Nearly 60 per cent of Microsoft's UK commercial business now in the cloud - partner boss

UK CEO Cindy Rose and EMEA president Michel van der Bel also address Brexit chaos at partner event in London

Nearly 60 per cent of Microsoft's UK commercial business is now in the cloud, according to partner boss Joe Macri.

He was speaking at the vendor's Partner Executive Summit held in London today, as Microsoft continues to nudge partners towards cloud-first business models.

Opening the event, Macri said that over half of Microsoft's UK partners have now made cloud solutions the primary focus of their businesses.

"It is an ecosystem that is transforming," he said.

"We are going through huge change, and when we look at our certifications, well over 55 per cent of our partners are now leading with cloud-based solutions.

"This transformation has resulted in a very healthy business for Microsoft in the UK.

"How do we help our customers, moving away from a transactional engagement to delivering customer lifetime value? That is at the core of what we do."

Initiatives to get more people into the tech industry have been key to driving this transformation for Microsoft, Macri said.

He claimed that Microsoft, in conjunction with partners, is making good on its pledge to boost the number of young people working in technology.

He said that 7,500 apprentices have graduated from a Microsoft scheme launched two years ago.

Cloud swipes and Brexit chaos

Microsoft's EMEA president Michel van der Bel joined the firm's UK CEO Cindy Rose on stage, claiming that the main differentiator the Washington-based vendor has over its cloud competitors is its trustworthiness.

He accused other providers of having ulterior motives for wanting customers to choose their cloud offerings.

"Trust is not just about trusting people, but about ‘what does this company do with my data?'," he said.

"We have some competitors that have, let's say, a business model that is based on ‘I want to have as much of your data [as possible] so I can sell back to you through advertising'.

"We are not in that position. Our customers' data is their data and theirs alone. We have no interest in their data whatsoever and we are clear about that."

Van der Bel also updated partners on Microsoft's cloud footprint, saying the vendor recently announced new datacentre regions in Norway, Switzerland, South Africa and the UAE.

"If you go back to how Bill started the company, his vision was a PC on every desk in every home. That worked and now we have built 50 datacentre regions around the world," he said.

"We are continuing to build our data footprint and now we are pretty much building the computer of the world. With that, customers are now betting on us and how they move their data to the cloud."

It would have been difficult for Microsoft execs to go the duration of the event without mentioning Brexit - or "the B word", as it was often described - but van der Bel moved to reassure partners that the vendor's UK commitment remains unwavering.

"We have been active and committed to the UK market for more than 40 years and we will remain committed," he proclaimed. "There is no ambiguity."

Pace of AI

Microsoft's UK CEO Cindy Rose used her time on stage to continue Microsoft's artificial intelligence (AI) drive, claiming the technology's impact will be stronger than innovations of the past.

"I really believe that AI will be far more game-changing than any other technology advance we have seen before," she said.

"It might have taken us four decades to put PCs on every desk, but I think the pace of AI is faster than anything we have ever seen, and the impact is more profound.

"AI has been around for a number of decades and yet we are seeing across literally all industries a sudden increase in demand for AI solutions."