Unveiling the way forward for AI innovation for ISVs

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

In immediately’s quickly evolving digital panorama, software program firms are on the forefront of innovation. These organizations are uniquely positioned to benefit from AI-powered options to drive development, improve buyer experiences, and keep forward of the competitors.

AI is opening the door to helpful alternatives for software program firms by accelerating cloud migration, app modernization, and analytics, whereas making developer instruments extra accessible. To harness the facility of AI, software program improvement is vital.

With 53,000 prospects presently utilizing Azure AI providers, it’s clear {that a} rising variety of firms 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

Should you’re trying to remodel your enterprise, Microsoft is dedicated to serving to you obtain your AI ambitions. At Microsoft Ignite in November 2024, we introduced product improvements, a set of recent choices, and streamlined assets to empower software program firms to distinguish, innovate, and develop within the ever-evolving panorama of AI-powered experiences.

ISV innovation with AI

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

By advancing AI capabilities, software program firms can push the boundaries of what’s potential, fostering an setting of steady enchancment and discovery. 

With the fitting AI instruments for ISVs, it’s potential to develop clever functions that anticipate person wants whereas enhancing information privateness and safety. Along with elevating buyer experiences, many software program firms are tapping into AI to streamline improvement 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 firms. In response to our prospects, AI makes it simpler for his or her organizations to:

1. Enhance buyer engagement. Organizations are enhancing buyer engagement via AI-powered self-service capabilities. This enables firms to ship participating, personalised interactions and create extra significant connections with their prospects.
2. Elevate worker experiences. Groups are utilizing AI instruments to automate repetitive duties and achieve helpful AI-driven insights. This empowers staff to concentrate on higher-value actions, enhancing their total work expertise.
3. Reinvent enterprise processes. AI is reshaping enterprise processes via course of automation and provide chain optimization. This enables organizations to streamline operations, cut back prices, enhance effectivity, and drive enterprise development.
4. Speed up innovation. Organizations throughout all industries are tapping into AI to innovate quicker and achieve a aggressive edge. Analysis and improvement, 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 characterize the following leap in computing and know-how, 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 periods for AI for ISVs, we launched updates to Azure Machine Studying, Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service, and Microsoft Fabric 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 robotically observe numerous features of fine-tuning jobs, evaluate mannequin variations, and consider generative AI-powered apps. 

We additionally introduced curated assets and AI readiness applications, together with our new Microsoft ISV AI Envisioning workshops. These free occasions are designed that can assist you maintain your expertise 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 part of our AI Envisioning workshops to get a framework for growing generative AI options. All of that is underpinned by Azure Necessities, a group of assets that features foundational steering, greatest practices, and devoted coaching that can assist you elevate safety, reliability, and ongoing efficiency on your cloud and AI workloads.

Rework your improvement expertise and ship quicker

One of the crucial important benefits of AI is that it helps streamline and velocity up improvement. At Microsoft, we’re at all times in search of 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 enable builders to innovate quickly, cut back time spent on repetitive duties, and liberate assets to concentrate on what really issues—constructing nice software program. These instruments ship personalised technical steering, guaranteeing your builders have the assist they should succeed.

Azure AI Foundry SDK, now in preview, gives a unified and complete device 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 resolution presents 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 improvement by bringing every little thing you want proper into your editor. As a substitute of leaping between instruments and docs, you possibly can arrange assets, deploy apps, troubleshoot points, and study Azure—all with out leaving VS Code. Simply ask for assist with duties like configuring a Kubernetes cluster, discovering a selected service, or resolving frequent errors, and Copilot will information you. It’s designed to maintain you coding, velocity up deployments, and cut back the time you spend on setup and fixes.

Our free assets and technical steering present complete assist at each stage of your improvement 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 development to the following degree

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

The Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program provides you the instruments to create and market progressive Microsoft Cloud and AI options. With choices for companions throughout enterprise fashions and development levels, we meet you the place you might be and supply the assets it is advisable 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 remodel your improvement expertise, construct and publish to the Microsoft industrial market quicker, and speed up gross sales with Marketplace Rewards. Be a part of ISV Success at no cost and get entry to unique advantages, together with AI assets, a cloud sandbox, industry-leading developer instruments, and technical consultations. As you promote via {the marketplace}, you’ll earn Market Rewards that enable you 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 consists of new AI investments spanning hands-on technical enablement, credit for AI improvement instruments, and expanded advantages for ISVs with AI tasks.
Our highest performing ISVs also can 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 make sure that the Microsoft commercial marketplace continues to be essentially the most partner-focused enterprise platform, designed that can assist you attain extra prospects, simplify gross sales, and develop your enterprise. This consists of lowered company charges for renewals, expanded multiparty personal presents in key markets, and new methods to monetize skilled providers via personal presents. Moreover, the Azure Sponsorship profit that’s out there via Market Rewards is increasing for channel companions.
• Licensed software program designations: Now you can set your organization aside and enhance buyer attain with Solutions Partner designations. To qualify, you’ll want to fulfill efficiency, coaching, and buyer success standards—and prospects should clearly establish that your options have the dependable capabilities they want. This distinction helps validate the standard, reliability, and relevance of your software program resolution. It additionally drives a constructive buyer expertise by delivering on the worth prospects anticipate from options constructed on the Microsoft Cloud. If you attain an authorized software program designation on your resolution, you’ll achieve entry to go-to-market, gross sales, and advertising advantages designed to propel your development and gasoline better demand on your options.

Securing the longer term

Within the period of AI, Microsoft is taking a daring step ahead to assist ensure the security and trust 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 elementary dedication. We’re devoted to offering progressive 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 complicated digital setting. 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

Should you missed 2024’s Microsoft Ignite, we encourage you to watch all the sessions on demand. Throughout these periods, discover the alternatives AI gives for development and differentiation within the market. Additionally, compensate for all of the news for partners in this recap blog. 

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

¹https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/investor/events/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 Functions, IDC Perspective #US50471523, March 2023.