Get alignment early to build AI apps and agents and sell on Marketplace
Frontier firms are pulling ahead. The data is clear why. According to Microsoft research of Frontier firms: 71% of leaders say their company is thriving, compared to just 39% of workers globally, 93% are optimistic about future work opportunities, 55% say they’re able to take on more work, versus 25% globally. But the difference isn’t experimentation with AI. It’s execution. Work Trend Index Annual Report, 2025 How getting business and technical alignment with AI development helps Frontier firms are succeeding because they align business intent, technical design, and security expectations before building AI apps and agents. They don’t treat alignment as a workshop or a slide deck. They treat it as a prerequisite to building agents that actually work, scale, and earn trust. Microsoft helps you adopt this same approach through structured guidance in App Advisor, AI envisioning resources, and practical checklists designed to keep teams aligned from design through deployment. Why alignment separates Frontier firms from the rest AI apps and agents increasingly operate inside critical business workflows. That raises the bar. When alignment is missing, teams often ship agents that technically function but fail in production due to security gaps, unclear ownership, or mismatched expectations around outcomes. Teams that align early are better positioned to: Move faster through build by eliminating ambiguity, Build agents that reliably perform the job they’re designed to do, Embed security, governance, and trust by design, not as an afterthought, Reduce redesign cycles caused by unclear requirements or late-stage constraints. This is where guidance-first approach from Microsoft plays a critical role. How App Advisor helps teams align before they build App Advisor is intentionally designed to help teams put an alignment framework together at the start. To move faster later. App Advisor gives you: Tools to help your business get an AI Center of Excellence, Systems, like Azure Essentials and Cloud Adoption Framework, Checklists for every step of the way, so that teams stay informed, Toolkits and services that build in answers to friction that your team can leverage. These shared starting points helps ensure what teams build reflects real business needs and can be deployed responsibly. Using AI envisioning sessions to align outcomes The Microsoft AI envisioning sessions complement App Advisor by helping teams translate strategy into execution. The Business–Technical Alignment Checklist for Microsoft Foundry helps teams stay synchronized as they build. It ensures architecture, cost, security, and delivery choices support a clear business outcome—not just technical success. This checklist reinforces practices like: Defining shared success metrics and KPIs, Setting joint budget guardrails and cost visibility, Establishing cross-functional cadence and governance, Planning for integration testing and real-world workflows, Using a shared project workspace as a single source of truth. This alignment reduces late-stage friction when you’re preparing to publish, co-sell, or scale. This translates into offers that are easier to describe on Marketplace, more likely to attract customers, and better for those customers to deploy. Moving from aligned design to confident build to sales growth After alignment is established, teams can move into build with momentum. App Advisor showcases development toolkits, SDKs, templates, and reference architectures that reflect the decisions already made during design. That continuity matters. It keeps teams focused on execution instead of re-litigating fundamentals mid-build. Alignment isn’t a meeting. It’s a system. Microsoft provides the structure to support it. Start aligning today to sell more tomorrow Get resources to help your teams align and keep in step in App Advisor.Accelerate your AI innovation with App Advisor
Have a great idea for an AI app or agent but unsure how to take it to market? Microsoft’s newly released App Advisor provides a clear, guided path from concept to commercialization. Whether you’re shaping an early idea, navigating build decisions, or preparing your solution for the Microsoft commercial marketplace, App Advisor helps streamline each step—reducing friction and increasing confidence. This walkthrough highlights how App Advisor connects the dots: From concept to execution with structured guidance From development to best practices with informed build recommendations From finished product to revenue through proven Marketplace readiness insights If you’re looking to build and sell AI solutions faster and more effectively, this resource is well worth your time. Read the full article: Build an AI app or agent faster to sell on Marketplace with App Advisor | Microsoft Community HubBuild an AI app or agent faster to sell on Marketplace with App Advisor
Jump right to the step-by-step curated guidance for building a well-architected app in App Advisor The development of AI apps and agents is moving fast. The data backs it up: The AI platform of choice: 90% of Fortune 500 companies use Microsoft AI, Development lifecycles speed up: Teams see up to 46% faster development with Azure, Companies realize great ROI: AI apps and agents realize an average of 90% ROI. The opportunity is real, but speed alone isn’t enough. To turn momentum into a scalable, sellable solution, software companies need a clear path from idea to architecture to Microsoft Marketplace readiness. How to build an AI app or agent and sell it on Marketplace Microsoft Foundry provides the platform to build AI apps and agents. App Advisor provides the structure, guiding you through the decisions that matter early. So, you can move fast without creating rework later. When paired with focused build and alignment checklists, App Advisor helps you ship faster and prepare your solution for the Marketplace from day one. Here’s how App Advisor, paired with material developed from the popular AI Envisioning sessions, helps you build with speed and Marketplace readiness in mind. App Advisor gives you a clear starting point to build AI apps and agents App Advisor is tailored specifically to remove ambiguity. Instead of guessing where to begin, you’re guided through key build decisions, based on five critical pillars: Security Reliability Cost optimization Operational excellence Performance efficiency These pillars are more than theory. They help you and your team think through pricing models, identity and access, resiliency, scaling, and operational integration early: before code hardens and changes get expensive. By anchoring your build in these principles, you create a foundation that supports both rapid development and future Marketplace requirements. Design well, build fast: Create an Agent MVP in 30 days After your architecture is defined, the next challenge is execution speed. The Create an Agent MVP in 30 Days checklist turns Microsoft Foundry best practices into an actionable build plan. It’s organized around the same well-architected pillars, making it easy to move from design to implementation without losing alignment. This checklist helps you: Embed security controls like encryption, RBAC, and managed identity from day one, Design for reliability with stateless services, health checks, and graceful fallback, Right-size performance and compute so you don’t overbuild the MVP, Control costs early with monitoring, budgets, and automation, Set up DevOps and CI/CD to support fast iteration. The result is a working agent that’s intentionally scoped, production-aware, and easier to evolve into a commercial offering. Built to move fast, ready to be sold at scale Used together, App Advisor, the 30-day to an MVP checklist, and the AI Envisioning sessions give you a repeatable path: Start with architecture clarity, Build an MVP quickly and responsibly, Stay aligned on Marketplace outcomes. You’re not just shipping an AI app or agent. You’re building a solution designed to be deployed, sold, and supported for your target customer. And designing well with solid core principles can help build a solid foundation for your Marketplace success. Ready to build faster with Microsoft Foundry? Explore App Advisor for step-by-step guidance to quickly design well-architected apps. Want to get development templates to start designing in minutes? View the Quick-Start Development Toolkit library for AI apps and agents. See the difference when you build with the proven framework of Microsoft Foundry and selling well-architected apps and agents in Marketplace.Why build your AI apps and agents with Microsoft
Customer demand for AI solutions is accelerating rapidly, Microsoft has seen 2x growth in customers purchasing AI products. Organizations are looking for trusted, enterprise-ready platforms to support their innovation. Microsoft's AI-native ecosystem, backed by industry leading security, Responsible AI principles, and rapidly growing catalog of AI apps and agents, provides a strong foundation for building scalable, compliant, and high-impact AI solutions. Explore how developers and software companies can take advantage of Microsoft's integrated tools, streamlined publishing experience, and expansive Marketplace reach to deliver AI solution that meet customers where they are. Learn more and read the full article: Discover why to build AI apps and agents with Microsoft and sell through Marketplace | Microsoft Community HubDiscover why to build AI apps and agents with Microsoft and sell through Marketplace
Customer demand for AI is accelerating fast. And your company's AI app or agent should be there to meet it. In this fiscal year, Microsoft has already seen 2x growth in customers purchasing AI products through Microsoft Marketplace, while also being the largest catalog of AI apps and agents in the industry. Building AI apps and agents isn’t just about model performance or speed to market. It’s about meeting your customers’ needs when they have them. For software companies, success depends on whether your AI solution is secure, compliant, responsibly designed, and ready to scale in real-world work environments. That’s why App Advisor starts by showing the many reasons why building with Microsoft is the right foundation for AI apps and agents. Why building AI apps and agents with Microsoft is different Microsoft, named an AI Leader by Gartner, brings together AI innovation, Responsible AI, and enterprise-grade security into a single, integrated platform. This matters when you’re quickly building AI-powered experiences and agents that your customers can trust. When you build with Microsoft, you’re building on an AI-native platform designed for production use: Industry-leading AI and agentic capabilities supporting Gen AI, RAG, ML, predictive analytics, and multi-modal agent workflows, Integrated developer tools to help teams ship faster that you already use and trust (like GitHub Copilot, Visual Studio, and Microsoft Foundry), Seamless integration across the Microsoft stack to make it easier to connect data, services, and user experiences without stitching different systems together. This foundation helps you focus on what you’re building. Microsoft handles the complexity behind the scenes. Build confidently from day one, stay up to date with AI best practices Building with AI doesn't have to be risky. Data access, model behavior, governance, and compliance all matter more when AI and agents are embedded directly into customer workflows. Microsoft approaches this with end-to-end security and Responsible AI practices that are integrated throughout the development lifecycle. That's why App Advisor and Microsoft keep you up with the speed of designing with AI: Principles to design your own AI Center of Excellence, Sessions focused on the future of AI and agents in the AI Tour, Resources and webinars, like the AI envisioning sessions, to keep you current. This is especially critical for software companies selling into regulated or security-conscious industries. Security isn't an afterthought. You’re building on a platform where they’re already part of the system. How App Advisor can help answer questions about building AI apps and agents The first step in App Advisor is intentionally focused on clarity. Instead of jumping straight into tooling or publishing requirements, it helps you evaluate: Why Microsoft is the right platform for AI apps and agents, How building with Microsoft assists in development, scaling, and customer trust, What kinds of opportunities exist in the Microsoft Marketplace and how to maximize on them. However, App Advisor doesn’t stop at discovery or development. The same experience that helps you build AI apps and agents also supports growth through the Microsoft Marketplace—giving you access to global customers, streamlined procurement, and enterprise-ready distribution. From first line of code to go-to-market readiness, the platform is designed to support sustainable, scalable growth with confidence. Ready to build your AI app or agent? When you start with the right foundation, everything that follows moves faster—and with less risk. Start with the fundamentals: realize the potential of building with Microsoft with curated guidance in App Advisor We look forward to seeing your AI app or agent on Microsoft Marketplace!Explore the latest on SharePoint Embedded security
Security remains a top priority as organizations expand their content applications and workflows. This article outlines how the platform protects content through robust access controls, tenant isolation, data residency, compliance features, and Microsoft 365–integrated governance. For software developers building apps and AI agents for Microsoft Marketplace this Q&A guide provides details on the security capabilities build into SharePoint Embedded that help ensure solutions meet enterprise grade security and compliance expectations from day one. If you're evaluating content platform architectures or looking to strengthen your organization’s security posture, this guide offers clear insights into how SharePoint Embedded safeguards data across its lifecycle. Read the full blog post: SharePoint Embedded security features: A comprehensive Q&A guide | Microsoft Community HubMicrosoft Azure Virtual Training Days: AI Fundamentals
Register now for one of our many upcoming training events in the Microsoft Azure Virtual Training Day: AI Fundamentals series, with several sessions happening in November and December 2023. Join us for these free training events to learn how organizations use AI technology to solve real-world challenges and see how to build intelligent applications using Azure AI services. These trainings are suitable for anyone interested in AI solutions—including those in technical or business roles. Who should attend: IT administrators Developers Data analysts Product managers Technical level: This is a foundational-level course. Attendees should understand the fundamental scope of technology and the opportunity to integrate without practice or hands-on experience. After completing this training, you will be able to: Understand foundational AI concepts and real-world use cases. Get started using AI services on Azure and machine learning in Azure Machine Learning Studio. Identify common AI workloads and ways to use AI responsibly.New Azure blog on charting AI & agent strategy with Marketplace
In a new Azure blog, Cyril Belikoff, Vice President, Commercial Cloud and AI Marketing, talks about how organizations are using Microsoft Marketplace as a central hub for discovering, buying, and deploying AI models, applications, and agents to support their AI strategy. He emphasizes that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach—companies can build custom solutions, buy ready-made ones, or blend both depending on their needs. Marketplace offers thousands of pre-vetted models and AI tools that integrate with existing Microsoft products (like Microsoft Foundry and Copilot), helping teams accelerate time-to-value, maintain governance, and balance agility with oversight as they adopt AI more broadly. Read the full blog and share it with your customers: Design your AI strategy with Microsoft Marketplace SolutionsUnlock key strategies for Marketplace growth
Looking to strengthen your go‑to‑market strategy in the year ahead? Don’t miss Microsoft’s latest guidance on how partners can accelerate success in the commercial marketplace. At Microsoft Ignite 2025, Microsoft Marketplace emerged as a central platform for cloud and AI innovation, with major enhancements such as expanded resale-enabled offers, deeper integration across Microsoft’s cloud ecosystem, and new tools designed to streamline procurement and accelerate value delivery for customers. This valuable resource distills 10 essential tips to help organizations optimize listings, leverage private offers, improve discoverability, and scale more effectively in the evolving AI-first landscape. It’s a valuable guide for any partner aiming to elevate their marketplace performance and align with Microsoft’s modern go-to-market approach. Read more: 10 Essential tips for Marketplace success: Insights from Microsoft Ignite 2025 | Microsoft Community HubOptimizing maintenance workflows with AI and Azure
In our Partner Spotlight series, we highlight organizations driving innovation across the Microsoft Marketplace. In each feature, we share the distinct journey of a partner leveraging the Microsoft ecosystem to deliver AI‑enabled solutions and transactable offers that streamline enterprise adoption and accelerate digital transformation. In this installment, we spoke with Benjamin Schwärzler of Workheld, a Vienna‑based SaaS company transforming maintenance management for asset‑intensive industries. We dive into their early beginnings, their growth as a Microsoft partner, and the ways they’re helping organizations close the gap between shopfloor execution and strategic decision‑making—powered by a secure, Azure‑based architecture. Read more to learn how Azure is shaping the future of intelligent maintenance management: AI-powered maintenance management with Microsoft Azure | Microsoft Community Hub
