---

Will Stack IT replace Azure, GCP and AWS in Europe?

---

It is one of those questions that makes the rounds in boardrooms and strategy sessions: could a European cloud provider such as Stack IT ever replace the global giants Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud? On the surface, the timing seems right. Policymakers in Brussels are pushing hard for digital sovereignty . National governments are raising the bar on compliance. Enterprises, especially those in highly regulated industries, are looking for alternatives that give them peace of mind when it comes to data protection .

Against this backdrop, Stack IT enters the picture and positions itself as a trustworthy, sovereign alternative. But does that mean it will dethrone the hyperscalers anytime soon? The short answer is no. The longer answer is that Stack IT is carving out a very specific role—one that complements rather than replaces the global players. Let’s explore why.

---

What is Stack IT Cloud?

---

Stack IT Cloud is a European cloud provider headquartered in Germany, designed from the ground up to deliver sovereignty, compliance, and trust. Unlike global hyperscalers that operate under U.S. law, Stack IT ensures that all data remains subject to European jurisdiction and GDPR standards . This is a powerful differentiator for organizations in sectors such as government, healthcare, or finance, where regulatory compliance is more than a checkmark—it is mission-critical.

The portfolio of Stack IT Cloud is intentionally lean. It focuses on core infrastructure services such as compute power through virtual machines, secure block and object storage, and enterprise-grade backup solutions. It also enables container-based application architectures through Kubernetes and API-driven orchestration. On top of that, Stack IT provides networking capabilities, including VPN and private interconnects, that allow seamless integration into hybrid and multi-cloud environments. Selected managed services, such as databases and developer platforms, round off the offering.

This is not the “everything store” of cloud computing. Instead, it is a curated set of services designed to meet the sovereignty and security requirements of European enterprises while staying compatible with modern IT architectures.

---

The Common Ground: Stack IT and the Hyperscalers

---

Despite the differences in scale, Stack IT shares essential characteristics with Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud. At the heart of each platform lies the same principle: elastic, scalable, and on-demand infrastructure . A virtual machine provisioned in Stack IT behaves much like one in AWS or Azure. Developers consume resources when needed and pay for what they use—cloud as utility computing.

There is also shared alignment in architecture. Kubernetes, containers, APIs, and automation are the standards of cloud-native design. Enterprises building CI/CD pipelines or microservices applications do not need to abandon these models when shifting workloads to Stack IT.

Security and compliance, too, form common ground. Encryption, access management, monitoring, and certifications are expected from any enterprise-grade cloud provider. While Stack IT emphasizes European data residency, the hyperscalers also invest heavily in compliance frameworks.

Finally, all providers embrace the idea of ecosystems. Hyperscalers thrive because of their vast partner networks. Stack IT is following the same playbook, building alliances with software vendors, local integrators, and public sector agencies.

---

Where the Differences Really Matter

---

The crucial differences lie in scale, scope, and innovation .

Hyperscalers operate at a global level with hundreds of services covering everything from AI supercomputers to IoT platforms. By contrast, Stack IT deliberately restricts itself to a smaller service catalog. This reflects its strategy: it does not aim to compete feature by feature, but to excel in trust, compliance, and sovereignty.

The global footprint of hyperscalers is another dividing line. Microsoft Azure spans more than 60 regions, AWS operates data centers on nearly every continent, and Google Cloud integrates seamlessly with worldwide enterprises . Stack IT, in contrast, is rooted in Europe. Its strength lies in local data residency and legal jurisdiction.

Innovation speed also highlights the difference. Microsoft, Amazon, and Google pour billions into R&D every quarter, releasing new services on a near-weekly cadence. Stack IT cannot keep up with that pace. Instead, it focuses on stability, reliability, and sovereign compliance.

Finally, there is customer reach and credibility. Hyperscalers are deeply entrenched in enterprise IT. Stack IT is still building that track record, primarily within the public sector and regulated industries.

---

Conclusion: A Complement, Not a Replacement

---

So, will Stack IT replace Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud in Europe? The reality is no—not now, and not in the foreseeable future. The hyperscalers are simply too far ahead in terms of service breadth, innovation, and global infrastructure.

But Stack IT has an essential role to play. It is not a competitor in the traditional sense, but a complement in a broader multi-cloud strategy. Enterprises can continue to leverage Azure, AWS, and GCP for advanced services such as analytics, AI, and global collaboration. At the same time, they can integrate Stack IT for workloads that require absolute sovereignty, strict compliance, or local data residency guarantees.

For public sector organizations, healthcare providers, financial institutions, and operators of critical infrastructure, Stack IT delivers peace of mind that no global hyperscaler can offer. It enables a dual approach: global innovation through hyperscalers combined with European trust through Stack IT.

The question is not whether Stack IT will replace the hyperscalers. It won’t. The smarter question is how enterprises can design an architecture where both worlds work together. That is where the future of European cloud lies.

Stay clever. Stay responsible. Stay scalable.
Your Mr. Microsoft,
Uwe Zabel

---

Curious about Stack IT and how it fits into your multi-cloud strategy?
Follow my journey on zabu.cloud—where cloud, AI, and business strategy converge.
Or ping me directly—because building the future works better as a team.

---

Cloud Lock-In Is Not the Enemy

It Might Be Your Superpower

---

I just returned from a family vacation in Denmark — no laptop, no phone, no Teams, just pure nature: wind, sand, sea, plants. It was a conscious digital detox. Slowing down like that gives me space to reflect and let new ideas emerge.

One thing kept showing up in my viewfinder multiple times: a lighthouse.

We often talk about “lighthouse projects” in IT industry. Projects that shine brightly and inspire others. But let’s be honest, not all lighthouse signals lead to safe harbors. Some can set misleading trends.

---

About Vendor Lock-In

---

One such trend we’ve debated for years: Avoiding cloud vendor Lock-In at all costs.

We’ve all heard it:

• “But what if we want to switch providers later?”
• “We must avoid Lock-In at all costs!”
• “Let’s keep everything containerized and portable, just in case…”

Let’s zoom out for a second.

The Lock-In effect isn’t new, nor is it exclusive to cloud. We’ve had it for years:

• SAP? Lock-In.
• Oracle? Very Lock-In.
• VMware? Oh yes.
• Even your iPhone and that “can’t-live-without-it” app ecosystem? You guessed it — Lock-In.

---

Hyperscalers are not the bad ones

---

So why is it only when we talk about cloud hyperscalers that it becomes the big bad wolf?

Here’s what I think:

If you get the best possible outcome by going deep into a platform’s native capabilities, it is not a bad thing.

Especially in custom software development, embracing cloud-native services. And I mean yes, really embracing them, not just wrapping your VMs in a container and calling it cloud:

• Faster time-to-market
• Lower operational and infrastructure costs
• Richer event-driven capabilities
• Tighter integration into the digital ecosystem
• Modern architectures that scale and evolve

For our clients, this translates directly to business value:

• A better ROI through smarter resource usage
• Shorter go-to-market cycles, enabling first-mover advantage
• More room for innovation in the product and customer experience

Portability sounds great in theory. But in practice, it often leads to abstraction layers that cost performance, budget, and developer happiness.

Here’s my challenge to you:

Let’s stop treating “avoiding Lock-In” as a virtue by default. Let’s instead guide our clients to make intentional, value-driven decisions. If Azure (or AWS, or GCP) offers a service that solves their problem better and faster than a generic alternative — why not go for it?

Don’t build for the unlikely exit strategy. — Build for impact. Build for value. Build smart.

Let’s help our clients unlock the real power of the cloud by embracing modern, intelligent software, made for cloud, not despite them.

Be bold. Be native. Be modern.

#MicrosoftCloud #CloudNative #NoFearOfLockIn #ModernApps #IntelligentSoftware #AzureLove #BetterROI #FasterGTM #InnovationAccelerator

Your Mr. Microsoft

Read more about Cloud here in my Blog

---

SAP on Azure: How to Optimize Your ERP

---

SAP is a leading provider of enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions that help businesses run better. However, running SAP applications on-premises can be costly, complex and risky. That’s why many SAP clients are looking for ways to migrate their SAP workloads to the cloud and take advantage of the benefits of cloud computing with SAP on Azure.

One of the best options for SAP customers is Azure, the cloud platform optimized for SAP. Microsofts cloud platform Azure is SAP certified to run your mission-critical SAP applications, including SAP HANA, SAP S/4HANA, SAP BW/4HANA, SAP Business Suite and more. Azure is the industry’s most performant and scalable SAP cloud infrastructure, offering 192-gigabyte to 12-terabyte SAP HANA–certified virtual machines in more regions than any other public cloud provider. Azure also offers specially designed SAP HANA instances that can scale up to 20 TB on a single node and support persistent storage.

---

Optimizing your ERP-system

---

By running your SAP-system on Microsofts Azure, you can optimize your ERP operations in the cloud with the following benefits:

– Reduce costs and complexity: Azure helps you lower your total cost of ownership (TCO) by providing flexible pricing models, pay-as-you-go billing, and discounts for reserved instances. You can also simplify your IT management by using Azure services such as Azure Monitor for SAP solutions and Azure Backup to monitor, backup and restore your SAP systems.

– Increase agility and innovation: Azure enables you to scale your SAP systems up or down as needed, without compromising performance or availability. You can also leverage Azure services such as Azure Synapse Analytics, Power BI and Power Platform to gain insights from your SAP data and automate your business processes. You can also integrate your SAP systems with other cloud applications such as Microsoft Teams and Outlook to enhance collaboration and productivity.

– Strengthen security and compliance: Azure provides a secure and compliant cloud environment for your SAP workloads, with features such as encryption at rest and in transit, role-based access control, firewalls and network security groups. You can also benefit from Azure’s industry-leading security certifications and compliance offerings, such as ISO 27001, SOC 1, SOC 2, SOC 3 and GDPR.

---

How to migrate your SAP to Azure

---

Whether you want to migrate your existing SAP systems to Azure or deploy new SAP solutions on Azure, you have several options to choose from. You can deploy natively on Azure with a guided experience, or consider Azure for RISE with SAP, a new offering from SAP that provides a simplified and accelerated path to SAP S/4HANA in the cloud. You can also work with Microsoft or one of our partners to get expert guidance and support for your SAP on Azure journey.

To learn more about how you can optimize your ERP operations in the cloud Azure, visit this page. Read more about Microsoft Azure here in the Zabu.Cloud blog

---

Microsoft 365 from German Data Centers – Back to the Future?

---

Do you remember 2016? Pokémon Go had us wandering through parks, Stranger Things hit Netflix for the first time, and Microsoft launched its very own sovereign cloud in Germany, complete with data trustee and physical isolation. Well, guess what? We’re back. Sort of. Because Microsoft 365 is now—once again—available from German data centers.

But let me tell you upfront: it’s not a reboot, and it’s definitely not a sequel. It’s more like the remastered director’s cut, with extra features and better performance, but also a new plot twist.

Let’s hit rewind for a moment.

---

The First Chapter: Microsoft Cloud Germany and the Data Trustee Model

---

In 2016, Microsoft did something truly bold. In response to the Safe Harbor ruling by the European Court of Justice (which left many companies scrambling for a legally sound data hosting strategy), Microsoft introduced a German sovereign cloud hosted by T-Systems, with a very special setup:

• The data was hosted physically in Germany.
• T-Systems acted as a data trustee, controlling access.
• Microsoft, despite being the provider, couldn’t access your data—even if they wanted to.
• It was isolated from the global Microsoft backbone, meaning no traffic left Germany unless explicitly allowed.

Sounds like a nerd’s dream of digital sovereignty, right?

Well… almost. The model was secure, yes. But it came at a price. Both literally (about 25% more expensive than standard cloud) and functionally. The isolation meant limited feature sets, slower innovation, and no global integrations.

Microsoft’s own statement sums it up:

In the last three years, customer requirements have changed. Our customers want more comprehensive functionalities and connectivity with our global cloud infrastructure, which the sovereign Microsoft Cloud Germany with its special isolation does not allow.

Markus Nitschke, Director Microsoft Cloud Services in Germany

And so, in 2018, the sovereign cloud model was quietly sunsetted. Existing customers were migrated into the global cloud regions. RIP, Cloud Germany v1.

---

Fast-Forward to 2020: A New German Cloud Era

---

Cue the comeback: In 2019, Microsoft started spinning up brand-new data center regions in Germany, located in Frankfurt and Berlin. This time, with a modern approach:

Full feature parity with global Microsoft 365, Azure, and Dynamics 365
Connected to the Microsoft Global Backbone
Hosted physically in Germany
Aligned with GDPR and local compliance requirements

Azure became generally available in Q4 2019, followed by Microsoft 365 in Q1 2020. And yes, this time it’s for real. Not a limited feature set, not an isolated cloud island. But the full Microsoft Cloud experience, now anchored on German soil.

The difference?

This isn’t about locking out the world. It’s about data residency and compliance, not isolation. Your data is still under German jurisdiction, but Microsoft can now offer its full suite of services and innovations—cloud-powered, AI-boosted, and future-proof.

But yes, let’s be honest: legal access by US authorities under laws like the CLOUD Act remains a theoretical possibility, even with German data centers. That’s the trade-off: maximum functionality over air-gapped security.

---

From Stickers to Sovereignty – What It Means for You

---

If you’re a German organization still clinging to on-premise Excel spreadsheets, this is your wake-up call. Microsoft 365 out of German data centers means you can now:

• Meet local data residency requirements
• Tap into Power BI, Power Apps, Power Automate – all from within Germany
• Collaborate globally without data crossing oceans unnecessarily
• Keep your CIO and your data protection officer equally happy

And if you were already using Microsoft 365 but hosted in Amsterdam (West Europe) or Dublin (North Europe)? No worries—Microsoft introduced the Office Move Program in December 2020, allowing you to migrate your data into the German cloud regions.

But there was a catch: registration closed on April 30, 2021. If you missed that deadline, your data stays in its current region (for now). But hey, future move programs may come. Never say never in the cloud world.

---

So… Is This Just Round Two?

---

Not quite. The original German Cloud was like using an offline version of an online game. Safe, yes, but missing the multiplayer magic.

The new German Cloud Regions are more like a localized server in your favorite MMO. Same global experience, same epic loot drops. Just with better latency and stronger compliance buffs.

And let’s not forget the bigger picture: this isn’t just a technical shift, it’s a strategic one. Microsoft is showing a serious commitment to the German and EU markets, not just through data centers, but with partnerships like Delos Cloud, upcoming sovereign cloud offerings, and tailored compliance features built into the platform.

---

TL;DR – What You Need to Know

---

• Microsoft 365, Azure, and Dynamics 365 are now available from new German cloud regions in Frankfurt and Berlin.
• Connected to the global backbone, full feature parity, GDPR-compliant.
• The old data trustee model is history but so is the limited feature set.
• If your data is still in Dublin or Amsterdam, you had a chance to move it by April 2021.
• More German-based capabilities are rolling out all the time this is just the beginning.

---

Nerdy, Compliant, and Proud

---

So here we are, back in the game. This time with a proper respawn. And I, for one, am happy to see Microsoft 365 “coming home” to Germany in a form that finally checks both boxes: compliance and capability.

You’ll find more about Microsoft 365, Azure, Sovereign Cloud, and all the bits and bytes that make up this digital transformation journey right here on zabu.cloud.

Bonus reading: Check out Microsoft’s Cloud Germany Whitepaper and learn more about the Office Move Program on the Microsoft News Center.

Stay secure, stay nerdy,
Your Mr. Microsoft
Uwe Zabel

---

SAP & Microsoft Sign 3-Year Strategic Partnership

Simplifying SAP Cloud Migrations

---

When two giants of the enterprise software world shake hands, it’s worth paying attention. On October 21, 2019, SAP and Microsoft signed a three-year strategic partnership agreement, aiming to help their joint enterprise customers modernize and migrate their business processes into the cloud.

This deal doesn’t just tighten SAP’s relationship with Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform—it also highlights SAP’s strategy of working with all three hyperscalers: Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud. Internally, SAP calls this initiative Project Embrace. And that name is telling: SAP isn’t picking sides. Instead, it’s embracing the entire cloud ecosystem.

That said… it’s clear Microsoft Azure holds a special place at the table.

---

New Leadership, New Focus

---

Interestingly, the announcement came shortly after SAP’s longtime CEO Bill McDermott stepped down, making way for Jennifer Morgan—the first woman to lead a company listed in Germany’s blue-chip DAX index.

And what did Morgan focus on in her first major announcement?
SAP S/4HANA. No surprise there.

SAP’s flagship product, S/4HANA, remains at the heart of its cloud transformation strategy. As Morgan highlighted during the company’s Q3 earnings call, SAP posted a 10% revenue increase for the quarter—a sign that the transition from on-premise to cloud services is already paying off.

---

Why This Partnership Matters

---

In Morgan’s own words:

“We’ve bundled SAP’s cloud platform services to support customers around extension, integration, and orchestration of SAP systems.”

Translation: SAP’s cloud services will now be sold through Microsoft’s global sales channels. For customers, this means:

• Simplified purchasing
• Integrated support models
• A more cohesive roadmap for running SAP workloads on Azure

Why does this matter? Because historically, migrating from on-prem SAP systems to the cloud wasn’t exactly… smooth. Many enterprises viewed SAP cloud transformations as:

• Overcomplicated
• Resource-intensive
• Risky
• And full of hidden costs

This partnership is SAP and Microsoft’s joint response to those concerns.

---

The Strategic Reality: SAP Cloud or Azure?

---

Now, here’s a nerdy detail many outside SAP circles don’t realize:
SAP’s own SAP Cloud Platform is largely powered by… wait for it… Microsoft Azure.

Yes, you read that right. SAP Cloud Platform is effectively a managed layer running on top of Azure infrastructure. In other words, customers using “SAP Cloud” are often already leveraging Microsoft’s hyperscaler platform—whether they know it or not.

This partnership simply formalizes that relationship:

• SAP focuses on applications, extensions, and business processes.
• Microsoft delivers the scalable, secure cloud infrastructure underneath.

From a customer perspective, this is good news:

• Azure infrastructure with SAP-specific optimizations
• Microsoft global support combined with SAP services
• Joint innovations coming from two industry leaders

---

Making Cloud Migrations Easier

---

At its core, this partnership aims to tackle one of the biggest barriers to cloud adoption:

Complexity.

Together, SAP and Microsoft are working to:

• Provide reference architectures for SAP workloads on Azure
• Co-develop migration toolkits to simplify onboarding
• Build integrated support models to streamline operations
• Automate infrastructure provisioning with Microsoft Azure blueprints
• Reduce the friction of managing hybrid SAP environments

For companies running SAP on-premises, this partnership sends a clear message:
It’s time to move. And we’re making it easier.

---

The Big Picture: Why Azure Is Winning SAP Workloads

---

While SAP maintains partnerships with AWS and Google Cloud, it’s no secret that Microsoft Azure has become the preferred cloud platform for SAP workloads. Why?

Because Azure offers:

• Seamless integration with Microsoft 365, Power BI, and Teams
• Enterprise-grade security and compliance certifications
• Deep experience running SAP workloads at scale
• Familiar management tooling for IT teams (Azure Monitor, Azure Security Center)

It’s not just about “where your data lives.” It’s about how your business runs.

---

Final Thoughts from Mr. Microsoft

---

As someone working deep in the Microsoft Cloud ecosystem, this partnership feels like the perfect match. SAP brings its expertise in enterprise applications; Microsoft brings its hyperscale infrastructure and global reach.

Together, they’re simplifying SAP cloud migrations—and giving customers a future-proof roadmap to modern ERP.

If you’re running SAP workloads on-premises and considering your cloud options, this partnership should tell you one thing loud and clear:

SAP on Azure isn’t just possible. It’s preferred.

And that’s a message your CIO needs to hear.

Stay clever. Stay curious.
Your Mr. Microsoft,
Uwe Zabel

---

Want to know what SAP S/4HANA on Azure looks like in practice? Dive deeper on zabu.cloud or reach out directly. I’ll help you map your cloud journey—without the buzzwords.

---

Predicting and Optimizing Azure Costs Like a Pro

Why Planning in the Cloud Isn’t Guesswork. It’s Strategy

---

Let’s face it: moving workloads to the cloud sounds great—until the invoice arrives

When architecting IT landscapes in Microsoft Azure, you’re not just choosing performance and scalability. You’re also signing up for a new mindset in how costs behave. Unlike traditional infrastructure where you “buy big and hope for the best,” Azure flips the equation. You pay for what you use. Or… for what you accidentally leave running over the weekend.

That’s why predicting and optimizing your Azure spend is no longer a nice-to-have. It’s a survival skill for modern IT teams.

---

What Are Consumption Units, Anyway?

---

Azure isn’t a flat-rate buffet—it’s more like à la carte fine dining

Each service bills you based on unique metrics: per hour, per GB, per transaction, per CPU cycle—and sometimes all of the above. Let’s take Blob Storage as an example. You’ll get charged both for the amount of stored data and for read/write operations. That “cheap” €0.0126 per 10,000 operations? Multiply that across a chatty app or a noisy SQL server, and you’ll feel it in your next cost analysis.

---

The Hidden Factors Driving Your Azure Bill

---

Not all costs are created equal. Some sneak in through the back door:

• Resource Type: Every Azure service has its own pricing model. A web app isn’t a VM isn’t a database.
• Subscription Model: Whether you’re on an Enterprise Agreement, CSP, or Pay-As-You-Go—pricing differs.
• Azure Region: Prices for the same service can vary across global regions (Frankfurt ≠ East US).
• Billing Zones: Outbound traffic costs differ depending on where your data travels. Crossing zones = higher costs.

The bottom line? Your architecture decisions have a direct line to your finance department. Design wisely.

---

Forecast with the Azure Pricing Calculator

---

Thankfully, you’re not flying blind

At azure.microsoft.com/pricing/calculator, you can simulate any setup—from a single VM to a global app stack—and see estimated monthly costs. Want to switch from Standard to Premium SSDs? Change regions? Add a load balancer? You’ll see the impact in real time. Even better, you can export everything into Excel for budgeting, stakeholder buy-in, or a good old-fashioned debate.

Pro tip: Use tags and resource groups early on to group services by project or department—your future self will thank you.

---

Azure Advisor: Your Built-In Cost Whisperer

---

Azure Advisor is like having a FinOps consultant baked into the portal. It scans your environment and offers real-time, personalized recommendations across four pillars:

High Availability
Security
Performance
Costs

Especially useful are suggestions like:

• Shutting down underutilized VMs
• Right-sizing oversized instances
• Buying Reserved Instances to save up to 72%
• Cleaning up unused ExpressRoute circuits

Advisor doesn’t just flag the issues. It shows you the potential savings. It’s like someone handing you money back, but with graphs.

---

Get Granular with Azure Cost Analysis

---

Once you’re running, the Cost Analysis tool in the Azure portal gives you deep insights:

• Break down your costs by service, tag, department, or subscription
• See daily, weekly, or monthly trends
• Create and track budgets
• Forecast future spend based on current usage

It’s like putting on cloud-native x-ray goggles

Bonus: Set up alerts when spending thresholds are about to be crossed. No one likes surprise bills—especially your CFO.

---

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Comparison

---

Still comparing Azure to an old on-premise setup?

Microsoft’s TCO Calculator lets you input your existing infrastructure—VMs, storage, networking—and model the cost savings of moving to Azure. It’s designed to compare new environments, not hardware you’ve already paid off.

The result? Most customers discover that Azure doesn’t just shift costs. It reduces them—when done right.

---

Final Thoughts

---

Public cloud is not “cheap.” It’s smart. It rewards architecture, automation, and accountability. With tools like Azure Advisor, the Pricing Calculator, and Cost Management, you can go from reactive bill shock to proactive financial control.

Cloud cost planning isn’t a one-time activity. It’s a continuous discipline. And those who master it? They unlock not just savings—but strategic agility.

Stay clever. Stay responsible. Stay scalable.
Your Mr. Microsoft,
Uwe Zabel

---

Curious about building cost-optimized cloud architectures on Azure?
Follow my journey on zabu.cloud—where cloud, AI, and business strategy converge. Or ping me directly—because building the future works better as a team.

---

Microsoft’s AI Roadshow 2019 in Cologne and Munich

---

This year, Microsoft is once again hosting an AI Roadshow to convey to its partners that using artificial intelligence is not only simple but is already a part of our everyday lives. Examples include Office 365, Alexa, Siri, Google, and many more.

Many partners were invited to the two-day roadshow on May 17 in Munich and on May 20 in Cologne, at the respective Microsoft locations. Microsoft traditionally invites some of its partners as speakers for such events to share firsthand insights on the topic.

---

Representing Dicide at the AI Roadshow

---

This year, I had the opportunity to represent Dicide at Microsoft’s AI Roadshow. My topic focused on how artificial intelligence (AI, Azure Cognitive Services) can optimize processes so that they can handle multiple times the current volume without additional staff resources. A notable advantage of using Microsoft Azure Cognitive Services is that a POC (Proof of Concept) can be set up quickly, enabling a customer demo that easily illustrates the positive impact for their business.

---

AI — An Ethical Question?

---

All the other presentations were equally fascinating. Not only did we witness firsthand how artificial intelligence is already integrated into Office 365, supporting our daily work, but we also saw how much easier things can be when we break from our usual routines. Serious topics were also on the agenda. With all the discussions around AI, ethics must be considered. One valuable statement from a discussion was: “You may make an unethical decision if you have a good reason, but it’s important to examine the underlying questions, and all options must be reviewed.” What is certainly wrong is ignoring the ethical considerations or failing to assess them altogether.

At least once, we must consider what effect it has on an end user when a customer service chat on a website is no longer managed by a human but is replaced by a service bot. How does this person feel when they encounter this for the first time? How can we optimally support or prepare users so that this first experience is a positive one? Only then can we expect that these new tools will be embraced in the future.

---

Help, AI is Coming

---

Frank Eilers, a well-known keynote speaker and podcaster (though actually from a different field, as he isn’t in IT), introduced us to the topic with the phrase “Help, AI is Coming” and, in his typical style, demonstrated that AI is already omnipresent. Our daily lives have changed even if we don’t use AI ourselves. This happens simply because these systems exist, influencing the way we act, react, and engage.

Many thanks to Raik Herrmann and Ayse Uzunali from Microsoft for organizing and inviting me. I had a wonderful time.