IBM has set the pace, and now Microsoft is following suit. The Redmond-based software giant is opening its third "IoT & AI Insider Lab" worldwide in the Bavarian capital. The Windows company's love affair with Munich isn't entirely new: Last October, Microsoft already relocated its German headquarters to Schwabing.
Munich is only the third city worldwide where Microsoft is launching one of its IoT & AI Labs – after its home city of Redmond, Washington, and Shenzhen, China. The lab is centrally located in Munich's Lehel district and is aimed at companies from across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Sabine Bendiek, CEO of Microsoft Germany, explains the purpose of the facility:
"With our IoT & AI Insider Lab, we pursue a holistic approach to supporting IoT and AI projects from ideation through prototype development to market launch. We accompany our customers' digital transformation by not only helping them connect their products, services, and business models, but also by enriching them with intelligence."
Microsoft supports with hardware, software and consulting
The lab supports companies of all industries and sizes in particular in extracting maximum value from data. Collecting, networking, and analyzing data, says Bendiek, should not be an end in itself.
“It’s all about analyzing the right data in the right way to derive concrete insights and decisions that sustainably increase business success.”
Lab participants receive free access to hardware and software, as well as consulting from Microsoft developers, engineers, and data specialists. According to Cyra Richardson, responsible for the Labs at Microsoft, a great success:
"Customer projects from the labs in Shenzhen and Redmond show that with just three weeks in the lab, customers achieve the results that would have taken them four to six months to achieve on their own."
In a marketing video, Microsoft introduces its IoT & AI Insider Labs:
Companies can apply to work in the Munich Lab here!
