Content+Cloud completes Advania rebrand

The Microsoft partner is focused on helping medium-sized businesses thrive in an AI-enabled economy

Microsoft partner, Content+Cloud, has rebranded as Advania in the UK.

Advania's journey in the UK began almost two years ago with the acquisition of Content+Cloud, a provider of managed and professional services to organisations in the SMB, enterprise and mid-size markets.

The London-based Microsoft partner, which billed itself as a cloud services and digital transformation provider, generated revenues of £84.5m for its year ending 31 March 2021 and ranked #50 in CRN's Top VARs.

The deal created a combined group with more than £800m in turnover.

In the time since, Advania's business has been helping clients accelerate their adoption of AI and automation.

Advania has been named a preferred partner - one of only 20 in the UK - in the Microsoft Content AI Partner Programme.

The firm has now 1,000 employees focused on helping the UK's medium-sized enterprises to thrive in the AI-enabled economy, a goal endorsed by Microsoft last month.

Enhancing business with AI

A recent survey, conducted by YouGov for Microsoft, revealed over half of UK business leaders are concerned by their employees' lack of AI skills.

Microsoft's recent expansion of its global skilling programme, Get On, showcases a desire to make the UK front and centre in the AI revolution.

There is a total of 5.5 million small and mid-market organisations, defined by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) as employing fewer than 249 employees, making up over 99 per cent of all UK businesses.

The needs of this ‘silent majority' of businesses and the skill gaps they suffer have been largely ignored by IT service providers, who are more focused on larger enterprises, said Advania.

Orla McGrath, global partner solutions lead at Microsoft UK, commented: "We've worked for many years with Content+Cloud to deliver solutions for modern businesses, recognising its expertise and customer focus with our highest accolades.

"We've also welcomed its support on initiatives to grow digital skills, equity, diversity and inclusion.

"The change to the Advania name in the UK tells us that this is a partner looking to build further on its trusted capabilities with a focus on the group's long-standing goal: to help people create sustainable value.

"As Microsoft seeks to power the AI economy, we will need partners who have the long-term vision to help organisations embrace the opportunities our technologies offer."

Geoff Kneen, CEO of Advania, also explained that the speed at which AI is already influencing our daily lives is exhilarating, but that for many organisations, even those that have navigated the digital transformation of their workplace, the arrival of this tech revolution may feel like too much, too soon, leaving them feeling unprepared.

"Conversely, for those eager to grasp the opportunities, there may not be the skills or the understanding to realise them.

"Advania is positioned as one of the leaders across Northern Europe in helping organisations grasp the opportunities that innovations like AI can bring to business."