Inspire 2023: Microsoft positions AI as a core partner opportunity

Inspire 2023 is here, and Microsoft is using the partner-focused event to place significant emphasis on AI. Chief Partner Officer Nicole Dezen shared the announcement that the company's core partner program is being transitioned from the Microsoft Cloud Partner Program to the new Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program, and the company is progressing on its new ISV program.

“Customers’ cloud adoption needs are rapidly evolving. AI is here now, and our partners are already driving innovation and transformation with customers across industries to help them realize the benefits of integrating AI capabilities into every level of their organizations,” Dezen stated. Through the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program, we’re providing partners with a comprehensive portfolio of investments for all partner business models, at every stage of maturity, from startups to independent software vendors (ISV), services to device partners."

Close to 10,000 customers have adopted Azure OpenAI Service, Microsoft stated this week, making it the fastest growing Azure service in the history of the Azure cloud.  Currently, 9,100 partners are using Azure AI and 2,300 are using Azure OpenAI Service. 

Microsoft is basing its cloud initiatives on data that indicates nine out of ten business leaders believe that AI will give their organization a competitive edge and 70 percent of surveyed companies that hope to use AI to reduce workloads.