ISSUE 32: SPRING 2024 £24.00 PLUS: Brendan Mislin outlines how businesses can organise industrial data with Avanade tools Miryana Tashkova from Tiger Surveillance reveals the secrets to a successful partnership AI tools are helping organisational security responses, says Check Point’s Mark Eastman Simon Crownshaw explains how the media industry is investing in innovation Dominik Wee discusses the role of AI in manufacturing and mobility IT network Securing the hybrid enterprise Modern enterprises turn to zero-trust philosophies to protect their networks
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7 WELCOME: SPRING 2024 Building solid foundations for growth ANDY CLAYTON-SMITH: EXECUTIVE EDITOR While this issue of Technology Record makes its way to readers, Microsoft’s first generative artificial intelligence security solution will become available worldwide. Microsoft Copilot for Security includes a host of new capabilities that users of all abilities can leverage to ensure security for all. In our cover story, starting on page 46, we look more closely at the subject of security – and specifically the adoption of zero-trust philosophies – with real-world examples of how Microsoft technology is helping enterprise organisations in all sectors protect themselves from ever-evolving threats. Technology Record will be a media sponsor at Hannover Messe 2024, Europe’s largest manufacturing industry event, with some 130,000 attendees hearing from almost 2,000 speakers and 4,000 exhibitors about the latest in industrial transformation. Microsoft will be one of those exhibitors and in this issue we talk with corporate vice president of manufacturing and mobility Dominik Wee about the themes that will be promoted at this year’s event, the partners who are helping enrich the work that Microsoft does in manufacturing and the ways in which AI is set to revolutionise the sector over the coming years. That interview begins on page 38. Industry analyst IDC suggests that organisations adopting AI are set to make an average $3.5 return on every $1 invested. In the media industry, Bloomberg estimates that embracing AI tools could transform a $40 billion market in 2022 into one worth approximately $1.3 trillion by 2032. As we find out from Microsoft’s Simon Crownshaw in our media feature starting on page 120, Microsoft is in the vanguard of this phenomenal expansion. I hope you enjoy the read.
9 IT network CONTENTS 46 SECURING THE HYBRID ENTERPRISE Modern enterprises turn to zero-trust philosophies to protect their networks ISSUE 32: SPRING 2024 16 MARKETWATCH The latest news from Microsoft and its partners, including Microsoft’s $8.8 billion investment in Europe’s AI infrastructure 38 You can’t spell acceleration without AI Dominik Wee discusses the transformative role of AI in the manufacturing and mobility industries 54 S ecude’s Mario Galatovic explains why protecting sensitive data against leaks and growing cyberattacks should be a priority for businesses 56 Joseph Carson shares how Delinea is helping organisations adopt privileged access management and enable a dynamic security landscape 58 It’s time to level up our approach to cybersecurity, says Secured2’s Daren Klum 60 Alois Reitbauer of Dynatrace explains how organisations can capitalise on the rise of AI 62 Taiwanese tech firm KKCompany has deployed a Check Point solution to protect its code and intellectual property
Learn more at: synergy-technical.com/copilot The new Copilot for Microsoft 365 experience works alongside you, embedded in the apps you use everyday. It combines the power of language model with your business data and context – including all your Microsoft 365 apps, documents, and conversations. Synergy Technical is offering a Copilot for Microsoft 365 Readiness Assessment to help your organization get ready to roll out this revolutionary technology. Plan your rollout Assess Copilot readiness & ensure compliance • Enhance your information governance • Boost cybersecurity & authorize identity roles & access requirements • Develop a holistic, personalized roadmap for Copilot for Microsoft 365 in your organization Our Copilot for Microsoft 365 Readiness Assessment includes: You’re ready for Microsoft 365 Copilot, but is your data?
11 63 Metafile Information System’s Andy Birkey reveals how automating the accounts payable process helps firms to enhance their security 65 Orange Cybersecurity’s Anna Barkvall explains how a holistic view of risk management can help to keep enterprises secure 66 AI tools enhance security administration, according to Check Point’s Mark Eastman, as well as incident mitigation and response 67 Maruthi Rao Gadde explains how Infosys is working with Microsoft to deliver innovative security solutions 68 Preservica is working with Microsoft to improve data governance. Mike Quinn shares how the firm is helping organisations gain the advantage 70 AVIXA’s Sean Wargo shares how AI can help overcome meeting overload and better connect remote employees 72 N igel Dunn on the future of work and how Jabra technology is helping the rise of the ‘office everywhere’ 74 J ohnson Controls is transforming how buildings operate, making them healthier, safer and more sustainable. Rody Senner explains 78 E mbracing generative AI-powered tools boosts employee productivity and innovation, says Accenture’s Matthew Edgerton 80 How can AI improve decision-making? Patrick Johnson and Jason Burnes from LBMC Technology Solutions explain 81 C opilot is changing the way we work, according to Rohana Meade from Synergy Technical 82 T iger Surveillance’s Miryana Taskova reveals the secrets of successful partnerships CONTENTS FEATURED PARTNERS 1 49 A selection of Microsoft partners operating across all business sectors 1 56 THE LAST WORD ARC Advisory Group’s Larry O’Brien shares his thoughts on sustainability, AI and more
12 CONTENTS FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRIALS & MANUFACTURING 106 Digital transformation in manufacturing boosts efficiency and innovation, says Cyril Perducat at Rockwell Automation 108 Microsoft’s Rochelle Fleming explains how manufacturers are using AI tools, IoT devices and cloud solutions to improve operations 110 Companies can harness industrial data safely with Skkynet’s tunnel/mirroring software built for Microsoft Azure, Xavier Mesrobian tells us 111 Japanese auto parts manufacturer Denso has completed a proof of concept with Avanade to verify the potential of an ‘in-house ChatGPT’ 112 A VEVA’s Rob McGreevy explains how smart factories have the advantage 114 R ohit Verma at Infosys discusses the power of the industrial metaverse for sustainable manufacturing 116 Joe Bohman, Robert Jones and George Rendell explain how Siemens and Microsoft technologies are unlocking manufacturing wins 118 S ue Quense reveals how AVEVA is optimising energy with Microsoft-powered tools for data insight 92 Manufacturing’s green vision Parag Ladha tells us how Microsoft is redefining how manufacturers can automate operations in more sustainable and profitable ways 102 Avanade’s Brendan Mislin explains how manufacturers can find their North Star with generative AI and analytics tools 86 Banking on sustainability Claudia Hauser explains how technology by Microsoft and its partners is enabling a more responsible financial services industry 90 AI and cloud technology is helping finance firms to meet regulatory requirements and personalise customer services, says Microsoft’s Ryan Blakely
13 RETAIL & CG 142 Commerce in the cloud Data and AI tools in the cloud are helping retailers to transform conventional shopping experiences, says Microsoft’s Mike Edmonds 148 Scott Peterson from Avalara on how businesses can manage compliance more effectively PUBLIC SECTOR 135 Rosen Dimitrov from Tiger Health Technology explains how the cloud is helping the healthcare industry to understand vast amounts of data 137 US mental health services provider uses Microsoft Azure and Check Point Infinity XDR/XPR to detect and protect against security threats 138 Cloud technologies are enhancing education by improving security, personalising learning and improving efficiencies, says Microsoft’s Brooke Daniel 140 Aalborg in Denmark upgrades security with Check Point Harmony Email & Collaboration, reducing IT support requests and enhancing user awareness 128 Transforming health and social delivery Microsoft’s Brett Lightfoot, Kenya McKenzie-Jones and Andy Pitman explain how the cloud and AI can help social and care organisations to work more productively MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS 120 Race for the future Simon Crownshaw on how Microsoft is staying ahead of the media industry competition with AI and the cloud 125 James Spencer discusses Jabra’s new products and updates, and how they are supporting a streamlined, modern workplace 126 Adrienne Knick explains how AVIXA’s new certification is bridging the AV and IT skills gap
ISSUE 32: SPRING 2024 Executive editor Andy Clayton-Smith Head of editorial Rebecca Gibson Editorial lead Alice Chambers Digital content lead Amber Hickman Editorial team Richard Humphreys, Laura Hyde, Alex Smith Production manager Stuart Fairbrother Design Bruce Graham, Libby Sidebotham, Dhanika Vansia Website development Chris Jackson Publication manager Ricky Popat Partner managers Tim Grayson, Martin Hall, 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 Publisher Toby Ingleton Photography courtesy of contributors and www.istockphoto.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. © 2024 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: PUBLISHED IN COLLABORATION WITH Microsoft is the world leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realise their full potential. ANALYSTS AND INDUSTRY ORGANISATIONS
15 SPONSORS PUBLISHING PARTNERS AVEVA creates industrial software that inspires people to shape the future, by delivering solutions across the asset and operations life cycles. AVIXA is the international trade association for the audiovisual industry, producer of InfoComm trade shows around the world, and co-owner of Integrated Systems Europe. For the last three decades, Check Point Software Technologies has set the standard for cybersecurity, protecting organisations from the most imminent cyber threats. Dynatrace’s observability and application security enables businesses to modernise and automate cloud operations, deliver software faster and more securely, and ensure flawless digital experience. Infosys is a global leader in nextgeneration digital services and consulting, enabling clients to navigate their digital journeys. Johnson Controls is a global leader in smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, and reimagines building performance to serve people, places and the planet. Kyndryl and Microsoft are delivering solutions that enable modern work experiences and support mission-critical workloads and hybrid cloud adoption. Siemens is a leading technology company focused on industry, infrastructure, transport and healthcare. It empowers its customers to transform their markets by combining the real and digital worlds. Accenture is a leading global professional services and technology company that helps the world’s leading businesses, governments and organisations transform and accelerate their enterprise. Avanade is a global digital services provider in the Microsoft ecosystem. It helps firms to digitise what they make and revolutionise how they make them. Tiger Technology is a file data services company that helps organisations with mission-critical deployments optimise their on-premises infrastructure through hybrid cloud workflows.
Microsoft is investing a total of $8.8 billion in artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure across Spain, Germany and the UK. In Spain, $2.1 billion will be spent over the next two years to open a Data Center Cloud Region in Madrid and a Data Center Campus in Aragon. The centres will provide Microsoft cloud services and enable Spanish and European organisations to access Microsoft’s AI solutions. “Our investment is beyond just building data centres, it’s a testament to our 37-year commitment to Spain, its security, development and digital transformation of its government, businesses and people,” said Brad Smith, vice chair and president of Microsoft. The investment is expected to contribute to the creation of 69,000 jobs in the country between 20262030, according to analyst IDC. Another €3.2 billion ($3.5 billion) will be used to expand Microsoft’s cloud and AI infrastructure in Frankfurt and the North RhineWestphalia region in Germany. “We want to enable the German economy to benefit from AI in order to continue to expand its global leadership position in competitiveness,” said Smith. “We see increasing demand for AI applications in key economic sectors such as manufacturing, automotive, Microsoft invests $8.8 billion in Europe’s AI New data centres planned for Spain, Germany and the UK to improve access to Microsoft’s AI and cloud solutions MARKETWATCH 16 Brad Smith and Olaf Scholz, chancellor of Germany, agreed the details of Microsoft’s largest investment in its 40-year history in Germany Photo: Microsoft
17 financial services, pharmaceuticals, life sciences and medical technology. Because these industries are fundamentally changing due to economic change, it is important to equip companies in Germany with worldleading technology.” Microsoft also aims to teach digital skills to more than 1.2 million people in Germany by the end of 2025. Microsoft also recently pledged to spend £2.5 billion ($3.2 billion) to more than double its data centre footprint in the UK and train over one million people skills needed to build and work with AI. Microsoft plans to expand its data centre footprint across sites in London and Cardiff, and is considering an expansion into northern England. Through this, it aims to help the UK create more than 20,000 AI-related jobs. “Microsoft’s historic investment is further evidence of the leading role we continue to play in expanding the frontiers of AI to harness its economic and scientific benefits,” said UK prime minister Rishi Sunak. Each of these partnerships will extend the use of AI in public administration, promote the use of responsible AI, and reinforce national cybersecurity and sustainability strategies. Microsoft president Brad Smith and Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sánchez Photo: Microsoft
MARKETWATCH 14 years ago, in February 2010, Microsoft launched Azure. 69% of IT leaders saw, or expect to see, their cybersecurity budget increase by between 10 to 100 per cent in 2024, according to Infosecurity Europe. $5.6 billion is being invested by Microsoft in artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure across Spain and Germany. 70% of Microsoft Copilot users said that, after just three months, they were more productive, according to Microsoft. NEWS IN NUMBERS Crestron debuts AI-powered cameras for hybrid meetings Crestron has developed the 1 Beyond PTZ camera line to help organisations enhance their hybrid meeting experiences with automated cameras for larger meeting spaces. The line includes four new cameras that are equipped with optical zoom, two of which are built with visual artificial intelligence framing and tracking capabilities. They aim to capture and frame in-room participants clearly from wherever they are seated. Each of the cameras are designed for flexibility, to be used as part of a room solution or standalone, and are in certification for Microsoft Teams. Photo: Crestron Jabra launches Jabra+ for Admins Jabra has launched Jabra+ for Admins, a cloud-based device management platform built on Microsoft Azure that allows administrators to remotely monitor meeting rooms and devices, receive real-time status updates, control settings and manage updates on devices in one place. “In the hybrid workplace where managing meeting rooms and multiple devices is increasingly complex, we understand the importance of simplicity and efficiency,” said Holger Reisinger, senior vice president of enterprise solutions at Jabra. “This is why we created Jabra+ for Admins; a streamlined, secure platform that is easy to use.” Jabra+ for Admins is currently available through an early adopter programme, with personal device management coming later this year. Find out more about Jabra’s solutions on page 72 20
21 The Cacao Conecta project, led by Microsoft, the US Agency for International Development, the Ideas for Peace Foundation and the National Chocolates Company, has helped Colombian cocoa producers increase productivity by an average of 15 per cent since 2021. Microsoft worked with local partner Anditel to install 26 connectivity points across rural Colombian regions. The project has also improved education opportunities in the region by providing children with access to virtual classrooms and online programmes. Microsoft is helping organisations progress their sustainability goals with the launch of its latest data and artificial intelligence solutions in Microsoft Fabric and Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability. At Microsoft’s ‘This is AI… for Sustainability’ digital event, Satish Thomas, corporate vice president of Microsoft Industry Clouds, explained how these new capabilities are “powerful solutions for all analytics needs”. The new sustainability capabilities in Microsoft Fabric, a software-as-a-service platform that consolidates enterprise data, aim to help organisations “accelerate their time to insights and sustainability progress by providing out-of-the-box ESG [environmental, social and governance] data model, connectors and reporting,” said Thomas. Microsoft also made Copilot and intelligent insights available in preview within Microsoft Sustainability Manager, a solution in Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability that enables organisations to efficiently record, report and reduce emissions and water or waste impact. Copilot uses generative AI and natural language queries to deliver fast insights from environmental data and draft sustainability reports, while the intelligent insights provide deeper analysis of calculated emissions data to show where more complete data is needed and identify short- and long-term reduction opportunities. The AI-powered tools in Microsoft Sustainability Manager also allow firms to conduct what-if analysis to compare different business scenarios and understand their sustainability impact. Thomas says these new solutions “will help move organisations from pledges to progress.” Microsoft reveals new sustainability solutions for ‘all analytics needs’ Productivity increases by 15 per cent for Colombian cocoa producers Photo: Cacao Conecta Cocoa producers Elio Antonio Anaya Causil and John Jairo Rivas Quiroz
22 MARKETWATCH IT consulting firm Infosys has developed a new solution to help prepare a client’s environment for Copilot adoption. Infosys Microsoft 365 Copilot ReadyAssist offers insights and recommendations to ensure a smooth transition. It includes a tenant evaluator, user readiness analyser, information risk assessment, persona identifier and comprehensive reporting. The solution has been built to enhance productivity, save IT workload, accelerate adoption and offer customisable rules and data-driven insights. Infosys also has a Microsoft Practice Copilot Adoption and Rollout offering to address the challenges of copilot adoption. It includes human centred design, content personalisation and adoption cycles, which are tailored to the needs and preferences of different user groups and personas. Infosys also offers flexible engagement models for one-time implementation or continuous adoption and provides dedicated or shared services for smooth integration of copilot into the customer’s ecosystem. Infosys develops Microsoft Copilot solution Carbon fibre manufacturer Teijin Carbon America has worked alongside LBMC Technology Solutions to develop and deploy a custom product forecasting application to replace spreadsheet-based forecasting. The new app, built using Microsoft Power Apps, allows users to view product availability and sales order data to create more accurate forecasts, based on data in an enterprise resource planning system. The forecasts are vital to ensure Teijin Carbon America is able to sustain a ready supply of carbon fibre to its customers. Teijin Carbon America improves forecasting with new app SOLUTION SPOTLIGHT A study has found businesses employing Avalara’s cloud-based tax compliance automation solution can achieve a threeyear 153 per cent return on investment with a payback period of less than six months. Avalara commissioned Forrester Consulting to conduct an independent study of the total economic impact of Avalara. The research included an in-depth look at both quantifiable and subjective benefits reported by organisations when leveraging Avalara for sales tax calculations, tax returns, exemption certificate management and more. Forrester Consulting’s research discovered a composite organisation, based on six businesses with experience using Avalara, achieved a three-year 153 per cent return on investment after employing Avalara’s solution. Research finds 153 per cent ROI achievable with Avalara Microsoft and Oracle expand partnership Microsoft and Oracle have expanded their partnership to meet growing customer demand for Oracle Database@Azure, Oracle’s solution for consolidating data between platforms. It is now available in the Germany West Central region in Frankfurt, marking its debut in Europe. Microsoft and Oracle have also added five additional regions to the availability roadmap for 2024, bringing the total to 15. Photo: Dan DeLong Satya Nadella, chairman and CEO of Microsoft, and Larry Ellison, chairman of the board and chief technology officer of Oracle
23 Top trends for 2024 A consortium of healthcare leaders has created the Trustworthy & Responsible AI Network, which aims to operationalise responsible artificial intelligence principles to improve the quality, safety and trustworthiness of AI in health. Members of the network – including Microsoft as technology enabling partner – will share best practices, enable registration of AI used for clinical care and operations, provide tools to enable measurement of outcomes associated with the implementation of AI, and facilitate the development of a federated national AI outcomes registry. “When it comes to AI’s tremendous capabilities, there is no doubt the technology has the potential to transform healthcare” said David Rhew, global chief medical officer and vice president of healthcare at Microsoft. “However, the processes for implementing the technology responsibly are just as vital.” New healthcare network aims for safe and fair AI Research firm Gartner has released a new report identifying top trends that will impact technology providers in 2024. Efficient growth for high tech Tech providers will need to focus on efficient growth rather than ‘growth at all costs’ to strengthen current margins and future revenue opportunities. Sustainable business grows up Organisations must embrace double materiality and leverage emerging technologies to meet sustainability objectives. AI safety Building solutions which pre-empt regulatory and compliance changes and incorporate safety principles, with a focus on transparency, traceability, and interpretability, will be critical to staying competitive. Personalised marketplace experiences Analysts predict 80 per cent of sale interactions between suppliers and buyers will occur in digital channels by 2025, meaning organisations will need to offer their services on digital marketplaces to target customers. Industry cloud delivers growth By 2027, 50 per cent of tech providers will use industry cloud platforms to deliver business outcomes that will drive provider growth. Gartner says the implications of these and other trends identified in the report will require organisations to strike a balance between short-term opportunity and longterm advantage. Download Gartner’s 2024 Tech Provider Top Trends report at: bit.ly/4alvDLU New principles for Microsoft AI solutions Microsoft has released a new set of principles to keep users safe and informed about artificial intelligence adoption and cybersecurity threats in its latest Cyber Signals report. Microsoft has put in place a number of principles to protect users adopting its AI solutions, including notifying other AI service providers when it identifies a cybercriminal using their AI solutions, collaborating with stakeholders, and being fully transparent with its findings and actions. Read the full Cyber Signals report at: bit.ly/4cnPnQR
24 MARKETWATCH Check Point enhances partner programme to boost cybersecurity skills Check Point Software Technologies has announced a new partner programme to strengthen its partner's cybersecurity capabilities and fuel growth. The firm has introduced a tier progression system, a new pricing model, free certifications to meet partner-level compliance and additional partner training. The programme is aligned with Check Point’s platform, focusing on its end-to-end artificial intelligence-powered, cloud-delivered security. Partners can cross-sell and up-sell advanced security solutions from Check Point’s portfolio, covering a broad spectrum of attack surfaces, addressing needs in secure access service edge, email security, cloud environment, mobile security and more. The latest edition of Delinea’s annual ransomware study has found: 53% of organisations were a victim of ransomware in 2023 (compared to 25 per cent in 2022). 64% of attacks had data exfiltration as their goal (compared to 46 per cent in 2022). 76% of organisations paid a ransom in 2023 (compared to 68 per cent in 2022). 44% and 39% of attacks targeted the cloud and compromised applications, respectively. Download the report at: delinea.com/resources/ ransomware-2024research-report Executive order a ‘critical step’ in data security, says Secude A new US executive order aimed at preventing “countries of concern” from accessing Americans’ bulk sensitive personal data is a “critical step” in securing sensitive personal data, according to security software provider Secude. Secude CEO Mario Galatovic says protecting and encrypting sensitive data at the file level is the only way to achieve complete security. “Our solution plugs in at the application level to protect SAP and CAD data wherever it travels, providing encryption, authorisation, access control and reporting,” he says. “Our customers have the comfort of knowing that a breach of their network yields adversaries nothing but unusable data. One of our customers said it best: ‘There is no true protection for CAD and SAP data without Secude’.” Photo: unsplash/ David Everett Strickler Ransomware attacks doubled in 2023, according to Delinea
25 Security solution provider Secured2 has unveiled ParticleMesh, a quantum-secure mesh internet solution that originated as a high-security technology for the US Department of Defense to protect highly sensitive military communications. It has since evolved into an internet solution that meets the need for a zero-trust framework across the public internet in response to the growing complexity of cyber threats. Traditional encryption methods such as AES, RSA and Lattice are becoming increasingly vulnerable to quantum computing and artificial intelligence advancements. To combat this, ParticleMesh features quantum-secure encryption to help data stay secure in transit. ParticleMesh utilises advanced physical data protection methods to align with the security requirements of the Department of Defense that ensure the integrity and confidentiality of information. The solution is also scalable and capable of supporting millions of nodes worldwide. It is also compatible with existing and emerging transmission technologies, including fibre optic, wireless and satellite communications, making it versatile for a range of needs. Secured2 unveils a new quantum-secure internet Teleport is helping security leaders to quickly implement policy across fragmented infrastructure and respond to incidents with Teleport Policy. The platform surfaces complete information on access relationships across access silos. With actionable insights, users can harden their security by removing standing or stale privileges, instantly view who has access to an infrastructure resource, and intervene in a breach before a threat actor can laterally move elsewhere. Teleport Policy delivers real-time security insights
26 TomTom develops AI-powered voice assistant Location technology provider TomTom is partnering with Microsoft to introduce an artificial intelligence-powered voice assistant for drivers. The solution is based on the Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service and is built into TomTom’s Digital Cockpit platform for vehicles. Users will be able to interact with the solution by voice and access entertainment, location search and vehicle command systems. Cerence to create ChatGPT-powered in-car experience Cerence, a provider of artificial intelligencepowered automobile solutions, has partnered with Microsoft to integrate OpenAI’s ChatGPT technology with its technology portfolio. The solution will allow users to access ChatGPT through Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service in vehicles using the in-car platform Cerence Assistant. Sony Honda Mobility to ‘redefine’ the driving experience Sony Honda Mobility (SHM), a Japanese joint venture automotive company established by Sony Group and Honda Motor in 2022 to produce battery electric vehicles, is collaborating with Microsoft to create an artificial intelligence-powered agent for its new electric car Afeela-EV, which will debut in 2025. According to Sony Honda Mobility, the company aims to “redefine” the relationship between people and mobility by creating an “emotional experience” for drivers and passengers. It hopes to achieve this by developing a conversational personal agent, which will be powered by Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service. MARKETWATCH
27 New cloud and AI-powered platform to empower healthcare stakeholders Tiger Health Technology has developed Health Bridge, a nondisruptive, vendor-neutral software for intelligent data lifecycle management of unstructured medical data. The solution is designed to combat high costs, workflow interruptions and compliance complexities. With a hybrid cloud approach, the solution aims to substantially reduce storage costs while ensuring off-site data protection and durability. At the same time it allows access to powerful cloudbased, artificial intelligence-powered image analytics and machine learning to help healthcare stakeholders derive actionable insights, optimise clinical workflows and ultimately improve patient outcomes in an increasingly data-driven healthcare landscape. Synergy Technical prepares firms for AI Cloud solutions provider Synergy Technical has developed a readiness assessment to empower businesses to embrace Microsoft 365 Copilot, while ensuring security and compliance measures. This comprehensive assessment is open to all Microsoft customers and encompasses Synergy Technical’s security analysis and validation of an organisation’s preparedness for Copilot adoption. The assessment offers invaluable insights on compliance and information governance, and tailored recommendations for the successful deployment of Microsoft 365, such as through personalisation and end-user training. DID YOU KNOW? 70% of workers would delegate as much work as possible to artificial intelligence in order to lessen their workloads, according to Microsoft’s 2023 Work Trend Index.
28 MARKETWATCH Photo: Unsplash/ChrisKaridis Rockwell Automation and Microsoft join forces for industrial automation Rockwell Automation and Microsoft are combining solutions to accelerate industrial automation design and development. Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service has been added to Rockwell’s FactoryTalk Design Studio to help engineers generate code using natural language prompts. Engineers can also automate routine tasks, improve design efficiency and find relevant help from already catalogued information. The companies plan to integrate their respective internet-of-things capabilities, cloud datasets, simulations and AI tools to solve other industry challenges, including quality management, failure mode analysis and frontline training. They will also explore ways to advance innovation in the industrial metaverse. Preservica releases Preserve365 on Microsoft Azure Marketplace Preservica’s embedded archiving and digital preservation solution, Preserve365, is now generally available on Microsoft Azure Marketplace. The solution helps organisations to simplify compliance by embedding tools for archiving, digital preservation and record retrieval within Microsoft 365 and SharePoint. “With Preserve365 we have reimagined information archiving by enabling Microsoft customers to maximise investments in Microsoft 365 and Microsoft SharePoint permissions, labels, automation and discovery tools and at the same time minimise compliance risk by ensuring critical records can always be instantly read and actioned over decades,” said Mike Quinn, CEO at Preservica. New venture to help French public sector organisations adopt Microsoft Azure Bleu, a joint venture from Capgemini and Orange formed in a strategic partnership with Microsoft, is now engaging with select French private and public organisations in preparation for its first ‘cloud de confiance’ services to go live at the end of 2024. “We are extremely proud to partner with Bleu to bring Microsoft 365 productivity solutions and Microsoft Azure services to their forthcoming ‘cloud de confiance’ platform,” said Judson Althoff, executive vice president and chief commercial officer at Microsoft. Capgemini and Orange formed Bleu with the aim of helping French public sector organisations to meet their specific cloud goals by enabling them to use Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Azure services. Bleu will work with clients to carry out pilot tests to ensure they are successfully onboarded to the platform before it is launched.
29 Microsoft partners with Mistral AI to ‘unlock commercial opportunities’ Microsoft and the French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI have begun a multiyear partnership to “unlock new commercial opportunities, expand to global markets and foster ongoing research collaboration”. The partnership is focused on three core areas and will “build trustworthy and safe AI systems and products,” says Eric Bord, corporate vice president of the Azure AI Platform at Microsoft. Microsoft will support Mistral AI with Azure AI supercomputing infrastructure to train its large language models (LLM). Mistral AI’s LLMs will be available on Microsoft Azure, marking Mistral AI as the second company to host its LLM on the platform after OpenAI. Mistral Large, the firm’s new AI model, is available via Azure AI Studio and Azure Machine Learning. Plus, the firm’s new multilingual conversational chatbot, Le Chat, will be made available to Microsoft customers. Microsoft and Mistral AI will also explore collaboration around training purposespecific models for select customers. Photo: Bloomberg/Gabby Jones Avanade builds world’s first ecological digital twin Anglian Water, the largest water company in England, has worked with Avanade and Microsoft to develop an ecological digital twin of the River Stiffkey, a chalk stream in Norfolk, UK. The digital twin will turbo-charge the sector’s response to river water quality to meet the evolving needs of customers, wider society and the environment. The solution, which is based on the Microsoft Azure digital platform, is the first digital twin of an ecosystem. Anglian Water hopes that by developing digital twins of river environments it can understand, take action and better protect river health. Photo: Stavros1/M Hobbs Vodafone and Microsoft have signed a 10-year strategic partnership to bring generative artificial intelligence, digital services and the cloud to more than 300 million businesses, public sector organisations, and consumers across Europe and Africa. DID YOU KNOW? A new solution combining NVIDIA’s generative artificial intelligence and Omniverse technologies with the capabilities of Microsoft Azure services has been released alongside others. The NVIDIA graphics processing units are trained on Azure AI infrastructure and are designed to handle the latest large language models. Microsoft will bring the NVIDIA Grace Blackwell 200-based instances to Azure to support its customers and AI services. Microsoft has also made the Azure NC H100 v5 VM series generally available. New Microsoft and NVIDIA solutions to boost AI innovation Photo: NVIDIA
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31 Microsoft is empowering its partners to innovate, build and differentiate with artificial intelligence. “AI is a defining technology of our time,” said Nicole Dezen, chief partner officer and corporate vice president of global parter solutions at Microsoft, in the 2024 ‘State of the Partner Ecosystem’. “Over the past year we’ve begun to see how it can unlock profound possibilities for individuals, organisations and society – and it’s clear that we have only scratched the surface. “For Microsoft and our partners across industries, AI offers a generational moment to reimagine the capabilities that software and services can provide. Our goal at Microsoft is to innovate and democratise our breakthroughs in AI, and the opportunity for partners is far greater than the sum of AI technologies themselves.” Dezen revealed some of the new updates to the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program that will help partners further utilise AI. These updates include the expansion of AI skilling and events, new benefits packages with product enhancements such as Microsoft 365 developer, and new designations for partners to establish certified AI solutions and find new ways to differentiate themselves. Dezen also shared that there has been a nearly 250 per cent increase in the number of generative AI-related partners in the last eight months, as well as some of the partners that have been making advances in AI development. Find out more at: bit.ly/3IT6Pz6 Microsoft showcases AI-powered telco at MWC 2024 The Microsoft team focused on ‘telco transformation in the era of artificial intelligence’ at Mobile World Congress 2024, which took place in February 2024. They explored four key areas including elevating customer experiences, streamlining business operations, modernising the network and monetising 5G and beyond. “The mobile industry is undergoing a massive transformation as it prepares for the next generation of connectivity, services and experiences,” said Rick Lievano, chief technology officer of worldwide telecommunications industry at Microsoft, in a LinkedIn blog post. “AI is at the heart of this change, enabling telcos to optimise their networks, create new revenue streams and enhance customer experience.” Microsoft partners adopt AI to enhance customer value MARKETWATCH: UPDATES FROM THE MICROSOFT TEAM
32 MARKETWATCH: EVENT PREVIEWS DATES FOR YOUR DIARY NAB Show 13-17 April 2024 Las Vegas, Nevada www.nabshow.com/2024 Hannover Messe 22-26 April 2024 Hanover, Germany www.hannovermesse.de/en DynamicsCon Live 13-16 May 2024 Denver, Colorado www.live.dynamicscon.com Generative AI Summit 20-22 May 2024 London, UK www.aidataanalytics.network/eventsgenerativeaisummit IoT Solutions World Congress 21-23 May 2024 Barcelona, Spain www.iotsworldcongress.com ITS World Congress 16-20 September 2024 Dubai, United Arab Emirates www.itsworldcongress.com InfoComm 2024, the audiovisual trade show from AVIXA, is taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada, on 8-14 June 2024. On the trade show floor, attendees will discover solutions from a range of brands that focus on audio, content production and streaming, conferencing and collaboration, digital signage, enterprise IT and entertainment. Exhibitors include DTEN, EPOS, Jabra, Lenovo and Shure. There will also be an education programme featuring 13 training courses and 18 technical workshops. Participants will be able to learn about audovisual-over-internetprotocol foundations, Unreal Engine workflows, business and project management and more. “In a continuously evolving industry in a forever-evolving world, it’s critical for industry professionals to keep learning and challenging the status quo to bring forth solutions that make a difference,” said David Labuskes, CEO of AVIXA. Registration is now open. Find out more at: www.infocommshow.org 8-14 June 2024 | Las Vegas, Nevada InfoComm 2024: sharing innovation in the AV industry Photos: AVIXA/Infocomm
33 The 2024 NAB Show will bring together thousands of professionals from the broadcast, media and entertainment industries. The event will focus on trends such as artificial intelligence, streaming universes, virtual production, live events and the creator economy, as well as their impact in every area of the media sector, from creation to distribution, management and monetisation. Microsoft will be exhibiting at the event and Andy Beach, chief technology officer, will deliver a keynote on how AI is reshaping reality TV and documentaries. Several Microsoft partners will also be at the event, including Adobe, Ateme, EZDRM, MediaKind, Shure, SwXtch.io and Telstra. Attendees will have the opportunity to take part in various activities at NAB Show, including the Creator Lab, where they will have access to interactive experiences, expert panels, workshops and networking events that will focus on creators, equipment, distribution channels and monetisation techniques. The sessions will also explore the role of AI in the production workflow, the importance of video in corporate messaging, and building a flexible infrastructure to power the creative-first economy. In addition, there will be a range of conferences and workshops, including the Devoncroft Executive Summit, Post|Production World, Streaming Summit, TVNewsCheck’s Programming Everywhere and Core Education Collection. 13-17 April 2024 | Las Vegas, Nevada NAB Show 2024: bringing content to life Photos: NAB Show
34 MARKETWATCH: EVENT PREVIEW More than 4,000 companies from across the engineering, energy and digital sectors will come together to learn about the latest industrial technology at Hannover Messe 2024. The theme for this year’s event is ‘Energising a Sustainable Industry’, and a range of sessions will cover how firms can efficiently use automation, artificial intelligence and renewable energies to become more competitive while protecting the climate. Technology experts will host talks in dedicated exhibition areas, including the ‘Future Hub’, ‘Engineered Parts & Solutions’, ‘Automation, Motion & Drives’, ‘Energy Solutions’ and ‘Digital Ecosystems’. Other sessions at Hannover Messe will address the shortage of skilled workers in the manufacturing industry through its ‘Your Future’ young talent initiative where graduates can meet with potential employers and learn about trainee programmes. 22-26 April 2024 | Hanover, Germany Hannover Messe 2024: energising a sustainable industry Avanade – Booth location to be announced Avanade will be showcasing a new Microsoft solution that creates near real-time intelligence from diverse factory and enterprise systems. It uses standardised graph-of-graphs models to supercharge the ask-an-expert capabilities of Microsoft Copilot to help users reduce wasted time, money and resources, thereby boosting productivity and sustainability. Avanade will also share how firms can digitise what they make and reinvent how they make it. Its end-to-end manufacturing and supplier value chain demonstration will look at the benefits of machine vision and generative AI for employees in key business functions. This includes product designers, master resource planners, plant managers, logistics experts, retailers and the end-consumer. Microsoft will be exhibiting at the event in hall 17, stand G06, alongside some of its partners including Avanade, AVEVA, Rockwell Automation and Siemens. Here’s what attendees can expect from their stands. Which Microsoft partners will be at Hannover Messe 2024? Read more at: www.technologyrecord.com/hmi-2024 The Avanade team at Hannover Messe 2023 Photo: LinkedIn/Avanade
35 Rockwell Automation – Hall 17, stand G06 Rockwell Automation’s partnership with Microsoft is a shared vision of building and delivering solutions that enable intelligent factories by simplifying how manufacturers design, operate and maintain their enterprises and empower their people. At Hannover Messe 2024, it will showcase how integrated digital twins and generative AI expedite time to market as organisations and systems scale. Attendees will see how the company uses streamlined internet of thing solutions to help Global 200 customers reduce waste in their operations to achieve sustainability goals and enhance brand reputation, and how its advanced robotics and artificial intelligence-enabled technologies help manufacturers to anticipate issues proactively and create secure, safe and sustainable factories. Siemens – Hall 9, stand D53 Siemens plans to focus on the integration of Microsoft Azure OpenAI and copilot technologies to drive customer success at Hannover Messe 2024. It will host demonstrations at its exhibition stand that showcase the Siemens Teams/Teamcenter product, Industrial Copilot, Industrial Information Hub, AI integration for NX, NX Teams integration and PlantSim. AVEVA – Hall 11, stand C52 and Hall 17, stand G06 On the Microsoft stand at Hannover Messe 2024, AVEVA will showcase the AVEVA Industrial Metaverse, Industrial Cloud Platform Connect, AVEVA Data Hub, Industrial AI Assistant, and AVEVA Extended Reality (XR). These solutions elevate manufacturing organisations’ competitiveness and sustainability. The Industrial Cloud Platform Connect and AVEVA Data Hub integrate operational technology and engineering technology data, enabling AI-driven innovation. The Vision AI Assistant streamlines workflows, from identifying issues to maintenance planning. The AVEVA Industrial Metaverse and AVEVA XR promote collaborative operations via a living digital twin. Together, these offerings enhance operational intelligence, efficiency and collaboration, propelling manufacturers toward a smarter, sustainable future. Siemens Industrial Copilot AVEVA Data Hub Photo: Rockwell Automation Image: Siemens
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