New IBM-Microsoft Experience Zones Launched in Bucharest, Buffalo, and Leicester to Drive Business Transformation with Generative AI and Hybrid Cloud

September 19, 2024

Armonk, N.Y., Sept. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — IBM, in collaboration with Microsoft, has officially opened three new IBM-Microsoft Experience Zones located within IBM’s Client Innovation Centers. These zones are situated in Bucharest, Romania; Buffalo, New York; and Leicester, United Kingdom. They are designed to help businesses from various industries such as financial services, government, healthcare, industrial, manufacturing, and consumer packaged goods (CPG) harness the power of generative AI, hybrid cloud, and other Microsoft technologies to enhance and transform their operations.

The new Experience Zones join the inaugural IBM-Microsoft Experience Zone in Bangalore, India, which opened in April 2024. These additional locations aim to broaden IBM’s ability to engage with clients globally, offering them the tools and expertise needed to explore and leverage Microsoft’s technology stack for business innovation and growth. The locations of the new Experience Zones are:

• Bucharest, Romania


• Buffalo, New York


• Leicester, United Kingdom

IBM, in partnership with Microsoft, announced three new IBM-Microsoft Experience Zones opening at the company’s Client Innovation Centers in Bucharest, Romania, Buffalo, New York, and Leicester, United Kingdom, to help clients explore and innovate through the benefits of generative AI, hybrid cloud and other Microsoft technologies to transform their business.

Brian Wood, Research Director, Global IT Services and Systems Integration Services at IDC, remarked, “The IBM-Microsoft Experience Zones will provide clients and prospects an opportunity to explore potential solutions that leverage the strengths of both organizations. The combined tools and platforms for data and AI show synergy in many environments and business processes.”

The IBM-Microsoft Experience Zones

These Experience Zones will offer IBM’s global clients access to a suite of Microsoft technologies, including Microsoft Azure, Azure Open AI Service, Microsoft Copilot, Microsoft Dynamics, and more. Dedicated technology stations will allow clients to explore and co-create generative AI solutions that span both internal and external business functions. Additionally, clients can experiment with selected IBM technologies that operate on Microsoft Azure, such as the IBM Maximo Application Suite.

Chris McGuire, Vice President and General Manager for the Global Microsoft Strategic Partnership at IBM, stated, “Our IBM consultants understand the challenges today’s businesses face in adapting to the cloud and how AI can help them drive successful business outcomes. Before clients begin their cloud transformation journey, these Experience Zones can provide opportunities for hands-on access and ideation with IBM and Microsoft experts to identify those challenges and help clients develop technology solutions to create value and solve their most pressing business needs.”

At the Bangalore Experience Zone, CIOs and their teams have already explored solutions related to cloud modernization, Microsoft Azure, and custom copilots. Clients from industries such as manufacturing, gas and oil, and CPG have shown interest in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) capabilities, including Microsoft’s Hololens and Azure Internet of Things (IoT) and Edge solutions.

IBM experts work onsite with clients to identify and solve unique business challenges using cloud and generative AI solutions, aimed at accelerating business transformation and enhancing return on investment. For instance, a financial services client could use Microsoft Copilot to reduce the time required to find documentation and review loan applications. Meanwhile, a healthcare client could leverage Microsoft Azure solutions to ensure secure, cross-clinic access to patient files for business-critical applications.

In addition to providing practical solutions, the Experience Zones offer clients the opportunity to upskill their employees by showcasing next-generation technologies and industry-specific case studies. This helps enterprises harness the power of generative AI to navigate complex business environments.

Dinis Couto, GM, GSI Commercial Partners at Microsoft, commented, “IBM’s inaugural Microsoft Experience Zone has empowered customers to harness the full potential of the Microsoft Cloud, generative AI, and Copilot, to enable business transformation, and we are thrilled that IBM is launching three additional IBM-Microsoft Experience Zones. Our partnership with IBM to establish three new Experience Zones will enable even more customers to create groundbreaking and transformative AI-powered services and solutions.”

Microsoft as a Strategic Partner

IBM Consulting’s ongoing investment and collaboration with Microsoft aim to bring cloud and generative AI solutions to market through the expertise and guidance of IBM’s dedicated practice of Microsoft practitioners globally. As of now, IBM consultants hold over 46,000 Microsoft certifications, with plans to add 10,000 generative AI certifications by the end of 2024. IBM consultants have successfully delivered thousands of Microsoft projects for clients, and the new Experience Zones provide another platform for global clients to engage and discuss their business needs and leverage IBM’s expertise to develop and deliver innovative solutions.

During the recent IBM-Microsoft Copilot Hackathon, 250 client teams and over 800 participants worked alongside experts from IBM, Neudesic, Bluetab, and Microsoft to co-create AI-based solutions aimed at improving productivity, unlocking creativity, and streamlining business processes. The hackathon’s winning prototypes addressed challenges such as enhancing customer engagement and accelerating business decision-making.

With the addition of these three new Experience Zones, IBM continues to demonstrate its commitment to its strategic partnership with Microsoft. This collaboration aims to deliver joint solutions for clients globally, unlocking the full potential of generative AI and hybrid cloud technologies. Given the growing client interest and demand for Microsoft technologies, IBM is considering expanding the Experience Zones to additional global Client Innovation Centers in the future. To learn more about IBM’s collaboration with Microsoft, visit here.

About IBM

IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, offering consulting expertise to clients in more than 175 countries. IBM helps clients capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs, and gain a competitive edge in their industries. More than 4,000 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications, and healthcare rely on IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to drive their digital transformations efficiently and securely. IBM’s innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions, and consulting deliver open and flexible options to clients, backed by a commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity, and service.

Visit www.ibm.com for more information.

Source: IBM