Convergence 2015:  Empowering Business Transformation

As Convergence 2015 draws to a close, technology and business stand together on the precipice of a promising new era. As Satya Nadella communicated in the opening keynote address, recent history has seen business transformation go hand-in-hand with technology advancements. Today, we are entering a time where businesses are using data and insights through new systems of intelligence, with exciting results.

These systems of Intelligence are truly enabling customers like AccuWeather, JJ Foods and Wash Laundry to combine machine learning, predictive analytics, and the power of the Microsoft cloud and business applications to grow their business and transform their industries. We also heard from customers like Pandora Jewelry who are making the most of the machine learning capabilities and data analytics to better engage with their customers and connect with them in a smarter, more effective manner.     

For me, the most exciting part of Convergence is the chance to hear directly from the customers and partners who joined us in Atlanta. We are most successful when we have the commitment and engagement of our partners as well as enthusiastic customers who seek to business solutions we deliver. I’m pleased to say the feedback I received shows we are driving our business in the right direction! From the opening keynote, general sessions, meetings and expo hall interactions, we have provided inspiration for a future that Microsoft is making possible. Based on the feedback from some 12,000 customers and partners who joined us in Atlanta this week, there is a great deal of energy and excitement around the opportunities that lie ahead.

We shared news this week on Microsoft products and services that represent the comprehensive wave of innovation we are delivering to businesses. The packed sessions in Atlanta reflect the high level of interest over what’s next for our Dynamics product family. With the richest set of capabilities across many segments and modes of deployment, all of the Dynamics products play an exciting role helping our customers transform and move their business to mobile-first cloud-first world. The innovation across Dynamics AX, CRM, GP, SL and NAV truly did shine and Convergence 2015 and gave our customers and partners more confidence in the future. Stay tuned, because there is more exciting news to share in the coming weeks and months!   

This year, we took our big step in the evolution of the conference. Convergence has grown from being primarily a Dynamics show, to becoming the premier Microsoft Conference for business, business leaders and business professionals. The evolution of Convergence is a reflection of “One Microsoft.” This unified, cross-company focus was on full display throughout the week – from the opening keynote and the general sessions to Thursday’s close.  And based on the level of excitement this week, we are on to something really great. I can’t wait for next Convergence in Barcelona in November!