32 More than 500,000 companies are part of the global Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program (MAICPP) community, which is dedicated to enabling digital transformation for customers across all industries with cloud and artificial intelligence-powered solutions. Nicole Dezen, chief partner officer and corporate vice president of global partner solutions at Microsoft, is leading this initiative with a strong emphasis on the benefits of generative AI tools like Microsoft Copilot on cloud adoption and for partner ecosystems. You became chief partner officer in 2022. How have your first couple of years been and what are the highlights of your work so far? The past couple of years have been incredibly rewarding and transformative. Working closely with our diverse and dynamic partner ecosystem, we’ve achieved some remarkable milestones. One of the highlights has been the evolution of MAICPP. Just as AI is infused throughout Microsoft’s product portfolio, it’s wired throughout the partner programme. This enables our partners to meet customer needs, no matter where they are on their AI transformation journey. MAICPP is the umbrella programme for everything partners need to go to market with Microsoft, including skills, tools, benefits, designations, specialisations and incentives. We continually introduce new AI capabilities and tools that empower our partners to drive innovation, enhance productivity and create new business opportunities. Additionally, substantial investments in incentives and support – particularly in areas like security, Microsoft Azure and Copilot – enable partners to earn the trust and confidence of customers in this rapidly changing technology landscape. We view partners as an extension of our sales force. We continue to introduce new ways for partners to gain access to the latest tools and guidance from Microsoft, as well as opportunities for them to engage with Microsoft customers, leaders and other partners. In July 2024, we hosted the Microsoft Customer and Partner Solutions (MCAPS) Start for Partners event to enable our BY ANDY CLAYTON-SMITH Nicole Dezen highlights how Microsoft and its partner ecosystem is transforming businesses with AI-powered solutions to enhance productivity, customer engagement and industry-specific operations EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW Partnering progress for
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