Biz Apps Partner Podcast: Bob Evans on Microsoft’s Market Leadership, AI Innovation, Partner Ecosystem
Welcome to the “Biz Apps Partner Podcast,” a weekly video series designed to decentralize intelligence about how partners can scale their Microsoft practice by having short, to the point discussions with Microsoft leaders in product, engineering, marketing, partner management, programs, and more.
In this episode, John Siefert is joined by Bob Evans, Founder, Cloud Wars, Co-Founder, Acceleration Economy. The two discuss Microsoft’s top position in the cloud market and Cloud Wars Top 10, its partner ecosystem, market differentiation, and the benefits of AI integration.
This episode is brought to you by two events: the Biz Apps Partner Preconference Workshop, taking place on October 13, at Community Summit North America 2024, and the Biz Apps Partner Summit, taking place July 23-24, 2025 in Seattle, Washington.
Key Takeaways
- Overview of Cloud Wars: The Cloud Wars Top 10 is an ongoing analysis of the top cloud providers. Bob explains that it’s a privilege to monitor Microsoft and other top technology companies, focusing on how their innovations align with business strategies to scale their operations and enhance customer experiences.
- Why Microsoft is #1: While overall size and cloud revenue are important indicators of customer demand, it’s crucial to consider how well a company’s products and services align with market needs and the digital transformation goals of CEOs and CFOs, explains Bob. As such, Microsoft’s success lies in its ability to co-create with customers and partners, helping them shape their futures and drive innovation, earning them a #1 spot on the Cloud Wars Top 10 list.
- Microsoft’s partner ecosystem: Microsoft was one of the first big tech companies to incentivize its sales organization based on partner and ecosystem sales, highlighting the strong link between Microsoft and its ecosystem. This partner-centric approach has been fully embraced as the cloud market expands, demonstrating that what’s beneficial for the ecosystem is also beneficial for Microsoft.
- Market differentiation: A few years ago, some big tech companies criticized Microsoft’s cloud revenue as not being “real cloud” because it included applications like Microsoft 365 and security. However, Microsoft’s comprehensive portfolio, which addresses all levels of a customer’s technology needs, has become a key differentiator, and now those same companies are trying to adopt a similar approach.
- Partner and customer trends: Businesses are seeing significant benefits from AI by integrating it into various aspects of their operations, creating an end-to-end revolution rather than just discrete improvements. This approach not only enhances efficiency but also requires a cultural shift to adapt to the transformative impact of AI on their processes and workforce.
- Final note for partners: Microsoft partners have long been distinguished by their technological expertise, helping companies deploy, install, and maintain capabilities. Now, they are evolving to become evangelists for change optimization, helping businesses envision and create their future, which is crucial for dazzling customers and staying ahead in the market.
Stream the audio version of this episode here:
