Yemisi Izuora/Agency Report
Microsoft has unveiled plans to provide artificial intelligence (AI) and data driven insights to marketers across the enterprise, powering new cloud-based platforms through Azure.
To facilitate the change, Redmond has partnered with InMobi, a global provider of enterprise platforms for marketers, to enable CMOs to shift from digital to mobile marketing.
The partnership will see the India-based ad-tech specialists move to Azure as a preferred cloud provider, backed up by technology collaboration and combined go-to-market strategies to boost advertising and marketing capabilities for customers.
In addition, InMobi will “significantly expand” platform offerings for marketers via the InMobi Marketing Cloud, providing CMOs with a “360-degree view” of the end-user in the process.
The solution will be launched in phases worldwide over the next six months, with the roll outs likely to start in the United States, Australia and parts of Asia and China.
“As digital technology is transforming every industry and every aspect of our lives, companies are seeking new ways to engage customers where they are, with connected, personalised experiences,” Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, said.
“The combination of Microsoft Azure with InMobi’s marketing platforms will deliver new intelligent customer experiences and business insights to organisations around the world.”
Through this alliance, InMobi will move in a “phased manner” to Azure, tapping into a pool of customers spanning more than 40,000 enterprise organisations.
“InMobi is building one of the most advanced enterprise platforms for marketers, and we’re extremely excited to partner with Microsoft as we dive into the next frontier of connected devices,” InMobi founder and CEO, Naveen Tewari, added.
“With Microsoft’s global reach and advanced security, privacy and compliance, alongside InMobi’s scale and decade-long experience in mobile-first technology, we can truly disrupt the marketing ecosystem.
“Together, Microsoft and InMobi will create a formidable force in the industry.”
Delving deeper, the partnership also aims to combine InMobi’s advertising and marketing cloud credentials with Microsoft Dynamics 365 on the back of the global Azure infrastructure, including AI, machine learning and analytics.
The companies will also work in close cooperation on the go-to-market approach, offering these integrated advertising and marketing solutions to Microsoft’s global enterprise client base.
Much of Microsoft’s recent growth has been fuelled by its cloud computing business as more enterprise companies seek to cut data storage costs by adopting cloud-based software and moving their applications to data centres.
The vendor’s flagship cloud product Azure, which competes with Amazon’s dominant cloud infrastructure offering Amazon Web Services, recorded revenue growth of 93 per cent in the latest third quarter ended 31 March.
“Azure’s hyper scale and distinctive worldwide go-to-market capabilities will enable rapid scaling of new growth pivots to fuel InMobi’s global ambitions,” Microsoft India president, Anant Maheshwari, added.
InMobi, launched in 2007, has seen investments from Japan’s SoftBank Group and venture capital firm Sherpalo among others.