To say the past few years have been unpredictable would be an understatement! We’ve experienced unprecedented disruptions to our society — a pandemic, political landscape, uncertain global and economic environment, fast-evolving technology, and the way we work.

These factors are prompting organizations of all sizes and industries to look for ways to do more with less. This was our theme earlier this month at Microsoft Ignite, one of our annual flagship events where IT decision makers, IT implementers, developers , data professionals, and security professionals learn about the latest in cloud technology, connect with cloud experts, and hear from their peers.

It was amazing to be in person – for the first time in three years – to engage and connect with customers, partners, and our Microsoft Azure team. At the event, we announced more than 100 new Microsoft Cloud and Microsoft Azure product developments across infrastructure, data and AI, and digital and application innovation.

On the heels of Ignite, the 2022 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Cloud Infrastructure and Platform Services (CIPS) report has published. We are pleased to share that for the ninth consecutive year, Microsoft was named a Leader, and for the first time, placed furthest on Completeness of Vision axis.

We’re honored by this placement but know there is more to do, particularly as our customers navigate ongoing uncertainties. They continue to prioritize their cloud investments to build resiliency and differentiate their business.

With this post, I want to focus specifically on how organizations can do more with less through Microsoft Azure by migrating, optimizing, and reinvesting.

Build agility, optimize your business, and create data-driven experiences with Microsoft Azure

I’m always so encouraged to see companies across industries embrace technology as the path towards business resilience. In the past, pressure for cost savings was often at odds with the pressure to grow. Things have changed. Today, it’s more common for companies to view cloud technologies as a remedy to this, empowering them to respond quickly, maximize their investments, and save.

That requires a comprehensive cloud platform with a broad ecosystem and a trusted technology partner, like Microsoft. We have the expertise, capabilities, and the platform to free up our customers’ time so they can focus on their core business and what they do best — creating, innovating, and differentiating their companies.

UBS plans to have more than 50% of its apps running on Microsoft Azure, to provide innovative products and services to clients, further empower employees, and advance sustainability goals.

Organizations of all sizes and industries, such as the NBA, Ernst and Young Global Limited (EY), and pharmaceutical company Sanofi are achieving results by turning to Microsoft Cloud and Microsoft Azure. Our capabilities span infrastructure, digital application innovation, data and AI, security, business applications and modern work to help organizations meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world and thrive in today’s environment.

At Ignite, I had the honor of speaking on this topic alongside Erin Chapple, Corporate Vice President, Azure Core Product and Design at Microsoft, and Rohan Kumar, CVP, Azure Data Engineering at Microsoft.

To learn more:

• View our Ignite session on building agility and optimizing investments
• Read my blog post about how Microsoft Azure helps drive agility and optimization

Deliver efficiency with automation and AI across your business

The innovation landscape is changing, and we have seen so many companies take advantage of what Cloud can do for them — greater cost efficiency, reduce complexity and purpose-built solutions meeting their most urgent needs. And that’s because these companies know innovation will be their best guide on the path forward. We call this quality, this unwavering belief in the value of innovation, digital perseverance. It’s about leaning into changes in technology, especially when budgets are tight. And AI is a huge accelerant here. The benefits of AI go beyond just being more productive. It’s also about job satisfaction and morale, too.

H&R Block, Beiersdorf, and Progressive Insurance use Azure AI to remove friction in business-critical processes to help end-users and employees focus their time and energy on valuable work.

But that doesn’t mean organizations need to spend years re-architecting their data platforms. Organizations across industries and geographies are using AI and automation for small things that free up big chunks of time, and big ideas that need help to get off the ground.

To learn more:

• View the Automation and AI Ignite session with Jessica Hawk, Corporate Vice President, Data, AI and MR at Microsoft, and John Montgomery, Corporate Vice President Program Management, Azure AI at Microsoft
• Read Jessica’s blog post about how to drive efficiency through automation and AI with the Microsoft Cloud

Accelerate innovation with the world’s most complete cloud developer platform

Developers are essential to the world we live in, and the work they do is critical to the success of organizations in every industry. The Microsoft Cloud is a trusted, comprehensive platform that enables developers to build incredible solutions. At the core of the Microsoft Cloud is Azure, a cloud computing platform and the underlying infrastructure that enables developers to build anything they can dream up.

Forza utilized autoscaling Azure Kubernetes Service during the launch of Forza Horizon 5 to meet the challenging performance demand of 10-million concurrent players at launch—the biggest first week in Xbox Game Studios history.

To learn more:

• View the Accelerate Innovation Ignite session, featuring Charles Lamanna, Corporate Vice President, Business Applications & Platform at Microsoft, and Donovan Brown Partner Program Manager at Microsoft.
• Read the blog post about this topic by Ashmi Chokshi, General Manager, Azure Digital and Application Innovation at Microsoft
• Check out Charles’ blog post about how to leverage low-code to do more with less.

We’re committed to helping our customers do more with less

Events like Microsoft Ignite are moments in time that demonstrate our commitment to being the world’s computer and trusted cloud partner for organizations of all sizes, in every industry — no matter where they are in their cloud journey. With the most advanced cloud technology, leading automation and AI tools, and the most complete developer platform, Microsoft Azure is home to some of the most agile and resilient organizations, poised to survive, and even thrive in the uncertainty of today and into the future.

I’m excited to share more soon about how we’re helping companies “do more with less” on Azure.