Microsoft Partners Adapt to AI-Driven Customer Expectations

Microsoft partners are adapting to a changing landscape as artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more prevalent in customer interactions. AI is no longer just about deploying and integrating Teams, voice, and collaboration technologies, but about understanding how customers expect to interact with these technologies.

Mefteh Werghemmi, co-founder and CEO of Microsoft partner Heedify, notes that the shift from implementation to applying AI capabilities is already underway. 'AI in general is a very hot topic,' he said. 'It's not just the same partners dealing with voice and AI, but it's quite a similar zone.'

The change is particularly apparent around customer experience and voice AI, where larger partners are building dedicated teams to understand customer requirements and map them to emerging AI capabilities. This shift extends beyond deploying contact centers or connecting voice systems, as AI gives partners another way to engage with customers.

Werghemmi emphasizes that the growing availability of AI tools doesn't threaten the traditional role of systems integrators (SIs). Instead, it requires an understanding of the customer's business and how to apply AI responsibly. 'You can use knowledge base to answer some of the questions, and that's not even in the IVR,' he said. 'You can plug it to your CRM so that it knows the customer.'

This evolution means partners need to become more knowledgeable about the risks and limitations of AI. Werghemmi notes that much of Heedify's work with partners is focused on helping them address customer concerns, such as data, security, reliability, and accountability.