Microsoft is creating a new 6,000-employee organization to help companies with the technical and strategic work of implementing artificial intelligence.
Employees in the division will have experience across engineering, corporate training and management, as well as specific industries, Microsoft announced Thursday.
By working more closely with customers, they will be able to implement AI more efficiently and inform Microsoft’s own product development decisions, Judson Althoff, chief executive officer of Microsoft’s commercial business, said in an interview.
Traditionally, software vendors have left this type of low-margin implementation work to consulting firms. However, in the AI era, many are realizing that businesses need additional help implementing cutting-edge tools.
Popularized by Palantir Technologies Inc., the model of placing engineers within customer organizations has since been adopted by vendors from Salesforce Inc. to OpenAI. Amazon.com’s cloud division announced a similar initiative on Tuesday.
Althoff said the idea was born in part from customer concerns about the rising costs of AI.
