**Stamford, Conn.:** New ISG research reveals a sharp rise in global enterprises leveraging Microsoft’s AI and cloud ecosystem to enhance resilience, optimise costs, and scale AI initiatives as market volatility and inflation concerns take hold.
Enterprises Turn to Microsoft’s AI and Cloud Ecosystem Amid Market Uncertainty
STAMFORD, Conn. — According to a new report from Information Services Group (ISG), a global technology research and advisory firm, enterprises globally are increasingly adopting Microsoft’s AI and cloud technologies to better navigate volatile market conditions. The report highlights how macroeconomic instability is driving companies to enhance business visibility, predictability, and resilience.
“Companies need more information and better tools to make decisions in turbulent markets,” stated Shriram Natarajan, leader of tech modernization at ISG. He emphasised that the Microsoft ecosystem provides a robust foundation for AI and cloud technology, enabling businesses to adapt to evolving needs.
The 2025 ISG Provider Lens™ Microsoft AI and Cloud Ecosystem report indicates that as fears surrounding inflation and margin pressures grow, enterprises are prioritising technology initiatives that facilitate controlled expansion and effective cost management. They are seeking partnerships that yield incremental business value, which often involve tailored accelerators and industry-specific solutions.
As organisations strive to justify their technology expenditures, controlling cloud costs has become paramount. ISG reports a growing demand for services that optimise cloud utilisation and enhance security on the Microsoft Cloud. Solutions related to financial operations (FinOps), data governance, and AI are particularly sought after.
In light of escalating labour costs and a shortage of technology skills, firms are launching initiatives aimed at improving employee experiences to enhance retention. The report notes a trend toward scaling initial implementations of AI tools, such as Microsoft Copilot, to drive cost savings and improve productivity.
Despite this progress, many enterprises attempting to integrate AI and generative AI are encountering challenges in moving past pilot phases into full-scale production. This has led to a heightened demand for services focused on optimising AI implementation, especially in predictive analytics, encompassing areas like demand forecasting and supply chain optimisation.
Jan Erik Aase, partner and global leader of ISG Provider Lens Research, remarked, “The use of GenAI, agentic AI and machine learning will grow substantially in the next two to three years.” Aase highlighted that Microsoft and its partners are evolving their AI strategies for Azure to support this anticipated adoption.
The report also discusses key trends in the Microsoft AI and cloud space, including the increasing significance of hybrid clouds and the Microsoft ecosystem’s role in promoting sustainability efforts.
The 2025 ISG Provider Lens™ report evaluates the capabilities of 38 providers across three areas: AI Services for the Microsoft Clouds, FinOps Services, and Data Fabric on Azure. Notably, Accenture & Avanade, Capgemini, HCLTech, IBM, and Infosys have been identified as Leaders in all three quadrants, while Cognizant, Deloitte, TCS, and Wipro are acknowledged as Leaders in two quadrants each. Additionally, companies like Cognizant, Hexaware, TCS, and Tech Mahindra have been designated as Rising Stars, indicative of their promising portfolios.
In customer experience, HCLTech has been recognised as the global ISG CX Star Performer for 2025 among Microsoft Cloud Ecosystem providers, achieving the highest customer satisfaction scores in ISG’s Voice of the Customer survey.
For further insights into the challenges enterprises face concerning Microsoft technologies and ISG’s recommendations for addressing them, the complete report is available for subscribers or for one-time purchase.
Sources
- Information Services Group (ISG) press release.
- Business Wire.
Source: Noah Wire Services
