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The Microsoft Ignite 2023 event has always served as a platform to introduce new products and services that support customers and partners in leveraging the full potential of Microsoft technology.

Whether customers opt for hybrid, cloud-native, or open-source solutions, Azure is rapidly expanding its infrastructure while providing intuitive tools that enable them to bring their ideas securely and responsibly to life in the era of AI. 

The below summarizes several of the announcements made at Ignite regarding Azure's cloud infrastructure. These announcements covered  adoption, productivity, and security to support an AI-driven strategy.

Optimized AI Infrastructure at Every Layer

Azure's infrastructure is purpose built and optimized to facilitate groundbreaking AI workloads. It offers exceptional performance and efficiency through a combination of cutting-edge hardware from industry leaders alongside Azure's innovative solutions. 

• Azure Maia is the first custom AI accelerator series designed to run cloud-based training and inferencing for AI workloads such as OpenAI models, Bing, GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT. Maia 100 is the first generation, with end-to-end systems optimization across silicon, software, network, racks, and cooling innovations for Microsoft AI infrastructure.
• Azure Cobalt introduces the first cloud-native chip based on Arm architecture in the series, Cobalt 100. When handling general-purpose workloads, it is specifically optimized for performance, power efficiency, and cost effectiveness.

Moving from Hybrid Cloud to Adaptive Cloud 

An adaptive cloud empowers customers to thrive in ever-changing environments by combining disparate teams, distributed sites, and complex systems into a unified Azure model for operations, security, applications, and data management. These new announcements expand upon existing efforts with Azure Arc and support customers in implementing their adaptive cloud strategies.

• Microsoft Copilot for Azure is now available in public preview. This AI companion assists IT professionals in designing, operating, optimizing, and troubleshooting applications and infrastructure. Microsoft Copilot for Azure provides valuable insights into workloads while unlocking previously untapped functionality within Azure. It also facilitates task orchestration across both cloud and edge environments.
• Oracle Database@Azure offers direct access to Oracle database services hosted on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure deployed within Azure data centers. Starting with the Oracle Exadata Database Service, this offering aims to simplify cloud migration processes and enable multi-cloud deployments.
• VMware vSphere enabled by Azure Arc enables the integration of VMware vSphere infrastructure with Azure, allowing VM administrators to give their developers access to Azure technologies for both existing server-based workloads and new Kubernetes workloads.
• Azure IoT Operations enabled by Azure Arc now in public preview, serves as an edge data plane, capturing and processing device and equipment data at the edge. Operational technology professionals can access near-real-time insights into their physical environments, and IT professionals get global control, repeatability, and scalability.

To learn more about what was announced and to stay updated on upcoming developments in 2024, read Omar Khan's blog post and watch the best of Microsoft Ignite at your convenience.