Innovation in Action: Azure Red Hat OpenShift at Build and Red Hat Summit 2025

Microsoft

May 12, 2025

The strategic partnership between Microsoft Azure and Red Hat continues to flourish in 2025, with both companies showcasing their joint innovations at two major tech events: Microsoft Build (May 19-22 in Seattle) and Red Hat Summit 2025. This collaboration represents one of tech's most impactful partnerships, combining Microsoft's cloud expertise with Red Hat's open-source leadership to create solutions that drive digital transformation across industries.

Microsoft Build 2025: AI Innovation Meets Open Source

Microsoft Build 2025 will take place from May 19-22 at the Seattle Convention Center, bringing together developers, creators, and AI innovators from around the world. This year's event has been extended to four days, offering more opportunities for learning and networking.

A key highlight at Microsoft Build will be a demonstration titled "Deploy AI Applications on Azure Red Hat OpenShift: Connecting OpenAI Services". This demo will walk attendees through the process of deploying AI applications on Azure Red Hat OpenShift by connecting Azure OpenAI services. Participants will learn how to set up Azure OpenAI, configure ARO environments, and establish the connections needed to create functional AI applications. The session will also cover navigation of the Azure AI Foundry portal, exploration of available models, and deployment of a working example.

Red Hat Summit 2025: Microsoft as Platinum Sponsor

Microsoft has announced its role as a platinum sponsor for Red Hat Summit 2025, underscoring the importance of this partnership. Attendees will find Microsoft at booth #424, where they'll be demonstrating the latest integrations between Azure and Red Hat solutions.

The Summit in Boston, MA will feature numerous sessions highlighting the integration of Red Hat technologies with Microsoft Azure, from containerization and Kubernetes to hybrid cloud solutions and AI. Additional notable sessions include:

"Red Hat OpenShift cloud services: What's new and what's next" (May 20th, 10:00 AM) - Session Link
"Ask me anything: Red Hat OpenShift cloud services" (May 21st, 11:00 AM) - Session Link

Key Focus Areas Across Both Events

Based on the scheduled sessions and recent announcements, several themes emerge in the Azure-Red Hat partnership for 2025:

1. Azure Red Hat OpenShift Evolution

Azure Red Hat OpenShift (ARO) continues to be a centerpiece of the partnership, with multiple sessions dedicated to its capabilities, security features, and use cases. Notable enhancements include:

Enhanced security with Confidential Containers, now in public preview
Managed identity for Azure Red Hat OpenShift, also now in public preview, simplifying authentication and reducing operational complexity
Expansion to new regions including Spain Central, with planned availability in Microsoft Azure Government regions in Texas and Arizona will be available this month.
Support for OpenShift 4.16

These continuous improvements to ARO reflect Microsoft and Red Hat's commitment to providing a secure, scalable, and geographically diverse platform that empowers organizations to focus on innovation rather than infrastructure management.

2. AI and ML Integration

The convergence of Red Hat OpenShift AI and Microsoft Azure AI is a major focus, with dedicated sessions on:

"Red Hat OpenShift AI and Microsoft Azure AI, better together" (May 20th, 3:00 PM) - Session Link
Lab: "Building security-focused AI applications with managed identities on Azure Red Hat OpenShift" (May 20th, 1:00 PM) - Session Link
“Operationalize AI with Microsoft Azure Red Hat OpenShift” (May 21, 2pm) - Session Link

These sessions will explore how organizations can leverage both platforms to build, deploy, and manage AI applications at scale.

3. Security and Compliance

Security remains paramount in enterprise cloud adoption, with sessions covering:

"Microsoft Azure Red Hat OpenShift: Essential security, trust, and compliance" (May 21st, 12:00 PM) - Session Link
“Building security-focused AI applications with managed identities on Azure Red Hat OpenShift” May 20^th, 1:00 PM Tuesday- Session Link
(Lab) Securing AI applications using managed identities on Microsoft Azure Red Hat OpenShift - 5/20, 1:00 PM

4. Hybrid Cloud and Multicloud Management

Several sessions address the realities of today's distributed environments:

"Efficiently managing and securing multicluster environments at Banco Bradesco SA" (May 20th, 10:00 AM) - Session Link
"Driving business value: CAE’s Red Hat-powered transformation in aviation" (May 20^th, 11:45am) - Session Link

5. Virtualization

"Modernizing VM Workloads: OpenShift Virtualization on Azure Red Hat OpenShift for Hybrid Cloud" (Wed, May 21st, 11:10AM-11:30AM EST, Summit Discovery Theater #2, Expo Hall)- Session Link
"OpenShift virtualization on Azure Red Hat OpenShift" (Wed May 21^st, 1:40 EST, Red Hat Dev Zone) - Session Link

The Lightning Talk on OpenShift Virtualization, presented by Campbell Vertesi (CTO Red Hat/MSFT partnership) and Mayuri Gupta (Sr. Product Manager, Microsoft), will demonstrate how OpenShift Virtualization on Azure Red Hat OpenShift enables VM migration to fully managed cloud infrastructure while embracing cloud-native innovation. This jointly engineered solution provides consistent management of VMs and containers, allowing IT teams to focus on strategic initiatives rather than infrastructure maintenance. Don't miss "Modernizing VM workloads: OpenShift Virtualization on Azure Red Hat OpenShift for hybrid cloud", Wednesday, May 21 at 11:10 AM - 11:30 AM EDT, Discovery Theater 2 - Expo hall.

6. Enterprise Migration and Modernization

The partnership continues to focus on helping enterprises modernize their applications:

"Migration and modernization: Commercial software using Microsoft Azure Red Hat OpenShift" (May 20th, 3:45 PM) - Session Link
"Driving business value: CAE's Red Hat-powered transformation in aviation" (May 20th, 11:00 AM) - Session Link

Real-World Success Stories

The sessions will highlight several customer success stories, including:

Banco Bradesco SA's approach to managing multicluster environments- 5/20, 10:30 AM
CAE's transformation in the aviation industry using Red Hat technologies
Teranet's impressive migration journey from on-premises OpenShift Container Platform to Azure Red Hat OpenShift, which saved CA$5.6 million in capital expenditures while improving operational efficiency and scalability (Read the full customer story)

The Teranet session: "Transforming Teranet: Maximizing the benefits of migration to Azure Red Hat OpenShift" will be particularly valuable for organizations considering similar migrations. Presented by Campbell Vertesi, CTO of the Red Hat/Microsoft partnership, and Nicholas Laine, Director of Cloud & Platform Architecture at Teranet, this breakout session will share firsthand experiences, best practices, and practical insights for cloud migration journeys. Attendees will learn specific strategies for optimizing datacenter hardware, streamlining operations, and scaling infrastructure seamlessly using Azure Red Hat OpenShift. Join us on Wednesday, May 21st from 12:30PM to 1:10PM EST in BCEC - Room 257A (Level 2).

Looking Ahead

As organizations continue their cloud journey, the Microsoft-Red Hat partnership offers a powerful combination of technologies to address modern IT challenges. From hybrid cloud deployment to containerization, AI integration, and automation, these solutions are designed to help enterprises innovate faster and deliver value to their customers.

Whether you're attending Microsoft Build, Red Hat Summit, or both, these events offer valuable opportunities to explore how Azure and Red Hat technologies can work together to power your organization's digital transformation initiatives.