Together, DataRobot and Microsoft Azure unlock the power of generative AI for their customers

Overview

Data scientists depend on data to predict trends and help customers. Oftentimes, this is a manual process that can lead to a slower time to market. DataRobot, a leader in Value-Driven AI, developed a generative AI solution that empowers organizations to get results quickly. DataRobot partnered with Microsoft Azure to help data scientists at FordDirect improve workflows through its AI integration.

Under the hood 

DataRobot’s unique and collaborative approach to generative AI combines an open platform, deep expertise, and broad use case experience to improve how organizations run, grow, and optimize their business. Global organizations, like FordDirect, are looking to gain greater impact and value from AI. 

FordDirect, the data hub for Ford Dealers and Lincoln Retailers, wanted to understand how to bring generative AI into their workflows. The organization had the data but didn’t have the tools to understand how generative AI could support that data.

DataRobot met FordDirect where it was on its AI journey. It gained a mutual understanding of its business, technology, and readiness use cases to ensure a focused approach to a successful outcome. 

To build a solution to alleviate this pain point, DataRobot turned to Microsoft because of its mutual focus on driving a successful go-to-market motion and its AI and Machine Learning product integration. FordDirect also emphasized a need for security. DataRobot and Microsoft became the partners for this solution ensuring the safe extension of proprietary data while maintaining full ownership over intellectual property. Ensuring the safe extension of proprietary data while maintaining full ownership over intellectual property.

“Microsoft is certainly a thought leader in terms of AI. I think that we've done a lot of work with the Azure AI team and sort of thinking through how to deliver value and how to think about the customer problems and they've been a great thought partner for this,” Venky Veeraraghavan, Chief Product Officer, DataRobot, said. 

FordDirect went with DataRobot because it offered the ability to tackle almost any data science problem. 

It understood that the generative AI space is moving rapidly and wanted to prevent accumulating any technical debt. 

Together, DataRobot and Microsoft Azure developed an integration to maximize value from FordDirect’s existing teams and tools, unlock new use cases, and realize business value from AI faster.

“Gen AI is moving so fast that we want to make sure we’re not locked in and that we have the ability to adapt quickly and strategically as the space evolves. DataRobot gives us the openness and ability to quickly test to try out new large language models. And the ability to safely extend our proprietary data with large language models and maintain full ownership over our AI intellectual property,” Tom Thomas, VP of Data & Analytics, FordDirect, said. 

The DataRobot integrations with Microsoft products and services help FordDirect unify, monitor, and govern data, workflows, models, and operations through one consistent generative and predictive AI platform. It leveraged Azure products and services like Azure Monitor, Azure Storage, and Virtual Machines. 

Combining the reliability, scalability, and security of Azure with the cutting-edge AI capabilities and decades' worth of data science expertise of DataRobot, FordDirect saw faster, more scalable machine learning outcomes with unmatched levels of automation, accuracy, and intelligence.

Full speed ahead

Now, FordDirect uses DataRobot to identify, communicate, and engage with its customers through highly personalized touchpoints. This leads to an increase in sales, an increase in services, and a higher return on dealer and Ford Motor Co. marketing investment.

“We’re thrilled to announce our partnership with DataRobot, a company built for breaking down complex AI problems, and further cement our commitment to meet customers where they are as we help businesses accelerate their AI journey and achieve bottom-line goals,” Eric Boyd, Corporate Vice President, AI Platform at Microsoft, said.  

The unique user experience, combining DataRobot and Azure OpenAI Service, modernizes and accelerates many of the repetitive tasks required to develop and implement models, such as developing in a notebook and summarizing key results for stakeholders. Data scientists can quickly innovate to tackle new machine-learning problems and see their work impact on organizations. The integration also helps data scientists create new ways to clearly articulate and explain Machine Learning models. 

DataRobot is also experiencing:

Aligned Product Roadmaps

That leads to integrated, simplified, and productivity-enhancing experiences for customers.

Ease of Access to Azure Data Service

Azure users can leverage their existing data and infrastructure investments like Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure SQL Database, or Databricks to build, deploy, and monitor their AI models in one unified platform.

Development with Azure OpenAI Services

DataRobot Notebooks Code-Assist offers rapid code generation for data science productivity, using full use case context and available data. 

Integration with Azure Machine Learning

Easily deploy trained models from DataRobot registry to Azure.

Future-Ready AKS-native Infrastructure

DataRobot offers full support for Microsoft Azure Kubernetes Service, simplifying installations, deployments, and portability.

Simplified Procurement

Azure Marketplace allows Microsoft customers to use their committed spend for a simplified procurement and purchase experience of DataRobot single-tenant managed SaaS offering.

Future-ready 

DataRobot and Microsoft will continue to bring customers a more powerful and versatile platform for building, deploying, and managing AI models.

“I would say our mission is sort of value driven AI, which is helping customers drive more value from AI. And so, we think of ourselves as sort of pulling together the best of breed solutions, best of with infrastructure and services that Microsoft offers, but really give customers an optionality like figure out what is right for them to deliver the value,” Veeraraghavan said.