Microsoft Partners Axel Springer

Microsoft Partners Axel Springer SE to Create Innovative AI Driven Solutions

Microsoft and Axel Springer SE have entered a multifaceted partnership that is aimed at leveraging modern technologies including AI and Cloud technology to support independent journalism across the globe. The partnership also extends to content and advertising.

The two brands have an existing partnership which will be further expanded at various levels to include Axel Springer owned media brand POLITICO.

AXEL Springer and Microsoft have decided to deepen their partnership to develop new AI driven experiences for their users.

While Microsoft Start-MSN customers will have access to more premium content from the media brands owned by Axel Springer.

Axel Springer will migrate its SAP solutions to Microsoft Cloud platform Azure.

According to Mathias Döpfner, CEO of Axel Springer, in this era of AI, it was critical to form such partnerships to preserve and promote independent journalism while also promoting a thriving media landscape. He added that he was optimistic about the future of Independent journalism and that this partnership with Microsoft was going to help unlock new opportunities.

Satya Nadella, chairman and CEO of Microsoft said that Microsoft’s partnership brought the two digital publishing leaders together backed by Microsoft Cloud’s power as well as Microsoft’s ad solutions to create new AI experiences and create new opportunities for advertisers and users.

As a key element of this partnership, Axel Springer is expanding its existing partnership with Microsoft in Europe to the US, adopting Microsoft advertising as its ad server.

Axel Springer owned POLITICO will integrate Microsoft Advertising technology as a comprehensive solution enhanced by Axel Springer’s adtech management and optimization layer AdLib.

Microsoft’s advertising network will also include POLITICO allowing advertisers to reach a wider audience.

Another key element of this partnership is the focus on creating more AI driven experiences for their users. The two will together create new AI driven innovative chat experiences that are targeted at informing users and helping them engage better with Axel Springer’s journalistic content.

The cooperation between the two will further support Axel Springer’s ventures in AI, building on projects such as the AI assistant Hey_, powered among others by Azure OpenAI Service. Axel Springer will also leverage Microsoft Advertising’s Chat Ads API for generative AI monetization.

A third key element of this partnership is to bring more premium content to the users of Microsoft Start-MSN including content from Axel Springer owned powerful media brands like Business Insider, POLITICO, BILD, and WELT. Millions of users across various device categories and geographies will be able to access this premium content.

The fourth crucial element of this partnership is the increased reliance of Axel Springer on Azure resources. The digital publisher will also transform and migrate its SAP solutions to Microsoft Azure to improve the reliability, performance, and scalability of its digital infrastructure.

Who is Axel Springer?

Axel Springer is a transatlantic publishing company based in Germany that employs more than 18,000 people at 200 brands across the globe. It has its headquarters in Berlin and the company has also opened a new US head office in New York City. Axel Springer is committed to building resilient and independent journalism businesses in Europe and the US.

Axel Springer’s portfolio includes a wide array of businesses, some of which are well-established brands while some are up and coming. It is a technology-driven publishing house that believes in the power of modern technology to reform the media landscape.

Its business model is built around an international portfolio of leading media brands that includes BILD, WELT, Business Insider, and POLITICO, complemented by successful classifieds portals from the Stepstone Group and AVIV Group.