes, and make extra knowledgeable selections.

These developments signify the following leap in computing and expertise, opening new prospects for ISV companions to combine superior AI options into their options. Firms like PTC and Relativity are utilizing AI-based options constructed on Microsoft Azure to ship distinctive worth to their prospects. These success tales spotlight the tangible advantages of AI, from elevated effectivity to enhanced buyer satisfaction.

Differentiate with AI-powered experiences: Insights from Microsoft Ignite

Throughout our Microsoft Ignite classes for AI for ISVs, we launched updates to Azure Machine Studying, Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service, and Microsoft Cloth designed that can assist you keep forward. For instance, the Azure integration with Weights & Biases will give builders extra methods to trace, consider, and optimize Azure OpenAI fashions. Utilizing these instruments, builders can routinely observe varied features of fine-tuning jobs, examine mannequin variations, and consider generative AI-powered apps. 

We additionally introduced curated sources and AI readiness packages, together with our new Microsoft ISV AI Envisioning workshops. These free occasions are designed that can assist you preserve your abilities sharp and your choices aggressive. Discover ways to empower your group to construct AI-powered apps confidently with hands-on steering in 1:1 technical consults or be a part of our AI Envisioning workshops to get a framework for growing generative AI options. All of that is underpinned by Azure Necessities, a set of sources that features foundational steering, greatest practices, and devoted coaching that can assist you elevate safety, reliability, and ongoing efficiency in your cloud and AI workloads.

Rework your growth expertise and ship quicker

One of the vital important benefits of AI is that it helps streamline and velocity up growth. At Microsoft, we’re all the time on the lookout for methods to enhance the developer expertise, together with giving your software program groups AI tooling at their fingertips to allow them to transfer quicker. Complete platforms like Azure AI Foundry and GitHub Copilot permit builders to innovate quickly, scale back time spent on repetitive duties, and unlock sources to give attention to what actually issues—constructing nice software program. These instruments ship customized technical steering, guaranteeing your builders have the help they should succeed.

Azure AI Foundry SDK, now in preview, offers a unified and complete instrument chain for constructing, testing, deploying, and managing AI functions and software programming interfaces (APIs) with enterprise-grade management and customization. That includes a library of fashions and instruments, this answer gives simplified coding experiences to spice up developer productiveness and assist your group responsibly scale your AI functions. 

GitHub Copilot for Azure in VS Code

GitHub Copilot for Azure in VS Code is constructed to simplify cloud growth by bringing all the things you want proper into your editor. As a substitute of leaping between instruments and docs, you’ll be able to arrange sources, deploy apps, troubleshoot points, and find out about Azure—all with out leaving VS Code. Simply ask for assist with duties like configuring a Kubernetes cluster, discovering a selected service, or resolving widespread errors, and Copilot will information you. It’s designed to maintain you coding, velocity up deployments, and scale back the time you spend on setup and fixes.

Our free sources and technical steering present complete help at each stage of your growth journey, from AI readiness to sandbox credit for experimentation. Plus, you’ll achieve entry to our industry-leading AI merchandise and instruments with credit for Copilot.

Develop your attain and drive progress to the following degree

Many ISVs are embracing AI to open up new avenues for progress. By constructing and promoting AI options, software program corporations can attain extra prospects, increase into new markets, and scale their companies.

The Microsoft AI Cloud Associate Program offers you the instruments to create and market revolutionary Microsoft Cloud and AI options. With choices for companions throughout enterprise fashions and progress phases, we meet you the place you might be and supply the sources you want to drive profitability and innovation. Relying in your wants and objectives, discover the next pathways that can assist you construct, promote, and develop your software program options.

• ISV Success: ISV Success helps you rework your growth expertise, construct and publish to the Microsoft industrial market quicker, and speed up gross sales with Market Rewards. Be part of ISV Success totally free and get entry to unique advantages, together with AI sources, a cloud sandbox, industry-leading developer instruments, and technical consultations. As you promote by {the marketplace}, you’ll earn Market Rewards that assist you to convert prospects and shut extra offers—the extra you carry out, the extra you earn.

Producing AI success with key investments

Plus, ISV Success now contains new AI investments spanning hands-on technical enablement, credit for AI growth instruments, and expanded advantages for ISVs with AI initiatives.
Our highest performing ISVs may also qualify for monetary incentives to construct and deploy AI-powered apps or migrate finish prospects to apps primarily based in Azure.   

• Microsoft industrial market: We’ve made key investments to assist be certain that the Microsoft industrial market continues to be essentially the most partner-focused enterprise platform, designed that can assist you attain extra prospects, simplify gross sales, and develop what you are promoting. This contains diminished company charges for renewals, expanded multiparty non-public gives in key markets, and new methods to monetize skilled providers by non-public gives. Moreover, the Azure Sponsorship profit that’s accessible by Market Rewards is increasing for channel companions.
• Licensed software program designations: Now you can set your organization aside and enhance buyer attain with Options Associate designations. To qualify, you’ll want to fulfill efficiency, coaching, and buyer success standards—and prospects should clearly determine that your options have the dependable capabilities they want. This distinction helps validate the standard, reliability, and relevance of your software program answer. It additionally drives a constructive buyer expertise by delivering on the worth prospects count on from options constructed on the Microsoft Cloud. Once you attain a licensed software program designation in your answer, you’ll achieve entry to go-to-market, gross sales, and advertising advantages designed to propel your progress and gasoline better demand in your options.

Securing the long run

Within the period of AI, Microsoft is taking a daring step ahead to assist make sure the safety and belief of our prospects, companions, and the worldwide group. As we attempt to go to market with a unified AI technique, we acknowledge the significance of safety in defending our digital future.

For Microsoft, safety isn’t just a precedence; it’s a basic dedication. We’re devoted to offering revolutionary options that assist safeguard our prospects and companions from rising threats. This unwavering dedication to safety is mirrored in our cybersecurity funding of $20 billion over the following 5 years. We’re devoted to addressing the ever-evolving threats confronted by organizations worldwide.

On the forefront of the digital safety panorama, we’re main the cost in serving to to guard our prospects and companions in an more and more advanced digital atmosphere. Our complete safety options are designed to construct belief and resilience, guaranteeing that our prospects can navigate the digital age with confidence.

Make amends for all of the bulletins from Microsoft Ignite

In the event you missed 2024’s Microsoft Ignite, we encourage you to watch all of the classes on demand. Throughout these classes, discover the alternatives AI offers for progress and differentiation within the market. Additionally, compensate for all of the information for companions on this recap weblog. 

Let’s construct the long run collectively and faucet into the total potential of AI to remodel the software program {industry}. Be part of us in our mission to empower each particular person and group on the planet.

¹https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/investor/occasions/fy-2024/earnings-fy-2024-q2

²IDC Infographic, sponsored by Microsoft, The Enterprise Alternative of AI, IDC #US51315823, November 2023. **Generative Synthetic Intelligence: A New Chapter for Enterprise Enterprise Purposes, IDC Perspective #US50471523, March 2023.