>> Thank you, Satya.
Thank you for your leadership and for helping
everyone understand just how critical our partners are,
not just to customer success,
but to Microsoft's mission.
One of my favorite things about Inspire every year is stopping and
recognizing the incredible accomplishments of all of our partners,
and taking a little extra time to celebrate
the partners that stood out and
delivered with excellence over the last year,
our Partner of the Year award winners.
It's not just the moment when I'm on stage and we pan over
to all the winners cheering and waving their scarves. That's fun.
But what's really special to me is the time we spend together.
If you've won a Partner of the Year Award
before you know what I mean.
Well, this year we're
going to have to do things a little differently,
but I still want to celebrate with you.
Everyone please join me in recognizing
the 2020 Microsoft Partner
of the Year award winners and finalists,
for going above and beyond,
for being leaders and excellence in service,
and true innovators that are changing our world.
On behalf of Microsoft, thank you.
Now to all the winners wherever you are in the world,
even though we can't be together in
person here's what I want you to do, celebrate.
Whether that's raising a glass, waving your scarf,
jumping up and down,
celebrate however you want.
But I want you to take a photo doing it,
post it on social media with the hashtag MSPartnerofTheYear,
and in just a few moments we're going to show
a bunch of your celebration pictures.
Now if this is your first Microsoft Inspire,
you may be thinking, "What's going on here?
What's the big deal?
It's just an award."
Well, it's really more than just an award,
it's an important piece of Microsoft's partner network.
We've been recognizing partners like this since 1998,
back to the Fusion and WPC days.
I know some of you will remember that.
It's more than just a trophy and a scarf,
I've had partners tell me,
"Hey, we had a customer that chose us
just because we're Microsoft partner of the year."
It's not just bragging rights either, it's marketing.
Winners also get a joint press release,
custom badges, and a video for social media.
Plus winners can have
their solution showcased in the commercial marketplace.
I know a lot of you get this because we
had 3,300 nominations this year.
We chose 146 award winners from more than 100 countries.
They won for hardware, software solutions,
and services that span all of Microsoft's core solution areas.
I have to say,
the impact they've made
this year has been incredible.
[MUSIC]
>> Good partners know that
the bottom line is only part of what makes them successful.
>> We measure success by making our clients smile.
>> By counting how many lives we improve using technology.
[MUSIC]
>> Good partners work to better
their communities, they blaze trails,
they deliver results, and they create
solutions by using the tools at hand.
>> We make an impact on our community by opening up
our system platform for free
for all teachers and schools worldwide.
>> By being very open to who everyone is and what everyone brings.
>> They know how to leverage Microsoft as their solution platform,
and they take advantage of the partner network.
>> We use the Microsoft Partner Network
to support all companies engagements.
>> The Microsoft Partner Network provides valuable resources,
including the Microsoft commercial marketplace,
which helps to extend our reach,
and the end-to-end planning and execution of
superior partner marketing with Microsoft.
>> This year you've looked at
the world you're a part of and made it
smarter, safer, happier, better.
>> We made the world a better place by
creating wiser solutions for every company and every individual.
>> Because we're bringing the people side
of technology to everyone around the world.
>> Because whatever we do we put our hearts into it.
These awards is an example of it.
>> Congratulations to all our Partner of the Year award winners.
>> Again,
thank you to all the Microsoft Partner of the Year award winners.
Now let's take a look at some of those selfies.
[MUSIC]
Those
were great.
Just like Satya,
over the last several months I have watched in
amazement as you have
responded in exceptionally challenging times.
Your innovation through this global disruption
has been absolutely inspiring.
That's why we added
the new community response award
this
year.
[MUSIC]
These
partners
are doing
some incredible work right now.
I could spend the next hour talking
about each and every one of these solutions.
Of course we don't have time for that.
Instead I asked some friends to help
share the three finalists for the community response award.
To tell you about the first one here is Scott Guthrie.
>> Two Microsoft partners: Applied Cloud systems and NetApp,
united to form a COVID-19 response program that
rapidly empowered remote learning and
research at over 40 universities,
as well as enabled remote work forces in enterprises, non-profits,
and government agencies, and delivered
critical IT support in healthcare.
Applied Cloud Systems architecture,
which is built on the Azure NetApp file service,
makes responding to the COVID-19 crisis
easier by getting organizations stood up
on Azure and our Windows Virtual Desktop service
at a speed never before realized.
[MUSIC]
>> Isn't that awesome? With our next finalist,
here is Chris Capossela.
>> With the rise of COVID-19
the world changed in the blink of an eye.
Melbourne Hospital Austin Health,
realized that they'd have to change just
as rapidly to continue serving
their patients and staff in a way that
was effective and sustainable.
Collaboration with 5P and their solution, Teams Navigator,
the hospital was able to immediately deploy
Microsoft Teams 8,500 doctors,
and nurses, and administrative staff in a heartbeat.
Challenged by a highly dynamic,
fast-paced situation with people's lives at stake,
Austin Health's workforce were rapidly and seamlessly enabled with
entirely new ways to communicate and collaborate with
no shortcuts on security, compliance, or governance.
Thanks to 5P and their creative solution,
they helped frontline workers connect with one
another so they can work together with greater effectiveness.
>> What Teams has done for us is it brought everyone
together in a way that's never been interviewed before.
>> We've got the Navigator app
to make sure we know who's in what team.
It's a business-led innovation.
>> It's a why I never thought I would have done medicine before.
I'm not sure how I've got back now with that.
>> [inaudible] 50 clinicians that
don't need to come together
and can still collaborate on patient care.
>> Without putting themselves
at risk and without putting the patient at risk.
>> Incredible.
For the third finalist,
here is Kathleen Hogan.
>> While communities across the globe are
experiencing the effects of the pandemic,
in the Philippines, one particular group was hit harder than most,
the overseas Philipino workers.
A group of modern heroes working
abroad to provide for their families.
With the help of the Microsoft partner, NTT Data,
the overseas workers welfare administration
was able to quickly develop an application portal
hosted on Azure to distribute
financial assistance to those working
abroad or dislocated from work.
In addition a tracker app was
developed to monitor and manage the logistics
of transportation to temporary shelters
as soon as they landed in the Philippines.
These resources supported by NTT Data offered
critical aid to these invaluable workers displaced by COVID-19.
It truly is an inspiring example
of empowering others to achieve more.
[MUSIC]
>> Cool.
With so many inspiring partner solutions
it was difficult to pick a winner.
But there was one partner that stood out
for this sheer impact of their solution.
Their quick work and collaboration helped bring 1.4
million pounds of food to families in need across Canada.
They launched a mobile app integrated with
Dynamics 365 to make it easier for donors to donate food.
They created a grant portal to
support distribution of Federal relief funding.
Satya shared their story a few minutes ago,
and it's my pleasure to recognize RedBit as
the 2020 community response partner of the year.
Thank you for making a difference.
Thank you again to all Microsoft partners who
continue to inspire us every single day.
Now for more inspiration I'd like to hand it over to Brad Smith.