How AI and Cloud Are Redefining the Future of Mid-market Companies

The Microsoft SME&C Sales and Partner Summit EMEA was a significant milestone in shaping the future vision for mid-market companies, as well as in fostering collaboration between Microsoft and its partners, such as Inetum, who attended the summit.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cloud are no longer just technological tools—they have become the engines of deep business transformation. The Summit highlighted how organizations can evolve into “Frontier Firms”: companies that integrate hybrid teams of humans and AI agents, capable of redefining agility, scale, and competitiveness in the global market.

1. Frontier Firms. The New Standard of Competitiveness

“Frontier Firms” represent the new generation of companies leading the adoption of AI and advanced automation. These organizations don’t just use AI for isolated tasks, they embed it at the core of their operations, creating hybrid teams where humans and intelligent agents collaborate naturally.

Three stages of AI adoption maturity:

• Stage 1: Humans with a system. Employees use tools like Copilot to boost individual productivity.
• Stage 2: Humans and agents working together. AI is integrated into workflows, enhancing the capacity of human teams.
• Stage 3: Humans leading, agents operating. AI agents execute operations at scale, while humans focus on strategy and critical decision-making.

This model enables companies to achieve faster results, operate with unprecedented agility, and scale their business efficiently. According to data presented at the Summit, 81% of SME leaders are already rethinking their strategies due to AI, and 70% are seeking real use cases to apply in their business.

2. Applied AI. From Curiosity to Mass Adoption and Tangible ROI

AI has moved beyond experimentation to become a strategic pillar for Mid-Market companies. The Summit showcased how organizations are implementing intelligent agents and solutions like Copilot to automate complex tasks, from proposal generation to contract analysis, achieving exponential time savings and measurable ROI.

Featured example:

A partner deployed 13 AI agents to automate the creation of proposals and client materials. The result was a radical cultural shift: the organization moved from initial apathy to “phenomenal” adoption, with growing enthusiasm for innovation.

Keys to success:

• Mandatory training: Access to AI tools is conditioned on prompt engineering training, ensuring effective use and maximizing value.
• Centers of Excellence (CoE): Leading companies are creating AI CoEs, involving all business areas to identify and validate use cases with real impact.

3. Cloud and Integrated Platforms. Agility, Scalability, and Global Expansion

Migration to Microsoft Azure public cloud and standardization on platforms like Dynamics 365 are enabling companies to open new operations in weeks —not months— and manage critical processes centrally and securely.

Competitive advantages of cloud and integration:

• Operational agility: Companies with over 95% of their infrastructure on Microsoft have reduced the time to open new locations from two months to two weeks, with zero downtime and native multi-country support.
• Standardized processes: Dynamics 365 enables the hiring and training of hundreds of employees in record time, supporting local regulations and facilitating international expansion.
• Total integration: Connecting personal productivity (Outlook, Teams) and business processes (CRM, ERP) on a single platform accelerates decision-making and innovation.
• New sales channels: Integration with e-commerce platforms and social networks allows companies to open new markets and revenue streams quickly.

4. Advanced Security. The New Currency of Trust in Multicloud Environments

Cybersecurity has become an absolute priority for Mid-Market companies, especially in the context of AI and multicloud environments. The Summit highlighted how organizations are adopting native Microsoft solutions like Sentinel and Defender to protect data and operations, managing threats centrally and proactively.

Key security strategies:

• Centralized visibility and control: Microsoft Sentinel enables companies to visualize and protect workloads in Azure and, increasingly, in AWS, from a single console.
• Automation and response: AI and automation capabilities allow organizations to prioritize and remediate emerging threats quickly, maintaining data integrity and customer trust.
• Security by design: Security is integrated from the outset in all products and services, ensuring a robust and proactive posture against threats.

5. High-Impact Use Cases and Immediate ROI

The success of AI and cloud is measured in tangible results. The Summit presented concrete examples of how companies are achieving operational efficiencies and drastic cost savings through intelligent automation.

Highlighted cases:

• Contract analysis at Baringa: Reviewed 42,000 contracts in just 3 months (vs. 9 years of manual work), thanks to a system based on Azure and OpenAI.
• Code review at SEFE: A custom agent reduces pull request review time from hours to minutes, saving £2,000 per month with an operating cost of just £100.
• Global expansion at Eataly: Companies migrating to Microsoft public cloud have reduced the time to open new stores from two months to two weeks, with zero downtime and multi-country support.

At the Summit, Simeon Nachev– Inetum’s EEMEA Microsoft Practice Lead- highlighted how Copilot Studio is driving agentic transformation, using the I-City project in Brussels as a prime example. Inetum partnered with I-City to modernize citizen services through Microsoft Dynamics, enabling agile, omnichannel experiences and operational excellence. The collaboration delivered a 60% reduction in open incidents within three months and established a scalable, secure platform ready for AI adoption. This case demonstrates the immediate ROI and transformative impact of Microsoft’s AI-powered solutions in the public sector.

The Time to Transform Is Now

The SME&C Summit demonstrated that the combination of AI, cloud, and advanced security is the ultimate lever for Mid-Market companies to accelerate growth, improve efficiency, and strengthen resilience. “Frontier Firms” are already leading the way, and at Inetum, we support our clients on this journey, helping turn technological innovation into tangible and sustainable business results.