Dive Brief:
- Microsoft is working to accelerate the development and deployment of the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence (AI) across the enterprise by partnering with C3 IoT, the company announced Tuesday. The collaboration will use C3 IoT's "low-code, high-productivity PaaS" for scaling across businesses on the Azure cloud platform.
- The C3 IoT platform partnership will help customers, including Shell and 3M, to scale AI solutions for customers and improve efficiency in design and delivery.
- C3 IoT has been using AWS' cloud platform for several years, with competencies in IoT, machine learning and Big Data in the AWS Partner Network.
Dive Insight:
This is Microsoft's latest partnership announcement since the unveiling of a major reorganization in late March prioritizing the injection of AI across its products and services.
CEO Satya Nadella has hammered out a roadmap for the company centered on enterprise clients with a focus on AI technologies, and this partnership enhances Microsoft's IoT and AI capabilities in the cloud space. At a recent event in Washington, DC to showcase Microsoft's digital transformation, Vice President of U.S. Public Sector Gail Thomas repeatedly noted that the cloud is not a destination, but instead a journey.
Competitors in the industrial IoT space, such as Oracle, have already been injecting AI capabilities into IoT networks. For example, last fall the company introduced drag-and-drop AI functions to its IoT Cloud platform, opening AI features up to less technical workers.
In the cloud space, AWS just saw another one of its customers increase ties with its closest cloud competitor. Most companies use multiple cloud providers or a hybrid model, and Amazon is still far from breaking a sweat from Microsoft's work to cut into its market lead.
But Microsoft has an edge in the cloud space from its robust SaaS offerings, and strengthening its clout in other cloud capabilities, such as AI and the IoT, will better position the company to take on AWS in the enterprise space.
