FACT CHECKED
Companies that want to fuel business growth should consider Microsoft digital transformation solutions.
Some of the world’s biggest brands, from Starbucks to Maersk, are leveraging Microsoft products to help transform their businesses.
For instance:
- Starbucks – The well-known coffee company uses dozens of Microsoft services, including Azure and IoT, to enhance the customer experience, sequence orders, and decrease wait times.
- Maersk – This logistics company ships more than 17 million containers per year. Maersk uses Azure IoT services for smart supply chain management, which improves efficiency and decision-making on the company’s fleet of more than 1,000 ships.
- UBS – UBS is the world’s largest asset management company. They used Microsoft to migrate to the cloud, and Microsoft Azure continues to power their risk management platform.
These are just a few examples of many enterprises that use Microsoft to power their digital transformation efforts.
Below, we’ll look at:
- Microsoft digital transformation solutions
- Use cases
- Digital adoption tips for Azure
Let’s start by looking at how the software giant’s products are used to help businesses grow.
How to Fuel Growth with Microsoft Digital Transformation Solutions
There are a few main products that Microsoft offers enterprise clients who are aiming for digital transformation.
Make no mistake, though – these products are extraordinarily robust and complex.
Azure: Microsoft’s One-Stop Shop for Digital Transformation
Azure is Microsoft’s cloud computing solution, which offers literally hundreds of different services.
It is the first stop for any business aiming at digital adoption and digital transformation.
Solutions include:
- AI and machine learning
- DevOps
- Cybersecurity
- Internet of Things
- Mobile
- Mixed Reality
To name just a few.
This vast array of solutions can help organizations with an equally vast range of digital transformation solutions.
Examples of Digital Transformation
The Azure model goes far beyond the one-size-fits-all product approach. Instead, businesses can use Azure’s product range to design customized solutions.
Examples include:
- Cloud migration – That is, transitioning from physical data centers to pay-as-you-go cloud computing
- Implementation of data and analytics solutions – These can include any variety of analytics, from marketing analytics to business intelligence
- Customer experience management, analysis, and enhancement – Combining Azure solutions can be used to optimize or transform specific business functions such as customer care
- IT modernization – Given the breadth and depth of Azure solutions, businesses can modernize nearly any aspect of their IT department
In short, the only limits are the limits of your own innovation.
Azure Pricing
Also, in terms of pricing, Azure is extremely competitive:
- You only pay for what you use
- It is 5 times cheaper than Amazon Web Services
- Cancel any time
Microsoft’s website also offers an array of cost calculation tools, to help clients compare and calculate pricing for themselves.
Support and Consulting
Azure also offers a variety of support tiers, ranging from under $1,000 per month to well over $10,000.
More sophisticated, in-depth Azure support options are available for US government agencies, partners, and other specific client categories.
For even more support with Azure digital transformation, businesses can opt for:
- Azure consulting companies
- Training in Azure for their IT department
- Digital adoption platforms
Solutions such as these can help companies with assessment, analysis, training, onboarding, and other digital transformation tasks.
Let’s look at a few ways that companies can get better results with Azure.
Tips for Adopting Microsoft’s Digital Products
The solutions above can be very straightforward, delegated entirely to one’s own IT department.
However, businesses who are engaged in complex, sophisticated digital transformation efforts will need more support.
In such cases, digital adoption will be part of a coordinated change management effort on the part of the client business.
In large-scale transformations, successful digital adoption requires:
- Full partnership with Microsoft and complete internal alignment. Digital transformation is no small undertaking. Every client enterprise must be willing to step up and fully commit to their partnership with Microsoft. At the same time, they must ensure that the entire organization is aligned with the new efforts.
- Total commitment to change, change management, and digital transformation. Alignment is the first step towards successful change. However, full commitment requires systematic, managed change.
- Investments in digital adoption initiatives, including deployment, training, and ongoing analysis. Investments must be made in terms of time, personnel, and budget.
As with any other digital transformation effort, organizational change is a must, meaning that:
- A strong change vision and story are needed to succeed
- Organizations must invest in and develop sophisticated change initiatives
- Obtain organizational buy-in at the top and the bottom
- Monitor, evaluate, and adjust their change management efforts as needed
Finally, successful training and onboarding are must-haves – through, for instance, digital adoption platforms (DAPs).
Digital transformation requires strong leadership, effective management, and continuous effort.
However, with the right approach, adopting Microsoft’s digital transformation products can help companies generate significant, powerful results.
