In just over a week, we’ll be gathering virtually for Microsoft Inspire 2021, which will take place from July 14-15. We’ll come together to strengthen our connections and build new ones, empower possibilities, and celebrate together. Throughout the event, we’ll discuss strategy, innovation, differentiation, growth and how we can best serve customers together… with inclusion and resilience. 

The past year has made it clear that ongoing digital transformation is essential to the success of any organization. And at the heart of digital transformation is Microsoft cloud. We’ve seen partners continue to step up and respond to customers’ needs over the past months. And we’ve seen companies across the globe leverage Microsoft Azure for the increased flexibility and security it provides and embrace Microsoft Teams in response to their increased need for ‘remote everything’. Now, with many organizations planning to return to the office and mapping how they will transform to a hybrid workplace, the cloud will continue to play a critical role in providing the resilience and freedom needed by customers everywhere and across all industries, to support such a pivotal shift. Innovation is key, from cloud to edge, and it’s important that as we build out our technology and solutions, we’re designing in such a way to be inclusive of all people and seizing the opportunity to work together and do more.

Partners are well positioned to capitalize on the opportunities this new wave of digital transformation and Microsoft cloud provide and are already demonstrating innovation and inclusivity across the solutions they’re delivering. 

As we approach Microsoft Inspire next week, take a look at the Microsoft Inspire session catalog and learn about the sessions at this year’s event – from executive keynotes to breakout sessions, ask the experts and featured partner table topics. Start building your schedule today. Also, new this year is the Create Zone. It’s your chance to be seen and heard and be a part of the show. For example, you can, take a pop-art inspired selfie in “Pop Squared,” or record a video telling us about your inspirations with “Point of View (POV)”.  

To see sessions focused on opportunities related to Microsoft cloud innovation and industry, hybrid work, and ubiquitous computing, respectively, you can search “digital transformation across industries”, “the future of work” or “innovate from cloud to edge” in the session catalog. A few sessions from Microsoft executives are highlighted below.

Grow your business with Microsoft Industry Cloud solutions​:  
Join this session to gain insights into our industry focus, and the partner opportunity to implement, integrate, extend, and amplify Microsoft cloud solutions and Microsoft industry clouds. 

• Speakers: Kees Hertogh, General Manager, Business Apps & Global industry Marketing ​and Lorraine Bardeen, Vice President Chief Technical Officer, Industry Strategy US   

Harness the power of Azure data ​and AI services​:  
In this session, we’ll share opportunities for partners to win at scale in data & AI and will highlight our learnings and best practices. You’ll get insights on how Microsoft is maintaining and gaining market share, targeting customers at scale, and growing consumption at scale – all made possible by the support of our partner ecosystem. 

• Speakers: John ‘JG’ Chirapurath, Vice President of Data Product Marketing for Azure Marketing , Marcio Goncalves Cesario, General Manager of Business Strategy for Data & AI, ​and Rashida Hodge, Vice President Customer Success, Data & AI  

Drive innovation with Microsoft Azure, GitHub, and Visual Studio​: 
Customers are moving into the digital space faster than ever before. Your success depends on optimizing custom applications to drive digital transformation for your customers. Learn how to leverage Microsoft’s most comprehensive developer tools and platform to help your customers innovate faster and reduce costs. See how your business can benefit by building cloud native apps with Kubernetes, Serverless and managed databases and driving DevOps adoption with GitHub and Visual Studio.

• Speakers: Ashmi Chokshi, General Manager, Azure Applications, Donovan Brown, Partner Program Manager, Azure Incubations and Erika Ehrli Director, Azure Marketing  

Accelerate your customers’ success ​with the latest Azure migration and modernization investments​:  
Cloud migration and modernization are accelerating as customers look to recover and reimagine their businesses. Learn why customers choose Azure – be it innovation, security, costs, or hybrid environments. Get guidance around key scenarios – including Windows and SQL Server End of Support, Azure VMware Solution, Linux, Virtual Desktops, SAP, web apps, and unique Azure offers. And finally, understand our expanded Azure Migration Program investments so you can help customers move with confidence.  

• Speakers: Tanuj Bansal, General Manager, Azure Marketing and Arpan Shah, General Manager, Azure Marketing  

Microsoft Teams – Grow your Business with the hybrid workplace: 
This past year has been the year of remote work for so many people. This next year, and years to come, will be defined by enabling Hybrid work. In this session we will discuss the industry trends that shape our FY22 business priorities along with new product innovations designed for hybrid work, as well as the investments and programs that will support our partners.  

• Speakers: Nicole Herskowitz, General Manager, Modern Work Teams & Platforms, Barbara Kim, Modern Work & Teams Platform Marketing, and Uriel Rootshtain, Director, Modern Work, Field & Partner Marketing 

Windows 11 – Learn about the ​exciting new version of Windows that is designed for hybrid work​:  
This session will deep dive into why Windows 11 is designed for hybrid work, is built for collaboration and is the most productive and secure version of Windows yet. Windows 11 is built on the same Windows 10 foundation and delivers great new value to commercial customers. This session will talk about how these product innovations can unlock device and service opportunities for partners and will dive into resources that will enable partners to accelerate deployment of Windows 11 for customers.  

• Speakers: Adi Hariharan, Director, Windows Pro Device Marketing and Melissa Grant, Director, Product Marketing, Modern Work Apps & Endpoint  

  
Deliver mission impact while ​growing your business with ​Microsoft Cloud for Nonprofit​  
Nonprofits are needed now more than ever to help the most vulnerable populations. Microsoft Cloud for Nonprofit brings together trusted and intelligent cloud capabilities and industry-specific solutions to accelerate nonprofit mission impact. Join us to learn about the partner opportunities to grow your business and deliver social impact by investing in the nonprofit sector.  

• Speakers: Jean-Philippe Courtois, Executive Vice President and President, National Transformation Partnerships, and Justin Spelhaug, Vice President, Tech for Social Impact   

The customized solutions and guidance you provide for our customers make a world of difference for them as they navigate the perpetually changing business landscape. By harnessing the power of Microsoft cloud, you can meet customers’ needs and empower them to succeed and build technologies that enable a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable world.

You can register for the event and view all sessions on the Microsoft Inspire site. We’ll also be streaming the opening keynotes on day 1 and 2 (Pacific Time) on Microsoft partner LinkedIn and Twitter channels.