Microsoft’s annual partner conference, rebranded as Microsoft Inspire, kicked off in Washington, to celebrate its partner ecosystem.
Addressing partners from 140 countries, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella proclaimed that, “We have an unprecedented opportunity.”
In the speech, he touched all leading technologies and expressed Microsoft’s take on new generation technologies.
He said Artificial intelligence (AI) is getting built into every experience, and we need to take data and compute to where it’s generated. Whether in an autonomous car, on a factory floor, or in a hospital, every one of these experience is going to be powered by AI.
Satya Nadella also noted that Microsoft’s mission and commitment to partners is steadfast, technology and technology paradigms come and go. One such evolution is the move from a mobile-first, cloud-first world, to one that is rooted in the intelligent edge and intelligent cloud.
He said this shift will bring about more digital technology in more mainstream ways into every life and every organization.
At Inspire, Widows & Devices Group W&DG introduced Windows integration into Microsoft 365, virtualization opportunities for Windows 10 E3 and E5 customers, a Surface partnership with IBM, and expanded Mixed Reality Partner Program.
Additionally, the IT major introduced two Microsoft 365 solutions – Microsoft 365 Enterprise and Microsoft 365 Business.
Microsoft 365 Enterprise includes Office 365 Enterprise, Windows 10 Enterprise, and Enterprise Mobility + Security. It is offered in two plans – Microsoft 365 E3 and Microsoft 365 E5.
Both plans provide customers with a complete set of productivity and security capabilities, while Microsoft 365 E5 provides the latest and most advanced innovations in security, compliance, analytics, and collaboration.
At the same time, Microsoft 365 Business is designed for small-to-medium sized businesses (SMB). It includes Office 365 Business Premium, security and management features for Office apps and Windows 10 devices, upgrade rights to Windows 10, and a centralized IT console. It will be available in public preview starting August 2.
Also at the event, Hewlett Packard Enterprise announced it has formed a go-to-market alliance with Microsoft through Cloud28+, an open community dedicated to increasing enterprise cloud adoption.
Microsoft joined Cloud28+, an initiative led and sponsored by HPE, as a premier Microsoft Azure Stack technology partner.
By becoming a Cloud28+ member, Microsoft will combine forces with HPE to provide partners with new business opportunities and tools, while accelerating customer business outcomes powered by a rich hybrid IT ecosystem.
To meet the company’s goal of a $20 billion cloud run rate by 2018, Microsoft also announced with launch hardware partners, Dell EMC, HPE and Lenovo, that Microsoft Azure Stack is now available to order. Azure Stack is an extension of Azure that brings the agility and fast-paced innovation of cloud computing to on-premises environments and enables entirely new hybrid cloud scenarios.
