A global survey conducted recently by Microsoft amongst 3,000 managers, executives and scholars confirmed how 57% of companies are piloting or deploying AI, 59% have an AI strategy and 70% already understand how AI can generate business value.
Despite these trends, only 1 in every 10 companies is generating significant financial benefits with AI because getting the basics right — like having the right data, technology, and talent, organized around a corporate strategy — is far from efficient.
In fact, only 20% of companies achieve significant financial benefits with these fundamentals alone. It is only when organizations add the ability to learn with AI that significant benefits become likely. In fact, with organizational learning, the odds of an organization reporting significant financial benefits increase to 73%.
In line with this finding, Microsoft has launched what is being considered as the next generation partner program – the new AI Cloud Partner Program to empower Microsoft’s partners to deliver stronger customer value by assisting them in leveraging Microsoft AI and the Microsoft Cloud.
“Microsoft’s new AI Cloud Partner Program not only enables partners to monetize their intellectual property, services, and value-add services in the AI space but more importantly, it enables partners to embrace AI as an opportunity to create value for their customers and their own companies,” says Simonetta Mercieca, newly appointed Channel Sales Manager at Microsoft Malta.
“Whilst this shows that most companies are developing AI capabilities, many have yet to gain significant financial benefits from their efforts. However, our customers are eager to experience the benefits of AI, in fact, 9 out of 10 leaders believe AI will give their organization a competitive edge. And employees are ready to embrace AI, with 70% saying they would delegate as much work as possible to AI to lessen their workloads,” added Simonetta.
“This is why, moving forward, Microsoft’s capabilities in AI and the Cloud will be integrated and inseparable, bringing an enriched AI services portfolio that empowers partners and customers to innovate on the most interconnected technology ecosystem.”
The Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program brings together everything across the entire partner lifecycle, including onboarding, skilling, go-to-market, incentives, and co-selling. Partners get all the value and benefits of the previous program, plus access to new offerings and benefits specific to AI.
“There is no action for partners to take to move to the new program for Microsoft has already moved all its existing partners into the new program effective immediately whilst still maintaining their existing benefits and designations,” concluded Simonetta Mercieca.
