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Microsoft Nods at AI with 2023 Partner of the Year Awards

The latest batch of Microsoft "Partner of the Year" winners includes gestures that underscore the company's embrace of AI technologies.

Microsoft announced its 2023 Partner of the Year award winners on Tuesday, about three weeks ahead of its annual partner conference, Inspire, which is set to kick off on July 18.

"The stories recognized with these awards are a showcase of your success in creating innovative solutions for our customers on the Microsoft Cloud," said Microsoft Chief Partner Officer Nicole Dezen in a blog post. Dezen credited Microsoft partners for "adapting to the opportunities presented by new technology," for instance by developing "innovative uses of AI in every industry."  

New to the awards this year are two Business Applications subcategories: Low Code Application Development and Intelligent Automation. According to Microsoft, the winners in these areas (Accenture-Avanade and Cognizant, respectively) stood apart by their use of Power Platform, Microsoft's suite of low-code application development and business intelligence products. 

Power Platform is one of the biggest beneficiaries of Microsoft's effort to incorporate generative AI capabilities -- packaged under the "Copilot" label and obtained through its investment in ChatGPT steward OpenAI -- into much of its stack. Earlier this year, Microsoft announced that Power Platform will soon include "a Copilot experience," as noted by ADTmag.com's John K. Waters in March:     

Developers using the Power Platform will soon be able to build an app, flow, or bot by describing it using natural language. Copilot then builds the software, and the developer refines it.  

"Thank you for your ongoing impact and creativity, which keep us on our industry's leading edge," Dezen said in her blog Tuesday. 

Microsoft named 58 category winners this year, shown below alongside the finalists. The full list, as well as country-specific winners, can be downloaded here.

Azure

AI

Analytics

Cloud Native App Development

  • Winner: EY | United States
  • Finalist: Expertos en Soluciones TI, SC
  • Finalist: LambdaTest
  • Finalist: WinWire Technologies

Internet of Things

  • Winner: PTC | United States
  • Finalist: ICONICS
  • Finalist: Johnson Controls
  • Finalist: Tata Consultancy Services

Migration to Azure

Mixed Reality

Modernizing Applications

OSS on Azure

Rising Azure Technology

SAP on Azure

  • Winner: Capgemini | France
  • Finalist: EY
  • Finalist: Fujitsu Limited
  • Finalist: Tata Consultancy Services

Business Applications

Business Intelligence

Dynamics 365 Business Central

Dynamics 365 Finance

Dynamics 365 Sales & Marketing

Dynamics 365 Services

Dynamics 365 Supply Chain

Intelligent Automation

Low Code Application Development

Business Transformation

Advisory Services

Commercial Marketplace

Customer Experience

Global Independent Software Vendor (ISV)

Global System Integrator (GSI)

GSI Growth Champion

Indirect Provider

Learning

Microsoft for Startups

MVP Industry Solution GSI/Advisory

Operational Excellence

Solution Assessments

Industry

Automotive, Mobility, & Transportation

Defence and Intelligence Education

  • Winner: KPMG LLP | United States
  • Finalist: CloudFit Software LLC
  • Finalist: Fujitsu Australia Limited
  • Finalist: Oxford Computer Group

Education

Energy & Resources

Financial Services

Government

Healthcare & Life Sciences

Industrials & Manufacturing

Media & Communications

  • Winner: AMDOCS | Israel
  • Finalist: Harmonic Inc
  • Finalist: Kyndryl
  • Finalist: MediaKind

Nonprofit

Retail & Consumer Goods

Modern Work

Apps & Solutions for Microsoft Teams

Converged Communications

Device

Device Partner Distributor/Reseller

Employee Experience

FastTrack Ready

  • Winner: Dell EMC | United States
  • Finalist: Phoenix Software
  • Finalist: Quadrasystems.net India Private Limited
  • Finalist: Skaylink GmbH

Modern Workplace for Frontline Workers

  • Winner: FiveP | Australia
  • Finalist: Akari
  • Finalist: Calian
  • Finalist: Rightpoint Consulting, LLC

Modern Workplace for SMB

  • Winner: Zelly | Sweden
  • Finalist: novaCapta Software & Consulting Schweiz AG
  • Finalist: Solulan

Project & Portfolio Management

Surface Hub Reseller

Surface PC Reseller

Security

Compliance

Modern Endpoint Management Security

Security

Social Impact

Community Response

Inclusion Changemaker

Sustainability Changemaker

  • Winner: EY | United States
  • Finalist: AVEVA
  • Finalist: e-Magic Inc.
  • Finalist: Tata Consultancy Services

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