AI Revolution: HP And Microsoft Empowering Partners

IDC predicts AI spending will surpass $630 billion by 2028. This significant investment is expected to transform traditional roles and responsibilities, while also creating new opportunities for partners. We sat in on a conversation with industry experts Mary Beth Walker from HP and Mark Linton from Microsoft. They discussed the essential strategies partners need to effectively leverage AI technologies. They also highlight how these partnerships can facilitate the successful adoption of AI solutions.

Mary Beth: The AI momentum we have seen in just one year has been incredible. A recent HP study shows that 93 percent of businesses are currently using or are planning to use AI to improve customer satisfaction and drive revenue growth. It's time for channel partners to seize this opportunity and drive AI adoption. Let’s start by tackling the AI PC opportunities ahead.

Mark: With Copilot+ PCs, like HP’s OmniBook and EliteBook Ultra, customers will have better AI experiences that they can’t have on an old PC. They are more secure, faster and have significantly better battery life. Additionally, Windows ecosystem is made up of thousands of distribution, reseller and integrator partners around the world who recommend, supply and deploy the latest PCs for commercial customers. I’ve seen a lot of excitement across these partners as more customers look to incorporate AI into their processes.

Mary Beth: Collaboration here is key. It [AI PC adoption] also coincides with the transition to Windows 11, adding depth and breadth to how we tackle it. Let’s discuss how HP and Microsoft work together, particularly in terms of leveraging telemetry to identify customers ready to transition to Windows 11 AI PCs. Could you elaborate on the opportunity for partners with the end of support for Windows 10?

Mark: This is an incredible opportunity for partners, as we approach end of support for Windows 10. Some devices that are still running Windows 10 are not capable of running Windows 11, and enterprises that are still using those devices will need to refresh to a newer device. The targeting tool you mention provides a data-driven approach to help identify which customers are prepared to transition and which device would be the best for the customers.

Mary Beth: There are two sides of the coin here that are necessary for partners to harness this potential. The first is building new capabilities through tailored role-based training. For example, HP’s AI MasterClass was created to equip partners with the necessary skills to meet the growing demand for AI solutions. The other side of the coin is having strong use cases that help bring AI technologies to life for customers. What are some top use cases you see for businesses?

Mark: There are really three ways that channel partners can be most effective with AI. First, they must master AI themselves and become Customer Zero- using it in their own organizations to not only reap the benefits of productivity but to also be a credible SME to their customers about AI. Second, channel partners should see AI for the opportunity it is and develop offerings and services rooted in AI. A Windows device socket provides the gateway to grow services revenue, and a services-based partner generates seven dollars in economic value for every dollar of Microsoft revenue generated. Begin to build market capacity and create differentiated AI service offerings and solutions.

Learn more about HP and Microsoft’s AI strategies.