Microsoft CorporationMicrosoft outlines aggressive AI sales push, highlighting customer wins like Unilever's $300M savings, driving stock up 2.9%.
Microsoft shares rose 2.9% to $396.08, the largest intraday gain in two weeks, as the company outlined a more aggressive sales strategy against AI rivals OpenAI and Anthropic. During internal meetings, executives said Microsoft will emphasize lower costs, stronger security, and a complete end-to-end system, with Executive Vice President Jay Parikh stating the fiscal 2027 message should highlight that Microsoft provides a full platform while competitors offer individual parts. Executive Vice President Jacob Andreou compared Microsoft's Copilot assistant with Anthropic's Claude, calling Claude slower, less accurate, and lacking suitable security integrations. Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella noted that customers are expected to focus more on monitoring AI costs and using cheaper models, pointing to Unilever's automated claims-processing system built on Microsoft's platform that is projected to generate about $300 million in savings after switching to a less expensive Microsoft model. The competitive push comes as Microsoft faces pressure from AI startups and rival cloud platforms, with the stock down 20% this year amid concerns over rising data-center spending and the potential for newer AI tools to replace established software products.
Microsoft CorporationMicrosoft outlines aggressive AI sales push, highlighting customer wins like Unilever's $300M savings, driving stock up 2.9%.
Alphabet Inc Class CMicrosoft's aggressive sales strategy targets AI rivals including Alphabet's Google (OpenAI and Anthropic are competitors, but Google's AI offerings are also rivaled).
Unilever PLC