Microsoft and C3 AI Expand Partnership to Promote Enterprise AI

Microsoft and enterprise artificial intelligence (AI) application software company C3 AI have expanded their strategic partnership to accelerate the adoption of enterprise AI on the cloud computing platform Microsoft Azure.

The companies first partnered in 2018 and they have delivered enterprise AI solutions at scale to some of the world’s largest organizations since then, they said in a Tuesday (Nov. 19) press release.

Under their new agreement, Microsoft is the preferred cloud provider for C3 AI offerings and C3 AI is a preferred application software provider on Microsoft Azure, according to the release.

The companies also will collaborate on technical integration, product development, joint delivery of their integrated solutions, and joint sales, marketing and customer support, the release said.

In addition, they will immediately deliver all C3 AI Enterprise AI solutions across Azure sales channels, per the release.

“This strategic alliance accelerates the adoption of Enterprise AI, benefiting customers with broadly available enterprise AI application software to achieve rapid time-to-value in supply chain optimization, product optimization, predictive maintenance, government efficiency, ESG goal attainment and energy management,” C3 AI Chairman and CEO Thomas M. Siebel said in the release.

Judson Althoff, executive vice president and chief commercial officer at Microsoft, said in the release that the companies’ partnership will help enterprises use AI to address complex challenges, accelerate their business transformation and achieve their sustainability goals.

“Through our alliance, we will enhance existing capabilities and introduce new innovations that help our mutual customers maximize delivery of high-value enterprise AI solutions with Azure,” Althoff said.

There has been surging demand for enterprise AI applications as businesses and government agencies rush to adopt the transformative technology, C3 AI said in a Sept. 4 earnings report.

The company said its revenue grew 21% year over year to $87.2 million in its first fiscal quarter ended July 31. Subscription revenue increased 20% to $73.5 million.

“We’re off to a solid start for fiscal year ’25,” Siebel said during C3 AI’s quarterly earnings call. “This quarter marked our sixth consecutive quarter of accelerating revenue growth, reflecting our high levels of customer satisfaction and increasing demand for enterprise AI applications.”