German Enterprises Deploy Microsoft AI, Uncertain of ROI. - ISG

Enterprises in Germany are increasing their investments in Microsoft AI tools and services despite uncertainties about how these technologies will pay off, according to a new research report published today by Information Services Group, a global AI-centered technology research and advisory firm.

The 2025 ISG Provider Lens Microsoft AI and Cloud Ecosystem report for Germany finds strong enterprise interest in AI and generative AI, which Microsoft is aggressively promoting in its cloud platforms. German organizations, which place high priorities on automation and efficiency, are beginning to adopt Microsoft’s AI offerings but remain cautious about the return on digital investments under challenging macroeconomic conditions.

Dr. Matthias Paletta, at ISG.

“Microsoft is surging forward in AI, and German enterprises want to benefit from its innovation,” said Dr. Matthias Paletta, ISG technology modernization solution lead, EMEA. “Service providers with proven AI use cases and extensive experience are essential for successful implementations.”

Companies in Germany are rapidly adopting Microsoft’s Copilot GenAI chatbot within the Microsoft 365 cloud-based application suite, ISG says. They seek immediate productivity gains through more efficient business processes, though these implementations have shown mixed results so far. Many enterprises have yet to achieve meaningful Copilot solutions that generate significant value. Companies are also increasing their use of Azure OpenAI services to accelerate automation and innovation.

German enterprises are increasingly interested in deploying AI agents within Microsoft 365, ISG says. However, most are still at an early stage, lacking basic information and clear use cases for such deployments. Many service providers in Germany are still unprepared to comprehensively support the use of these agents by their clients.

Demand is also rising in Germany for Microsoft’s Fabric, Foundry and Purview IT infrastructure platforms, ISG says. Among other benefits, Fabric allows organizations to integrate diverse data environments into a consistent infrastructure, while Foundry enables more complex data analysis and Purview provides a transparent governance layer. Companies are deploying the systems together for an integrated solution with high data security and efficient data utilization. Microsoft emphasizes that the platforms can substantially reduce regulatory risk, a promise that resonates with German customers.

Despite strong demand for Microsoft platforms, many German companies are taking steps to control cloud costs, the report says. They are gradually adopting powerful FinOps approaches as AI services increase cloud and AI resource use. Enterprises are also concerned about Microsoft’s complex pricing structures as macroeconomic uncertainty grows.

“Licensing is a significant pain point for companies in Germany and elsewhere,” said Jan Erik Aase, partner and global leader, ISG Provider Lens Research. “Qualified service providers can help enterprises implement systems to understand and control licensing costs.”

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