But in 2025, the frontier is moving again with the rise of generative AI and intelligent agents. This is not just another wave of automation; it’s a fundamental shift in how value is created, delivered and governed. 

Today’s “Frontier Firms” show what the next era of AI-powered Fintech looks like. These organisations integrate human-AI collaboration to scale operations, improve efficiency and drive innovation. In doing so, they offer a blueprint for how Fintech companies can lead in an era where growth, compliance and differentiation are increasingly shaped by AI.  

On average, Frontier Firms are using AI across seven business functions, with over 70% leveraging AI in customer service, marketing, IT, product development and cybersecurity – and they report outcomes that are four times greater across key business areas than slow AI adopters.

Using the spectrum of AI agents  

A key tool for the Frontier Firm is the AI agent. Agents can automate and assist business processes, working alongside or on behalf of people or teams. They range from simple, rule-based tools to more sophisticated adaptive systems: 

• Retrieval agents: follow pre-defined rules. 
• Task agents: automate workflows and repetitive tasks. 
• Autonomous agents: operate independently within set objectives and constraints, updating plans and executing tasks.

As leaders deploy agents across this spectrum, they unlock higher levels of efficiency and intelligence in their operations.

How Frontier Fintechs are driving impact

Pioneering Fintechs showcase their impact in two key ways: by generating customer value and by accelerating internal growth.

Generating customer value 

Leading companies generate new value for customers by creating or embedding AI into their product offerings. For example, here’s how several Fintechs are using Microsoft Azure AI and intelligent agents to transform outcomes.

Automating financial operations

AutoRek’s ARIA agent addresses the “capacity gap” that many organisations face – the deficit between business demands and the maximum capacity of humans alone. In particular, ARIA helps reconcilers, managers and developers drive efficiencies in financial operations, automating complex reconciliation tasks.

Auquan has similarly released several purpose-built agents for finance professionals. Its autonomous agents can help eliminate up to 95% of manual effort, saving financial institutions 50,000+ hours and reducing costs by 50%.

Transforming regulatory intelligence

CUBE is a leader in AI-powered regulatory intelligence, using semantic AI, fine-tuned models and agents to transform regulatory analysis for the world’s largest banks. As a result, clients can complete regulatory tasks up to 90% faster. CUBE’s recent acquisitions of Kodex AI and Acin are further strengthening this capability. 

Improving wealth management and client onboarding

FNZ research recently found that 73% of wealth management clients expect more personalised services from their advisor in the next two years. Meeting this need is FNZ’s Advisor AI, an embedded generative AI tool that streamlines the entire client meeting process with personalised insights, automated transcription and analysis, and much more.

Grounding agents with contextual data

Quantexa provides a Decision Intelligence Platform that uses contextual data to help organisations deploy domain-specific agents for financial crime, compliance and customer intelligence. This approach helps solve two major AI challenges – data fragmentation and inconsistent context quality.

Meeting users where they are

Companies are also integrating AI and agents directly into the interfaces their customers already use. For example, London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) and Microsoft have successfully partnered to transform access to AI-ready financial data within Copilot Studio and Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat.

Accelerating growth from within

Frontier Fintechs are also reshaping their internal operations by applying AI to strengthen core business functions. In doing so, they accelerate the speed at which they can bring new innovation to market.

Software development

Pokyt, a Fintech startup, has doubled developer productivity using GitHub Copilot as an automated coding assistant. Pokyt can now generate utility classes and unit tests up to one hundred times faster, significantly cutting integration time and allowing developers to focus on more complex problems.

Additionally, coding has been an early AI success story. There are now multiple models to choose from in GitHub Copilot, including those from OpenAI, Anthropic and xAI. 

Operations and profitability

ClearBank uses Microsoft Azure AI to automatically interpret complex payment-scheme rules and swiftly validate or reject recovery claims. As a result, payment recovery processing times have been cut by around 80% and clients can now recover funds faster.

Customer service

The use of AI-powered agents has also revolutionised call centres, automating routine tasks, reducing wait times and freeing teams to focus on complex issues. Today’s chatbots are built to deliver fast, consistent and empathetic support across voice and text.  

Virgin Money’s award-winning Redi assistant, built with Microsoft Copilot Studio and Dynamics 365, now resolves over 50% of credit card queries through proactive, conversational AI. When Redi pushes out notifications about credit card replacement, it achieves a 97% journey completion rate.

PolyAI, a UK-based conversational AI company, is helping financial institutions achieve a 30% reduction in call volume with voice-first virtual assistants. Voice is an increasingly popular modality for engaging with AI, with Fintech CX ripe for transformation.

The road ahead: become a Frontier Firm 

The journey to becoming a Frontier Firm is underway. Every individual will work alongside AI designed for their role. Every team will include AI agents, managed by humans, that complete tasks autonomously. In addition, humans will increasingly set direction for AI agents to run entire teams or departments, checking in as needed.

For Fintech companies, this vision promises to amplify human ambition while unlocking new sources of value.  

Fintech Agentic Launchpad: an update

Applications for this year are now closed (deadline: 28 November 2025), but stay tuned for our upcoming blog. We’ll be revealing our new cohort and the innovative Fintech solutions they plan to develop.

Find out more

Read Microsoft’s Work Trend Index Annual Report, 2025: The year the Frontier Firm is born

Read the blog: Accelerating financial services transformation with AI

Explore the Microsoft Cloud for financial services

About the author

As Fintech partner lead for Microsoft UK, George helps B2B software companies innovate with Microsoft’s Cloud and AI platforms, and reach new customers together. He has more than 13 years’ experience working in the Microsoft Partner ecosystem, more recently helping Fintechs drive successful AI and agentic partnerships with Microsoft.

The post Extending the frontier of AI-powered Fintech  appeared first on Microsoft Industry Blogs - United Kingdom.

Every agent – whether a copilot, workflow assistant or autonomous system – relies on APIs and events to exchange information to act safely. However, managing that growing web of application-to-application (A2A) communication is now one of the biggest challenges in enterprise architecture.

Recognised as a Leader in the 2025 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for API Management, Gravitee now brings its expertise in API governance and security to the agentic era. Gravitee API management helps organisations orchestrate and secure interactions between APIs, events and AI agents.

Together, Gravitee and Microsoft help organisations co-ordinate and protect the interactions that enable intelligent systems.

Gravitee API management and the evolution of connectivity

Gravitee has long supported global enterprises in managing their APIs and event streams. As organisations begin to deploy intelligent agents, those same foundations are helping them extend API management principles into the world of AI.

For example, instead of manually coding integrations, developers are designing environments where agents can discover, call and combine APIs autonomously. Each agent has defined permissions, costs and data boundaries.

Without proper governance, however, “agent sprawl” can quickly emerge. This can introduce operational risk, compliance gaps and unpredictable cost.

These risks aren’t hypothetical. Gravitee research conducted in October 2025 shows that 82% of companies have encountered scenarios where agent interaction caused issues, such as data exposure or unapproved system actions. Therefore, robust control must be built in from day one.

The focus on safe, transparent agent operations aligns with Microsoft’s responsible AI principles, which emphasise accountability, reliability and human oversight. Moreover, Gravitee’s Agent Mesh helps operationalise those principles – unifying the management of APIs, events and agents to give teams full visibility, policy control and security across all interactions.

Governing AI agents with Gravitee API management

Unlike traditional software, AI agents are designed to interpret intent, manage API calls and respond dynamically to user context. This adaptability also demands a new level of control. With Gravitee on Microsoft Azure, enterprises can:

• Apply governance and rate-limiting policies across APIs and events
• Monitor real-time interactions between agents and enterprise systems
• Standardise communication through open protocols, such as the Model Context Protocol (MCP).

In short, by establishing guardrails and observability, enterprises can ensure agents operate responsibly – while continuing to innovate.

Built for the enterprise, powered by Azure

Microsoft’s partnership with Gravitee delivers enterprise-grade scalability and trust. As a result, the Gravitee platform, deployed on Microsoft Azure, enables customers to build secure, production-ready agent ecosystems.

In addition, organisations can deploy Gravitee from the Azure Marketplace with a single click. This provides simplified procurement, unified billing and built-in compliance. Explore Gravitee on Azure Marketplace.

Building the future together

As enterprises move from AI experimentation to production, success will depend on effectively connecting, governing and evolving agent ecosystems.

Microsoft and Gravitee are working together to make that possible. They combine Gravitee’s deep expertise in API and event control with Azure’s global reach and secure AI infrastructure.

Ultimately, the result is a platform that transforms connectivity into a competitive advantage. Every API, event and agent interaction is secure, observable and ready to scale responsibly.

This article is authored by a guest contributor. The views expressed are the author’s and do not necessarily represent Microsoft’s position.

Find out more

Learn more about Gravitee on the Azure Marketplace

Read the blog: Transforming insurance with AI-powered autonomous agents

About the author

Since taking over as CEO in 2020, Rory has led Gravitee through a period of extraordinary growth, increasing revenue by a factor of twenty-five and positioning the company as a recognised leader by Gartner. Over this period, Gravitee has pioneered innovations like the Gravitee Event Stream Gateway and Gravitee Agent Mesh, applying the principles of API management to AI agent governance and control.

Rory brings a strong background in scaling SaaS businesses and a customer-first, execution-focused leadership style. A regular speaker and thought leader on AI in enterprise tech, high-growth leadership and API strategy, he is known for building high-performing, mission-driven teams that deliver sustainable success.

The post Building the connective tissue for the agentic era with Gravitee appeared first on Microsoft Industry Blogs - United Kingdom.

This leaves financial institutions at a crossroads. Traditional reliance on manual tracking and fragmented systems is no longer sustainable.  

For compliance and risk teams, the challenge isn’t just volume – it’s velocity. The ability to interpret, act and align internal policies with external mandates in real time is now a competitive differentiator. 

It’s time to bring in intelligent automation – and this is where compliance software provider CUBE, with its AI-powered regulatory intelligence platform, is leading the charge. 

AI as a strategic enabler, not just a tool 

AI is moving beyond simple support in compliance and risk to become a critical enabler. For example, CUBE’s Automated Regulatory Intelligence (ARI) engine, powered by RegBrain, transforms regulatory content into structured, contextualised intelligence.

Far surpassing keyword matching or robotic parsing, the CUBE solution takes account of nuance, intent and jurisdictional relevance – at scale. 

Advanced AI regulatory intelligence

The CUBE platform combines advanced technology and human expertise to deliver smarter regulatory insights. 

• Semantic AI: goes beyond surface-level text to interpret regulatory meaning and map it to business obligations. 

• Global coverage: monitors 10,000 issuing bodies across 750 jurisdictions, enabling end-to-end oversight. 

• Dynamic mapping: aligns external regulations with internal controls, policies and frameworks in real time. 

• “Human in the loop” assurance: 250 in-house subject matter experts ensure precision and trust. 

From compliance burden to strategic insight 

CUBE’s RegPlatform^TM unlocks opportunity as well as reducing risk. By surfacing regulatory trends and emerging themes, the platform empowers leadership teams to anticipate change rather than react to it.

This shift from defensive compliance to proactive governance is where true transformation lies. 

Building the future through ecosystem thinking 

Since the start of 2024, CUBE has more than doubled revenue and headcount, completing landmark acquisitions, including Acin in June 2025 and the Thomson Reuters Regulatory Intelligence and Oden businesses in January 2025. The company has also launched its new global HQ and AI Centre of Excellence in London. 

Acquiring Acin led to the creation of the industry’s first unified data-driven platform to combine regulatory compliance and operational risk management. This is also the foundation of a global industry collaboration initiative, led by CUBE and supported by Barclays, BNP Paribas, Citi, JPMorganChase and Lloyds Banking Group.  

The goal of this partnership is to raise standards, reduce duplication, accelerate responsible AI innovation and deliver better outcomes across the ecosystem. 

Beyond finance: a cross-industry imperative 

While CUBE’s core is financial services, its impact is expanding. Financially regulated industries such as insurance, healthcare, energy and supervisory boards are now leveraging CUBE’s RegPlatform to navigate sector-specific regulations with confidence.

Regulatory intelligence is no longer a niche function but a universal need. 

Built on trusted Microsoft AI 

Microsoft isn’t just providing Azure Cloud horsepower for CUBE’s solution. The Microsoft AI technology stack further delivers the depth and reliability that compliance demands. From natural language understanding to responsible AI governance, the company’s technical expertise ensures that platforms like CUBE can scale without compromising trust. 

Microsoft’s strategic partnership with CUBE heralds a future in which AI-powered regulatory intelligence is embedded into every organisation. 

Thought leadership in action 

Beyond helping organisations respond to regulatory change, CUBE is helping shape the future of compliance and risk. With advanced AI, global scale and deep subject-matter expertise, CUBE is delivering the tools to help regulated industries stay compliant, manage risk and stay ahead of regulatory headwinds.

This is what compliance and risk means in the digital age – no longer a cost centre, but a source of resilience, reputation and readiness. 

Find out more

Read the blog: Hyperscale data and GenAI: transforming business intelligence for better decisions

Read the blog: AI and cloud innovation: shaping the future of LegalTech for software development companies 

Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager

About the author

Ben is the Founder and CEO of CUBE Ltd, which he established in 2011 to transform regulatory compliance through AI. Previously at Misys (now part of Finastra), Ben recognised how unstructured data could help reshape the future of compliance.

Today, CUBE is the first automated service to track regulatory updates from every source worldwide, helping organisations standardise and map changes to stay compliant. CUBE serves over 1,000 clients in more than 150 countries, and Ben was named Entrepreneur of the Year at GP Bullhound’s Allstars 2024.

This article is authored by a guest contributor. The views expressed are the author’s and do not necessarily represent Microsoft’s position.

The post Rethinking regulation: how CUBE is redefining RegTech with AI  appeared first on Microsoft Industry Blogs - United Kingdom.

We’re not just marking a product anniversary – we’re celebrating the progress businesses have made in delivering seamless, omnichannel experiences that are more personal, productive and cost-effective. 

A new era of customer engagement 

If you lead customer experience or service organisations, you’re already navigating rapid changes across industries. For example, subscription-based business models are putting customer retention under the spotlight, making every interaction an opportunity – or a risk. 

Yet, for too many organisations, disconnected channels, long wait times and customer frustration remain the norm. A recent study commissioned by Microsoft found that, while UK sectors varied in their contact-centre response times, average wait times for utilities, retail, and energy customers were over 8 minutes, 12 minutes, and 35 minutes respectively. Research cited in Forbes suggests that such poor service can cause customers to switch providers.

Customers now expect more: fast, frictionless, consistent service across every channel. In our commissioned study, 87% of call-centre workers agreed that customer service expectations had increased, while 78% agreed that service queries had become more complex in recent years.

Today’s customers want intelligent self-service, but with human help available for more challenging issues. Equally, service agents need tools that reduce manual effort and give them the context to get issues right first time. 

That’s the promise of our CCaaS platform – a connected, AI-powered contact centre where every part of the customer journey is integrated and streamlined. 

Unifying service with intelligence, end-to-end

Imagine every stage of your customer service journey – from self-serve to agent-assisted – was seamlessly supported by a suite of AI powered, always up-to-date, and highly efficient solutions. By integrating Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service, Copilot, Teams Phone and Azure Communication Services, this vision becomes a reality: 

• Customers can start conversations in the channel they prefer and get quick answers through AI-powered bots. When human help is needed, AI-powered routing directs them to the right agent, based on customer sentiment, intent and complexity.  

• For agents, Copilot brings the full context  – from a customer’s interaction history to relevant knowledge articles – into a single view, enabling faster, more empathetic responses. 

Microsoft Teams Phone enhances voice quality and supports smooth, reliable conversations, while integrated tools make collaboration easy during live customer interactions. Analytics across the platform give operations teams clear insight into service performance, helping spot trends, improve efficiency and act before small issues become bigger problems. 

Delivering results in the real world 

This unified vision is already enhancing customer service outcomes at scale. Microsoft’s own Customer Service and Support (CSS) team – one of the largest globally, with over 45,000 agents in 92 contact centres across 120 countries – uses Dynamics 365 and Copilot daily.

Since adopting the platform, the team has seen faster first responses, shorter handling times and more cases resolved without escalation. 

Microsoft CSS statistics source: Microsoft Office of Chief Economist. Wave 2.5 study about the early impact of Copilot in Dynamics 365 Customer Service across Microsoft commercial support. The numbers reflect results from 9,900 agents from a specific five-month period (April-September 2023). Findings were evaluated at the business unit level, not across the entire CSS organization. Full results language (where necessary): 9% faster First Response rate in several areas of Azure Core and Windows Commercial Support; 12-16% decrease in Average Handle Time observed by several businesses for agents handling chat cases; 7.5% reduction in Days to Close support tickets in a portion of Windows Commercial support line of business; 13% reduction in Days to Solution of support tickets in one Developer support line of business.

Read more about how Microsoft transformed customer service and support

Organisations across the UK are seeing similar gains. VIVID, a major housing provider, has used Microsoft’s CCaaS solution to transform both customer and employee experience. Call abandonment rates have plummeted, average speed to answer has fallen from six minutes to under a minute, and digital engagement has surged. 

With simple queries handled through self-service, staff can now spend more time on complex, meaningful customer interactions. Explore how VIVID enhanced customer and staff experiences

Virgin Money has also embraced the opportunity. Their virtual assistant, Redi, built using Microsoft Copilot Studio, handles queries with a human tone – and knows when to escalate. Because it’s fully integrated with Dynamics 365, Redi stays compliant, on-brand and in sync with the rest of the service team. Read how a virtual assistant is helping reimagine Virgin Money’s customer experience

“By designing customer journeys in Microsoft Copilot, over 90% of our customers get what they want from Redi.” 

Adam Paice, Head of Digital Proposition, Virgin Money 

Experience the Microsoft difference

In today’s increasingly saturated markets, great customer experience is a powerful differentiator. Beyond resolving issues, brands that create meaningful moments inspire loyalty and trust. Moreover, when support staff are empowered with the right AI tools, they’re not only more productive but feel more satisfied at work. 

Organisations are now accessing these benefits in one connected solution. Copilot-powered tools like Dynamics 365 Customer Service are helping agents work smarter, not harder – automating repetitive tasks, surfacing insights and ensuring every interaction feels personal. 

And because it’s all built on a secure, integrated Microsoft ecosystem, you can scale confidently, backed by trusted data governance and responsible AI. 

Start your customer experience transformation

One year on, Microsoft CCaaS has already transformed the way many organisations think about customer service. But the real opportunity is still ahead. If you’re ready to connect more personally and operate more efficiently, now is the time to explore what’s possible. 

Find out more 

• Visit our website: Explore Contact Centre as a Service with Dynamics 365 

• Download the report: Modernise UK Contact Centres with the Cloud and AI 

• Watch the Microsoft Tech Brief: Transform Your Service Experience 

About the author

Ayanna is a Go-To-Market Manager for the AI Business Process team based in London, with a focus on driving pipeline growth and strategic execution for Dynamics 365 Customer Experience and Customer Service solutions. Known for her cross-functional leadership and deep understanding of customer needs, Ayanna partners closely with sales, marketing and partner teams to accelerate deal velocity and influence AI transformation across key industries.

The post Unified. Intelligent. Proven. Celebrating exceptional customer service experiences  appeared first on Microsoft Industry Blogs - United Kingdom.

We look forward to connecting with many of our customers, partners and peers at the Microsoft Stand, D40. We’re excited to be discussing how Microsoft 365 Copilot is helping give time back to NHS staff and bringing you hands-on demos, including the newly launched Microsoft Dragon Copilot – our groundbreaking AI clinical assistant that streamlines decision-making and enhances the patient experience.

Discover more at the AI Innovation Learning Theatre

As the AI Innovation Learning Theatre sponsor, we’ll also be leading conversations on how responsible AI is empowering the UK’s healthcare workforce and helping teams achieve more. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore the future of healthcare.

Date: 11 June 2025
Time: 10:30 – 10:50
Session: I’ll be taking part in a Fireside Chat alongside Ben Attwood, Oxford University Hospitals
 
Date: 11 June 2025
Time: 12:30 – 13:15
Session: Decoding Copilots and Agents in Healthcare with Microsoft and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
 
Date: 12 June 2025
Time: 09:30 – 10:15
Session: Transforming the NHS: The role of AI in addressing critical challenges with Microsoft, MHRA, Carnall Farrar and others

Partner-powered innovation for NHS priorities

As a further highlight, we’re thrilled to be showcasing the work of six healthcare partners at the Microsoft AI Partner Village on stand D48.

These partners have successfully launched and continue to support innovative and effective healthcare solutions using Microsoft platforms and solutions. Collectively, their expertise helps empower clinical and administrative teams, enhance patient experiences and improve care outcomes.

Read on for a sneak preview of the transformative technologies you can expect to discover and explore at the conference. 

• The Access Group‘s solutions are designed to streamline workflows, reduce administrative burdens, and improve compliance, aligning with NHS priorities and IT standards. At the company’s stand, NHS professionals can see demos of Access Rio Observations and Access Rio Smart Notes, which offer automated dictation, secure integration and enhanced workflow efficiency.
  
  These tools ensure all patient information is accessible in one place, improve documentation accuracy and provide structured templates for consistent note-taking. Join us to understand how smart innovations can enhance patient care and operational efficiency. 
  
• DigPacks harnesses the full capabilities of Microsoft’s Power Platform, including Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI and AI Agents (Copilot Studio), to deliver modern digital solutions across both back-office and clinical workflows. DigPacks will be showcasing different solutions, such as 2Refer – referral processing; DigDocs – document management; and DPIA – governance and compliance.
  
  By reducing manual effort, accelerating turnaround times, improving data accuracy, and strengthening compliance, DigPacks drives meaningful outcomes. Built to align with NHS standards and priorities, the company is endorsed by both NHS England and Microsoft for its impact in healthcare transformation. 
  
• SAS Institute (SAS) is the founder and future of analytics. For decades, SAS has helped customers turn data into actionable insights. SAS Health on Azure can help organisations leverage data for informed decisions. This helps healthcare providers accelerate research, enhance diagnoses, personalise care and prevent disease for better health outcomes. 
  
• Tanium‘s Autonomous Endpoint Management (AEM) leverages AI/ML capabilities built into the platform to drive faster, better decision making and significant business outcomes. All industries including healthcare and the NHS in the UK can benefit from Tanium’s real-time data and remediation. Tanium amplifies Microsoft’s security portfolio with visibility to every endpoint – managed or unmanaged – supporting security and compliance across your environment.
  
  “The ability to use Tanium is a game-changer and lifesaver for us” – Ian Hogan, Chief digital information officer, Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
  
• Transparity will be showcasing live demonstrations of its AI-powered solutions, along with in-depth explorations of real-world case studies from its customers in the healthcare sector, such as Dorset Healthcare and NHS Bucks. Visitors to the Microsoft AI Partner Village will gain practical insights and examples of how Transparity’s solutions have been successfully implemented.
  
• Trustmarque, in collaboration with the Microsoft Healthcare team, will showcase how its combined expertise is driving efficiencies within the NHS by scaling proven innovations. The presentation will highlight Trustmarque’s successful partnerships with a number of trusts and Arm’s Length Bodies. In addition, Trustmarque will demonstrate the practical applications of generative AI in clinical care. This includes automating routine workflows, streamlining clinical documentation, and providing real-time insights to enhance clinical decision-making and improve patient outcomes.

These overviews represent just a few of the ways we and our partners are supporting the NHS with trusted, AI-powered solutions. Explore more Microsoft AI-powered healthcare innovations in action today.

We’d love to continue the conversation with you at Stand D40, as well as at the Microsoft AI Partner Village and AI Innovation Learning Theatre.

If you work for the NHS or wider public sector, entry is free. To secure your space, visit the NHS ConfedExpo 2025 site.

About the author

Jacob West is Managing Director of Government, Healthcare & Life Sciences at Microsoft UK. With wide-ranging, international experience in commercial, public and not-for-profit sectors, Jacob leads teams that transform public services. He was adviser to two UK Prime Ministers, and has worked across most areas of the public sector.

The post Partnering for progress: transforming the NHS with AI innovation appeared first on Microsoft Industry Blogs - United Kingdom.

If you’re a software development company (SDC) in this sector, the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Programme provides the tools and resources you need to drive innovation and growth. It can support you whether you’re developing AI-powered applications for the first time, migrating from another cloud provider or simply looking to expand your reach.

In this blog, we’ll explore how maximising your Microsoft partnership as a healthcare SDC enables you to build, scale and sell AI-powered healthcare solutions that make a real impact.

Build AI solutions with Microsoft for Startups

Microsoft for Startups helps early-stage healthcare companies overcome barriers in launching and scaling AI-powered applications. Founders can access:

• Azure cloud credits to build AI-powered, HIPAA-compliant applications with security and scalability.
• 24/7 Azure Standard Support, ensuring AI-powered healthcare applications run smoothly and efficiently.
• GitHub Enterprise for secure, collaborative development of AI health-tech solutions.
• Azure OpenAI Service, enabling SDCs to integrate advanced AI models into healthcare applications.
• LinkedIn business tools to better connect with healthcare professionals and institutions.
• Microsoft 365 Business Standard for productivity and seamless communication with healthcare clients and stakeholders.
• Mentorship and technical advisory hours with AI and industry experts.

These benefits allow healthcare SDCs to focus on building transformative AI solutions that will help patients and care providers without worrying about infrastructure limitations.

Figure 1. Four key business stages supported by the Microsoft for Startups programme.

Develop, extend and sell AI-powered solutions through ISV Success

For established SDCs aiming to scale their AI-powered healthcare applications, ISV Success (now in public preview) provides resources to enhance software capabilities, improve cloud efficiency and reach new markets. Benefits include:

• Developer sandbox with Microsoft Cloud credits for building secure and compliant AI-powered healthcare applications.
• Best-in-class AI development tools, including Azure Machine Learning, GitHub Copilot and Visual Studio.
• Technical advisory hours and AI architecture reviews to ensure robust and scalable solutions.
• Consultations on publishing AI-powered healthcare apps in the Microsoft commercial marketplace.
• Opportunities to qualify for additional cloud credits and up to 50 hours of business and technical AI consultations.

As an ISV Success member, you’ll also gain access to Marketplace Rewards, which provides go-to-market benefits that help increase your visibility and reach, and accelerate growth.

Figure 2. The ISV Success Programme can support you as you build, publish and grow.

Go to market with the Microsoft commercial marketplace

Reaching healthcare organisations, hospitals and clinics can be challenging. The Microsoft commercial marketplace simplifies this process by offering a trusted, scalable platform to showcase your AI-powered solutions. Healthcare software development companies can:

• List, trial, consult or transact their AI-powered applications through Microsoft AppSource and Azure Marketplace.
• Sell directly to healthcare providers, payers and life sciences organisations.
• Benefit from Microsoft’s co-sell programmes, increasing visibility and adoption.
• Enable customers with Azure consumption commitments to apply their existing credits towards buying AI-powered solutions.

Healthcare SDCs using Marketplace Rewards see five times more sales than those without it, making it a powerful tool for expanding your market reach.

Maximise value with a Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment agreement

A Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment (MACC) agreement offers additional benefits that can significantly enhance the value proposition for healthcare SDCs. By entering into a MACC agreement, partners can:

• Optimise cloud spend: Commit to a specific level of Azure consumption for cost savings and more predictable cloud expenses.
• Access additional resources: Gain access to exclusive resources and support to help maximise the value of your Azure investment.
• Enhanced co-sell opportunities: Leverage Microsoft’s extensive sales network to co-sell your AI-powered healthcare solutions, increasing market visibility and adoption.
• Flexible payment options: Benefit from flexible payment terms that align with your business needs and growth trajectory.
• Priority support: Receive priority support to ensure your AI-powered applications run smoothly and efficiently.

By leveraging a MACC agreement, you can unlock even greater potential for innovation, scalability and market reach, helping make a significant impact in the healthcare industry.

Pangaea Data: innovating AI-powered apps with Azure

As a Microsoft partner, Pangaea Data leveraged the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Programme to drive innovation and growth. Its AI-powered healthcare applications foster collaboration and improve patient outcomes while saving the NHS £1 billion.

Read the customer story: Pangaea Data built novel AI with Azure

Pangaea Data’s success illustrates the transformative power of partnering with Microsoft. It shows how SDCs can leverage our robust cloud platform and resources to drive innovation and achieve remarkable business outcomes.

Join the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Programme

Start accelerating success today by joining the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Programme. In the meantime, check out two key Microsoft SDC resources below – an e-book explaining how developers can create intelligent, personalised apps that elevate user experiences; and a webinar outlining new resources and financial incentives in our ISV Success Programme.

Get the e-book: Transform ISV Applications with Intelligent AI Personalisation

Watch the webinar: What is New in ISV Success – AI Benefits and More

Find out more

Join the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Programme

Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Programme

Microsoft commercial marketplace

About the author

Ruth Bickerton is a Senior Partner Development Manager at Microsoft. With a focus on driving partner success, Ruth plays a pivotal role in fostering strategic partnerships within the healthcare sector. Her expertise lies in collaborating with software development companies (SDCs) and other businesses with substantial growth potential, particularly those interested in AI and disruptive market strategies.

The post Software development companies in healthcare: grow your business with Microsoft AI appeared first on Microsoft Industry Blogs - United Kingdom.

The emergence of AI agents is poised to further accelerate innovation. In this article, we’ll explore the impact of these agents on the insurance sector and how organisations are using them to transform business operations.   

What are AI-powered agents?  

Often referred to as “orchestrator agents”, autonomous AI agents are designed to achieve specific goals with reduced intervention from us. Extracting greater value from existing data, reducing operational costs, automating processes and improving decision-making. They can also learn from past interactions and even execute tasks autonomously.

While these improvements are promising, safety is key to rolling out agentic systems. This means prioritising security, privacy and safety throughout AI development. Drawing on decades of expertise in building AI products, Microsoft is committed to industry-leading practices and capabilities. This includes our Secure Future Initiative and Responsible AI principles, providing a solid foundation to unlock AI’s transformative potential with confidence.  

These efforts enable insurers to enhance the customer experience while maintaining outstanding standards of trust and reliability.

Using agents in the insurance industry 

Here are some significant industry use cases. 

Transforming underwriting through time-saving

AI-enabled tools in underwriting can automate data ingestion, translate unstructured data into structured data, and help underwriters access and interpret information from multiple, isolated sources.  

For example, Markerstudy Group built an app for its claims department on Azure OpenAI to summarise claims calls for handlers. With 300 claims handlers using the app, the organisation saved around four minutes per call – and a total of 7,500 working days.

AI agents can also provide real-time cross-checks, ensure compliance with new regulations, and help underwriters evaluate more policies by removing manual tasks from their workflow. For example, Zurich Insurance Group is using tools like Azure OpenAI to support more accurate, efficient risk evaluations – accelerating underwriting and boosting customer satisfaction.

Automating claims processes and data analysis

Agentic AI can automate the extraction and validation of claims data from forms, emails or portals. It can also cross-reference claim information with policies and coverage terms, and route claims for approval or escalation based on pre-defined rules.  

Insurance platform Nsure.com has created a customer copilot which draws data from Microsoft Fabric and helps customers submit payments, review renewal offers and request discounts. Along with text, the copilot offers an interactive voice response option and handles around 60% of customer questions. In scenarios like this, agents can reduce the claims process from weeks to hours.  

Improving customer services and empowering employees

With chatbots available 24/7 and capable of understanding natural language, AI agents can increase customer choice, personalisation and satisfaction. 

When a customer initiates a claim, they typically complete a form to gather general information and open the damage case. To streamline this process and improve service quality, insurance company DOMCURA has developed an AI-powered agent called Claimens, capable of handling calls, guiding customers through the claim form and outlining next steps.  

By handling simple tasks, the agent enables case workers to focus on more complex claims, which helps improve the experience for both customers and employees. 

Take the next step with trusted support 

With the UK government’s Action Plan emphasising the role of AI in driving economic growth, implementing AI-powered agents is now a key strategic priority and differentiator for businesses.  

The value of agents comes from their potential to support complex use cases across business functions, particularly for workflows that involve time-consuming tasks or require multiple sources of data. To get started with Microsoft as your partner, we invite you to co-innovate AI use cases to ensure we’re transforming priority areas.  

By leveraging proven solutions, you can streamline processes and improve customer satisfaction while maintaining the highest standards of trust and reliability. 

To learn how to build your strategic plan today and discover the five stages of AI value creation, download a free copy of our AI Strategy Roadmap.  

Find out more

Read the blog: Insurance in the era of generative AI – use cases that transform the industry

About the author

James has held leadership positions across Microsoft Consumer and Enterprise teams. With a passion for people and technology coming together to drive customer success, he has been at the forefront of cloud and digital transformation for over a decade, developing new revenue streams and significantly accelerating growth.

The post Transforming insurance with AI-powered autonomous agents  appeared first on Microsoft Industry Blogs - United Kingdom.

As organisations seek new ways to boost productivity and engage employees, AI-powered tools are stepping in to assist with these role-specific tasks. Microsoft’s new report, Agents of Change, explores how “agentic AI” tools are transforming organisations by handling routine processes, helping leaders solve real business challenges and freeing up time for higher-value work.

🎥 Watch: How AI is transforming work – key findings from the report
Hear Microsoft UK’s Rob Smithson (Business Applications Lead) and Eleri Gibbon (SME&C Lead) discuss insights from Agents of Change report and how businesses can get started with AI-powered agents.

Why AI agents herald a new work era

AI tools are already helping organisations work more efficiently. According to Microsoft’s report, a survey of nearly 3,000 UK decision-makers and employees found that 41% believe AI can independently deliver decision-ready insights.

But agentic AI isn’t just an efficiency tool. By freeing employees to focus on more strategic work and supporting innovation, it’s a major driver of economic growth.

Businesses that embrace it fully are seeing the biggest gains. For example, Taylor Wimpey, one of the UK’s largest housebuilders, has embedded AI-powered tools into its operations to improve decision-making and enhance customer interactions. By integrating AI into its home-buying process, the company is reducing administrative burdens, allowing sales teams to focus more on personalising the customer experience.

Read more about how Taylor Wimpey is using AI to enhance customer experiences.

The adoption divide: vision vs. reality

While AI’s potential is clear, our report notes that a gap remains between the optimism of leaders and employees’ preparedness to adopt AI. While half of senior decision-makers view AI as essential, only a third of employees feel their organisation is equipped to use these technologies effectively.

To bridge this gap, Arup, the global design and engineering firm, is using AI-powered agents to streamline complex design processes and improve collaboration across disciplines. By leveraging AI in its project workflows, Arup enables architects, engineers and urban planners to work more efficiently while maintaining high-quality, sustainable design standards.

Read more about how Arup is streamlining design processes with AI.

Building trust with secure, responsible AI

Successfully integrating AI requires strong security measures and a commitment to trust and ethics, which includes fostering transparency across the organisation.

🎥 Watch: Employee experience and security in AI adoption – key findings from the report

Hear Microsoft UK’s Mark Nixon (Modern Work Lead) and Marc Carney (Security Lead) explore how organisations can build trust in AI, from security best practices to responsible AI development.

According to our report, 46% of leaders say their organisation doesn’t have a formal AI strategy and only 40% feel confident they’re using AI effectively to protect against cyber threats.

As for ethics, Microsoft’s Responsible AI development approach focuses on transparency and accountability, which help organisations confidently implement AI.

Simmons & Simmons, a leading international law firm, is promoting responsible AI use by embedding AI-powered compliance tools into its processes. These tools help legal teams more efficiently detect regulatory risks while maintaining transparency and ethical oversight. By implementing AI with a strong governance framework, the firm is building confidence in AI-powered decision-making.

Read more about how Simmons & Simmons is advancing responsible AI use.

Shaping the future of work with AI-powered agents

Agentic AI is transforming work by automating everyday tasks, and employees who use AI appreciate the value it brings. The report found that these employees are 65% more likely to say it helps them focus on the most important parts of their job.

One reason for this morale boost is that, perhaps paradoxically, AI enhances teamwork. Notably, the best outcomes emerge when humans and AI work together rather than in isolation, whether for brainstorming, task co-ordination or creative development.

For example, marketing teams can use AI to generate web copy, ads or blogs – which humans then polish for publication. Similarly, radiologists can use AI to detect early signs of disease, while human experts verify the results, make treatment decisions and communicate with patients. 

This brief review and Microsoft’s report provide insights into how AI-powered agents are reshaping work today. Watch the videos above for more inspiration on how to get started and make the most of agents. With the right strategy, you can quickly unlock new levels of productivity, security and innovation.

Now is the time to embrace agentic AI and realise the potential of your workforce.

Find out more

Download the full Agents of Change report

The post Agents of Change: unlocking the potential of AI-powered agents appeared first on Microsoft Industry Blogs - United Kingdom.

Nowhere is this more evident than within the Lloyd’s Market, where Insurtech companies are redefining underwriting, claims and customer experiences through digital innovation.

Tackling operational efficiency and processing capacity for claims and other workflows remains a key focus for the industry, one that is well-suited to the advancements we’re seeing with today’s Large Language Models (LLMs) and agents.¹ 

With Microsoft’s cloud and AI technologies underpinning many of these Insurtech solutions, innovation is accelerating in three crucial areas:

• Transforming the policyholder experience
• Modernising risk and compliance
• Transforming core insurance systems

The result is that Insurtech innovators are boosting productivity, accelerating time to market and enhancing collaboration and engagement. 

As the industry adapts to new economic realities, regulatory pressures and customer expectations, Insurtech companies exemplify the innovative spirit that positions 2025 as a big year for digital transformation. A recent generative AI study² for the insurance market suggests that nine out of 10 insurers plan to invest in generative AI over the coming year in their bid to achieve more. 

Transforming risk placement and underwriting

Notwithstanding their unique respective operations, PPL and InsurX are both leaders in driving value-chain efficiency and modernising processes that support smooth risk placing and processing in the London Market. 

Enhancing collaboration 

PPL is advancing the London Market’s digital placing capability with a new trading hub built on Microsoft technologies. The move will speed the company’s transition from a document-led, administrative placing process to a a new e-trading and data hub built on Microsoft’s cloud and AI technologies.

The collaboration is set to enable: 

• Powerful and actionable broker and carrier insight delivered by bespoke PPL Copilot prompts. These will empower users to compare, analyse and gain insight in real time to inform next actions.   
• End-to-end trading data housed in an intelligent Microsoft Fabric-powered data hub. This will provide PPL clients with easy access to structured, secure and rich data to inform and support business decisions. 

These advancements create an agile digital marketplace that fosters collaboration and efficiency at the heart of the Lloyd’s Market. 

Revolutionising underwriting 

InsurX ’s mission is to modernise the complex $1.2 trillion commercial underwriting industry for the 21^st century. Part of the Lloyd’s Lab accelerator programme in 2022, the company has developed a two-sided digital exchange that allows brokers and insurers to algorithmically trade insurance risks. 

The live exchange now includes over 50 enterprise insurers and brokers, and is set to trade $1 billion in premiums by 2026. By leveraging Microsoft Azure, InsurX’s technology enables brokers and underwriters to:  

• Define risk appetite: underwriters can tailor algorithmic rules to their precise risk criteria.  
• Match risks to rules: brokers find capacity in minutes as the InsurX matching engine cross-references their submissions against rules. 
• Sign contracts automatically: InsurX then binds policies and delivers high-quality reporting to all parties. 

 Ultimately, InsurX seeks to streamline insurance risk-processing, making it faster, more efficient and more cost-effective for brokers and underwriters. 

Outwards reinsurance reinvented

Cenata is a pioneering business focused on outwards reinsurance and committed to driving change and improving operational outcomes at a global level. Cenata has developed a game-changing solution called CenataSure, an Azure-based outwards reinsurance management platform, which underpins and futureproofs its growing client base.

By leveraging Microsoft Azure data services, the CenataSure platform enables insurers to better manage reinsurance risks and compliance, and leverage opportunity across the London and international markets.  

The platform delivers powerful insight from extremely large insurance datasets, enabling business performance optimisation. With Azure CosmosDB and Synapse Analytics in play, Cenata can also scale exceptional performance for organisations of all sizes by enabling:   

• Granular insight: a real-time picture of reinsurance premium and claims position for proactive decision making, all to outstanding levels of detail. 
• Complex calculation automation: detailed automation at scale, delivering frictionless straight-through processing with no manual intervention. 
• Regulatory compliance: automating statutory reporting, such as QMA, SRS and schedule F reports, to streamline operations.  

Cenata partners with global services organisations such as Synpulse, a ceded insurance specialist, to deliver large-scale transformation projects – and at the core of each project is CenataSure.

Transforming the policyholder experience 

In the digital-first world, customers demand hyper-personalised experiences. Peppercorn AI, powered by Microsoft Azure, has emerged as a leader in delivering these tailored experiences for insurance customers through its specialist conversational AI platform, Pipr.  

By leveraging Azure’s Cognitive and Azure Open AI services, the Pipr platform can:  

• Provide instant, highly intuitive responses to customer inquiries through AI, powered by its digital conversational assistant. 
• Amend and update policy information within individual customer profiles in real-time. 
• Deliver highly personalised guidance based on customer needs and behaviours. 

PeppercornAI is also leveraging generative AI to improve risk selection for the insurance provider. While recognising possible quote manipulation, it also provides a better informed, personalised customer experience – a win-win strategy. 

The UK Insurtech sector remains strong 

The UK is currently home to the world’s second largest Insurtech cluster and has produced eight “unicorns” (companies valued at more than $1 billion). This is more than the rest of Europe combined.³  More widely, the sector makes a significant contribution of almost £5 billion to the UK economy (GDP) and supports 60,000 jobs across the UK. 

This impressive achievement positions Insurtech not only as a vital economic contributor but also as a global leader in innovation. By continuing to harness Microsoft AI and data-driven solutions, the sector is well-positioned to drive growth, create jobs and shape the future of insurance. 

For its part, Microsoft is committed to providing efficient tools and platforms to advance industry innovation and empower strong collaboration for both physical and digital interactions. 

Discover the power of partnership 

ISV Success, part of our Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Programme, will give you all the support and guidance you need on the Microsoft Cloud. You can also gain free Azure credits, developer tools, app consultations and much more.   

If you’re an Insurtech company looking for support with AI innovation and go-to-market, please reach out to our UK ISV team or find out more by visiting the Microsoft ISV Hub.

Footnotes

¹ Transform Insurance Industry Workflows Using Generative AI Models and Azure Services | Microsoft Community Hub 

² Your journey to a GenAI future: An insurer’s strategic path to success 

³ Insurtech UK Roadmap 2024 

Find out more

Join our ISV Success Programme

About the author

As the Insurtech partner lead for Microsoft UK, George helps Insurance B2B software companies innovate with Microsoft’s Cloud and AI platforms, and reach new customers together. He has more than 13 years’ experience working in the Microsoft Partner ecosystem, most recently helping Fintechs drive successful commercial partnerships with Microsoft.

The post 2025: the year of data and AI innovation in UK Insurtech  appeared first on Microsoft Industry Blogs - United Kingdom.

With the South West emerging as a vibrant tech hub, our Exeter stop was a fitting location to showcase AI’s transformative potential. 

Exploring the AI opportunity 

In my keynote, I discussed the immense opportunity AI presents to the UK public sector. Studies suggest that AI adoption could save the UK £17 billion by 2035. I highlighted real-world applications, from NHS clinicians detecting cancers earlier to local councils reducing air pollution, underscoring the need for bold leadership to embrace these technologies. 

Beyond financial savings, I emphasised how AI is enabling public servants to refocus on their core mission – serving citizens more effectively, while setting new standards in efficiency and innovation. 

The South West itself is a model of regional innovation. With over 18,000 tech companies and an annual tech investment of £454 million, it demonstrates how local initiatives can drive national impact.  

The Met Office’s pioneering work is a prime example. Using Microsoft Azure’s supercomputing-as-a-service, the Met Office optimises weather predictions, helping communities better prepare for extreme weather and supporting climate resilience.  

Richard Bevan, CTO at the Met Office, shared intriguing insights into how AI, including the groundbreaking Fastnet prediction tool, is transforming weather forecasting. Developed in partnership with the Alan Turing Institute, Fastnet leverages AI to refine temperature predictions and bridge gaps in oceanic data – a vital resource for tackling climate change.  

Richard also highlighted recent adoption figures for Microsoft Copilot at the Met Office.

“With Microsoft Copilot saving an average 27 minutes daily per user, we can focus more on the higher-value tasks.”

Richard Bevan, CTO, Met Office

This suggests the powerful role AI can play in not only improving operational efficiency but also enhancing productivity in the sector. 

Nurturing AI readiness and innovation 

The event also featured a thought-provoking panel discussion with leaders such as Professor Kirstine Dale (Chief Data & AI Officer at the Met Office), Dr John McCormick (CCIO at NHS Devon ICB) and David Baker (Head of Automation and Technology at Shropshire Council). 

Together, they explored pressing topics like information governance, accessibility and workforce skilling. Kirstine’s observation that “it’s all about people and communication” resonated deeply, reminding us that successful AI adoption centres around empowerment and requires keeping citizens and employees at the heart of every decision. 

Equipping public sector professionals with the skills to harness AI was another recurring theme. My colleague Paul Griffiths, Public Sector Skills Lead at Microsoft UK, shared data highlighting that 75% of workers are already using AI tools.  

As Paul noted, however, significant gaps in readiness remain. This underlines the importance of skills initiatives, such as LinkedIn Learning and TechHer. LinkedIn Learning has to date empowered over 80 million learners globally with AI-related skills, while TechHer helps women across the UK gain technical skills to advance their careers. This Microsoft programme has trained nearly 4,000 women in government to date, and you can register your interest for TechHer 2025 today. 

Looking ahead, the role of AI in the public sector is clear. From clearing NHS backlogs to making cities more sustainable, AI has the potential to reimagine how services are delivered. However, realising this vision requires robust infrastructure, strong governance and a commitment to empowering public servants with the tools and training they need to succeed.  

How is your organisation preparing for AI adoption? I’d love to hear your thoughts on how AI is transforming public sector services. 

Find out more

• Register for the Microsoft AI Tour in London on March 5, 2025
• Visit the Microsoft UK AI Hub for real-life customer stories, events and resources
• Assess your AI readiness today 

About the author

Robin has 20 years of experience in Microsoft and local public services, with deep expertise in the local government and housing sectors. His technology background helps align emerging tech with sector priorities, driving innovation in services and resident outcomes. He has worked on many shared services and unitary council mergers, and is passionate about using AI and reform to modernise processes. Robin leads Microsoft’s Local Public Services team, driving transformation across the sector.

The post Driving innovation in the UK public sector with AI    appeared first on Microsoft Industry Blogs - United Kingdom.