Today we kick off Convergence 2014 Europe in Barcelona. With more than 4,000 participants from 71 countries, Convergence has truly become the Microsoft Business Conference with a focus on what businesses need in this exciting era of change and possibility. This event gives our customers and partners the opportunity to hear about the groundbreaking innovations Microsoft is delivering for a Cloud-first and Mobile-first world. Convergence is also a unique venue for the business community to share their experiences and best practices, and to learn from each other.
Today’s connected workforce is transforming business from the inside out. The very essence of workplace productivity is changing and evolving in front of our eyes. Next year, it’s estimated that almost 30 percent of the global workforce will be mobile. In response, it’s estimated that over 85 percent of organizations worldwide will have policies enabling their people to bring their own devices and use them for work. Our customers are telling us that the traditional IT approach is changing along with organizational structures and cultures. As individual business people and teams work closer together, and organizations become more customer-focused, they need technology that will help them unite.
Businesses are increasingly looking to the cloud to respond to these changes. In fact, almost 75 percent of enterprises are already enjoying the benefits of the cloud. This is precisely where Microsoft can make the greatest impact. The recipe for cloud success is rooted in the integration and interrelationships between cloud platform, cloud productivity and cloud Business Applications – and only Microsoft offers all three of these ingredients to customers. Together, Azure, Office 365 and Dynamics Business Applications embody our vision to deliver cloud experiences users love and businesses can count on.
Every day, twenty million businesses around the world trust the Microsoft Cloud.
Through the cloud we are reinventing business productivity – with applications like Dynamics CRM Online that make people more productive and successful, to business processes that connect front-end execution with back-end technology, to IT that enables CIOs to be more effective and do their best work. What makes Microsoft unique is that we bring more than the sum of these parts – which means that each individual can focus on getting their work done using intuitive and familiar apps that simply work together helping make people in business more successful.
Through the cloud, we are helping businesses deliver great experiences to their customers. Microsoft Dynamics CRM works seamlessly with Office and Power BI across mobile devices to help increase sales productivity, deliver smarter marketing, and boost customer loyalty. Advances in Dynamics CRM 2015 are designed to address the growing need for businesses to deliver great experiences to their customers by helping them break down the barriers between divisions and collaborate like never before.
Every day, twenty million businesses around the world trust the Microsoft Cloud. We are the only cloud provider that is certified by the European Union under the EU model clause – across all of our cloud services – Azure, Office 365 and Dynamics CRM Online. And we are committed to earning our customer’s trust, each and every day. We are addressing the needs of privacy and security that global business require.
Beyond the news of the incredible innovations we are delivering to the market, this week in Barcelona, the spotlight shines on Microsoft customers like JJ Foods, Ingram Micro, Kudelski Group and Onduline, who are transforming their businesses in unique and creative ways, harnessing the power of the cloud to gain competitive advantage through outstanding customer experiences and productivity improvements. These customers, as well as others we will feature throughout the conference, are taking a journey with us to find new ways to be productive and new ways reach and engage with customers through the power of the cloud.
I hope you join us on this terrific journey!