In Microsoft’s recent annual report for the financial year, it is noticeable that “mobile first” dominance has been replaced by an increased focus on artificial intelligence.
Although a nuance, perhaps; it certainly reflects how quickly AI as a tech trend has captured users’ imaginations and is central to many developments within personal and business IT solutions.
Microsoft’s vision statement reads: “Our strategy is to build best-in-class platforms and productivity services for an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge infused with artificial intelligence (“AI”).”
This priority for artificial intelligence alongside cloud is what will bring Microsoft its innovative edge, mobile is now part and parcel of our lives and is a given to how we access information.
Microsoft is in good company with this AI priority, having set up an AI and Research Group last year. The shift across tech companies is this “democratisation” of AI, i.e. making this benefit open to everyone, so infusing the functionality across existing solutions but also allowing this to create new ones in order to meet personal and business needs.
An example of this that we have discussed before is the emergence of Cortana Intelligence functionality into business apps such as Microsoft Dynamics NAV and Dynamics 365, no longer separate and more than just a competition to Siri as a personal assistant.
Talking of virtual assistants, this machine learning technology has infused into the world of customer service, we recently discussed the proliferation of ChatBots, and how over 90,000 developers are currently working within Google, Microsoft and Amazon alone on this area.
Predictive analytics and machine learning is also transforming field service management, by providing pre-emptive fixes via remote monitoring, hooking up your business systems, your products out in the field and your engineers.
Artificial intelligence technology has scratched the surface of what’s possible, but it is interesting to see how rapid it has come into the main stream and is so accessible to us in our business and personal lives.
If you would like to speak to our Microsoft Dynamics NAV and Microsoft Dynamics 365 specialists to learn how artificial intelligence is already improving the way business procure, manufacture, market, sell, distribute and service; please contact Prodware.
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