ISG to Study Microsoft AI, Cloud Ecosystem Partners

Information Services Group (ISG) (Nasdaq: III), a global AI-centered technology research and advisory firm, has launched a research study examining service providers helping enterprises redesign business processes using Microsoft’s AI-embedded platforms.

The study results will be published in a series of comprehensive ISG Provider Lens reports, called Microsoft AI and Cloud Ecosystem, scheduled to be released in July 2026. The reports will cover companies offering Microsoft productivity and business process services, Azure-based data transformation and AI services, Azure managed services and Azure-focused professional services.

Enterprise buyers will be able to use information from the reports to evaluate their current vendor relationships, potential new engagements and available offerings, while ISG advisors use the information to recommend providers to the firm’s buy-side clients.

Microsoft is increasingly integrating productivity tools, analytics, collaboration platforms and AI-driven innovation to address enterprise needs through a unified intelligence layer. This integration is reflected in the growing use of Copilot-powered features, AI agents and agentic workflows that help companies automate routine tasks, improve collaboration and increase cross-application productivity. At the same time, enterprises are moving toward large-scale data transformation, autonomous operations and AI-enabled decision-making, supported by platforms such as Microsoft Fabric, Azure OpenAI and Dynamics 365.

“Enterprises around the world are seeking Microsoft partners that can address key AI-related challenges such as cultural shifts, trust, large-scale adoption and return on investment,” said Heiko Henkes, principal analyst at ISG. “They are focused on becoming human-led, agent-operated organizations to enhance productivity and support broader business objectives.”

ISG has distributed surveys to more than 320 Microsoft ecosystem providers. Working in collaboration with ISG’s global advisors, the research team will produce four quadrants representing the Microsoft platform services the typical enterprise is buying, based on ISG’s experience working with its clients. The four quadrants are:

• Microsoft Productivity and Business Process Services, evaluating providers that deliver consulting, implementation, integration and managed services across Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365 and Power Platform. These providers are assessed on their ability to modernize the digital workplace and implement automated business processes.
• Azure Data Transformation and AI Services, assessing providers specializing in enterprise data and AI ecosystems. These providers help clients advance from unified data platforms to unified intelligence platforms, using Microsoft offerings such as CoreAI, Azure OpenAI Services and Azure ML to deliver governed, scalable and responsible AI solutions.
• Azure Managed Services, covering providers offering managed public cloud services that extend Azure’s native infrastructure as a service (IaaS) and platform as a service (PaaS) capabilities. Providers are assessed on their ability to integrate proprietary operational platforms for monitoring and remediation with Azure’s native tools.
• Azure Professional Services, evaluating U.S.-focused providers offering consulting and migration services to guide businesses through their Azure transformation. Providers should align technical strategies with long-term business objectives while adhering to evolving U.S. compliance standards.

Geographically focused reports from the study will cover the global Microsoft AI and cloud ecosystem market and examine products and services available in Asia Pacific, Brazil, Germany, Switzerland and the U.S. ISG analysts Siddharth Idnani (Asia Pacific), Cristiane Tarricone (Brazil), Axel Oppermann (Germany and Switzerland), Dr. Tapati Bandopadhyay (U.S.) and Sameen Mohammed Siddique (U.S.) will serve as authors of the reports.