At Microsoft Ignite in November 2024, we introduced choices and sources to empower software program corporations within the panorama of AI-powered experiences.
In in the present day’s quickly evolving digital panorama, software program corporations are on the forefront of innovation. These organizations are uniquely positioned to reap the benefits of 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 corporations by accelerating cloud migration, app modernization, and analytics, whereas making developer instruments extra accessible. To harness the ability of AI, software program growth is vital.
With 53,000 prospects presently utilizing Azure AI providers, it’s clear {that a} rising variety of corporations are investing in AI instruments for impartial software program distributors (ISVs)—they usually’re reaping the advantages.1 On common, organizations see a 350% return on each greenback invested in AI inside 14 months.2
In case you’re trying to remodel your online business, Microsoft is dedicated to serving to you obtain your AI ambitions. At Microsoft Ignite in November 2024, we introduced product improvements, a collection of recent choices, and streamlined sources to empower software program corporations to distinguish, innovate, and develop within the ever-evolving panorama of AI-powered experiences.
ISV innovation with AI
Software program corporations play a main function as a result of they create the instruments and platforms that make AI accessible and sensible for numerous industries. These corporations develop the foundational fashions and algorithms into their choices that drive AI functions, enabling differentiated modern options throughout totally different sectors.
By advancing AI capabilities, software program corporations can push the boundaries of what’s attainable, fostering an surroundings of steady enchancment and discovery.
With the precise AI instruments for ISVs, it’s attainable to develop clever functions that anticipate consumer wants whereas enhancing knowledge privateness and safety. Along with elevating buyer experiences, many software program corporations are tapping into AI to streamline growth and go to market sooner.

Buyer traits driving AI transformation
We’ve recognized 4 key buyer traits which can be driving AI transformation and presenting vital alternatives for software program corporations. In response to our prospects, AI makes it simpler for his or her organizations to:
- Increase buyer engagement. Organizations are enhancing buyer engagement by means of AI-powered self-service capabilities. This permits corporations to ship partaking, personalised interactions and create extra significant connections with their prospects.
- Elevate worker experiences. Groups are utilizing AI instruments to automate repetitive duties and achieve helpful AI-driven insights. This empowers staff to give attention to higher-value actions, enhancing their general work expertise.
- Reinvent enterprise processes. AI is reshaping enterprise processes by means of course of automation and provide chain optimization. This permits organizations to streamline operations, cut back prices, enhance effectivity, and drive enterprise development.
- Speed up innovation. Organizations throughout all industries are tapping into AI to innovate sooner and achieve a aggressive edge. Analysis and growth, product, and engineering groups are benefiting from deep AI-driven insights and self-learning instruments to spice up productiveness, streamline processes, and make extra knowledgeable choices.
These traits symbolize the subsequent leap in computing and expertise, 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 Cloth 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 routinely observe numerous points of fine-tuning jobs, examine mannequin variations, and consider generative AI-powered apps.

We additionally introduced curated sources 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 a part of our AI Envisioning workshops to get a framework for growing generative AI options. All of that is underpinned by Azure Necessities, a set of sources 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.
Remodel your growth expertise and ship sooner
Some of the vital benefits of AI is that it helps streamline and pace up growth. At Microsoft, we’re all the time searching for methods to enhance the developer expertise, together with giving your software program groups AI tooling at their fingertips to allow them to transfer sooner. Complete platforms like Azure AI Foundry and GitHub Copilot permit builders to innovate quickly, cut back time spent on repetitive duties, and unencumber sources to give attention to what really issues—constructing nice software program. These instruments ship personalised technical steering, making certain your builders have the assist they should succeed.
Azure AI Foundry SDK, now in preview, offers a unified and complete device chain for constructing, testing, deploying, and managing AI functions and utility programming interfaces (APIs) with enterprise-grade management and customization. That includes a library of fashions and instruments, this resolution affords 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 growth by bringing all the things you want proper into your editor. As a substitute of leaping between instruments and docs, you possibly can arrange sources, deploy apps, troubleshoot points, and find out about Azure—all with out leaving VS Code. Simply ask for assist with duties like configuring a Kubernetes cluster, discovering a particular service, or resolving widespread errors, and Copilot will information you. It’s designed to maintain you coding, pace up deployments, and cut back the time you spend on setup and fixes.
Our free sources and technical steering present complete assist at each stage of your growth 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 subsequent degree
Many ISVs are embracing AI to open up new avenues for development. By constructing and promoting AI options, software program corporations can attain extra prospects, broaden into new markets, and scale their companies.
The Microsoft AI Cloud Companion Program provides you the instruments to create and market modern Microsoft Cloud and AI options. With choices for companions throughout enterprise fashions and development phases, we meet you the place you might be and supply the sources you could drive profitability and innovation. Relying in your wants and targets, discover the next pathways that can assist you construct, promote, and develop your software program options.
- ISV Success: ISV Success helps you remodel your growth expertise, construct and publish to the Microsoft industrial market sooner, and speed up gross sales with Market Rewards. Be part of ISV Success without spending a dime and get entry to unique advantages, together with AI sources, a cloud sandbox, industry-leading developer instruments, and technical consultations. As you promote by means of {the marketplace}, you’ll earn Market Rewards that allow you to 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 growth instruments, and expanded advantages for ISVs with AI initiatives.
Our highest performing ISVs may qualify for monetary incentives to construct and deploy AI-powered apps or migrate finish prospects to apps based mostly in Azure.
- Microsoft industrial market: We’ve made key investments to assist be sure that the Microsoft industrial market continues to be essentially the most partner-focused enterprise platform, designed that can assist you attain extra prospects, simplify gross sales, and develop your online business. This consists of lowered company charges for renewals, expanded multiparty non-public affords in key markets, and new methods to monetize skilled providers by means of non-public affords. Moreover, the Azure Sponsorship profit that’s obtainable by means of Market Rewards is increasing for channel companions.
- Licensed software program designations: Now you can set your organization aside and enhance buyer attain with Options Companion designations. To qualify, you’ll want to fulfill efficiency, coaching, and buyer success standards—and prospects should clearly determine 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. Once you attain a licensed software program designation on your resolution, you’ll achieve entry to go-to-market, gross sales, and advertising and marketing advantages designed to propel your development and gasoline larger demand on your options.
Securing the long run
Within the period of AI, Microsoft is taking a daring step ahead to assist make sure the safety and belief of our prospects, companions, and the worldwide neighborhood. 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 is not only a precedence; it’s a basic dedication. We’re devoted to offering modern 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 subsequent 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 surroundings. Our complete safety options are designed to construct belief and resilience, making certain that our prospects can navigate the digital age with confidence.
Compensate for all of the bulletins from Microsoft Ignite
In case you missed 2024’s Microsoft Ignite, we encourage you to watch all of the periods on demand. Throughout these periods, discover the alternatives AI offers for development and differentiation within the market. Additionally, atone for all of the information for companions on this recap weblog.
Let’s construct the long run collectively and faucet into the complete potential of AI to remodel the software program {industry}. Be part of us in our mission to empower each particular person and group on the planet.
1https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/investor/occasions/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 Purposes, IDC Perspective #US50471523, March 2023.
