Microsoft AI
Across professional services, artificial intelligence is increasingly influencing how work is performed, how services are delivered, and how firms think about long‑term differentiation. For leaders in audit, tax, and advisory services, expectations are evolving. Clients are looking for greater efficiency, more consistent insight, and deeper expertise—while continuing to expect strong governance, security, and professional judgment.
In a webinar entitled “The Art of Possible: Manufacturing Priorities that Will Define 2021,” Çağlayan Arkan, Microsoft’s VP of manufacturing industry shared: “From extreme disruption comes extreme transformation.” His point is well taken. In the aftermath of the pandemic, supply chain has raced to the top of the news and manufacturing is centerstage.
Over a year has gone by since the beginning of the global pandemic, and it’s clear that the pharmaceutical industry and COVID-19 vaccines are at the center of everyone’s attention. Calls for quick and rigorous development of a COVID-19 vaccine have given way to the equally important demand for rapid distribution.
As COVID-19 vaccines are becoming more widely available, Microsoft is working intently with partners such as Mazik Global to help state and local governments deploy vaccine management solutions that meet their unique and ever evolving needs.
While AI is driving value in all aspects of our lives, there are times where it’s hard to separate the aspirations of those who want to use it to do good from those leveraging AI today to positively impact real change in health and medicine.
When I was a junior at Greensburg Central High School in Western Pennsylvania, I volunteered for the Special Olympics. Roger, the athlete I was partnered with, made such an impression on me because of his complete and utter joy in participating in various sports events.
Major brands have quickly learned that consumers drive today’s business environment and that yesterday’s efforts to create a customer-centric operating model are out of date. Consumers have also evolved to want more, so product and service personalization has now taken center stage.
Is your organization applying to the second round of Paycheck Protection Program funding (PPP-2)? If so, be sure to review the updated guidelines for this funding round. The program is open to all eligible entities from March 10 through March 31, 2021.
At this year’s GreenBiz 21 conference, the drive to act to address climate change and social equity challenges was palpable. Bill Gates highlighted the ambitious goals for Breakthrough Energy, followed by a thoughtful discussion about human rights and social justice with Sanda Ojiambo, CEO of the United Nations Global Impact.
Over the past year, my colleagues and I have seen a steady uptick in healthcare organizations requesting in-depth discussions on how to further develop their digital front door capabilites. One high-interest topic has been establishing a branded conversational bot (chatbot) that can facilitate frictionless experiences across all digital channels and throughout the engagement journey.
Clinical trials are a critical element in bringing new drugs to the market, and successful trials can bring hope to people in need of treatment. Unfortunately, when the COVID‑19 pandemic took hold in the US, it caused a major disruption in non-COVID‑19 vaccine trials that were planned or ongoing.
Our work with the United States government is built on a foundation of enduring partnership. We work closely with our federal partners, learning and understanding how they work and their specific needs, then adapting our technology to achieve their mission objectives.
IT professionals are experts at answering the questions what and how. They excel at bringing an engineering approach to evaluating options and executing complex projects. But as technical executives take on more strategic leadership in their organizations, they are increasingly asking and answering the question why.