EPAM Systems, Inc. has been named the winner of the Innovate with Azure AI Platform 2025 Microsoft Partner of the Year Award. The company was honored for its excellence in developing and implementing cutting-edge AI solutions on Microsoft's technology, specifically for its work with Albert Heijn, the Netherlands' largest retailer. This award recognizes partners who push the boundaries of AI innovation using Azure AI Foundry, demonstrating strong safety, governance, and clear business impact.
Learn more about EPAM and Microsoft's Collaboration
Quick Intel
EPAM won Microsoft's 2025 Innovate with Azure AI Platform Partner of the Year.
The award recognized a GenAI platform built for retailer Albert Heijn.
The solution is an AI-powered virtual assistant for store employees.
It provides instant product and stock info, simplifying restocking and onboarding.
EPAM was also a finalist in three other Microsoft award categories.
The company was also elevated to a Microsoft Global Systems Integrator (GSI).
EPAM's award-winning entry showcased a scalable GenAI platform developed for Albert Heijn. The solution, an AI-powered virtual assistant integrated into the employee app, enables store teams to quickly access product information and stock data. This innovation directly addresses operational challenges by simplifying restocking processes, enhancing customer support, and streamlining employee onboarding, thereby empowering staff and improving the overall customer experience.
The award underscores EPAM's deep technical expertise and its strategic partnership with Microsoft. Company leadership highlighted how their engineering teams combine industry knowledge with Azure excellence and responsible AI design to create scalable, enterprise-agentic solutions. This capability is further accelerated by EPAM's own software development lifecycle, which is enhanced by GitHub Copilot and an agent ecosystem to reduce time-to-market while strengthening quality and security.
The success and impact of the collaboration were echoed by both the client and Microsoft. Albert Heijn's CIO stated the platform "delivers real value to our store operations" and turns "innovation into real impact." Microsoft's Chief Partner Officer congratulated the winners for "harnessing the transformative power of Microsoft's Cloud and AI platforms to deliver transformative solutions that redefine the boundaries of innovation."
Winning the Innovate with Azure AI Platform award, coupled with EPAM's elevation to a Microsoft Global Systems Integrator, signals a significant milestone in the company's ability to drive enterprise-scale AI transformation. This recognition validates EPAM's engineering-led approach to solving complex business challenges, positioning it as a leading partner for global organizations seeking to leverage the Microsoft ecosystem to accelerate their AI journeys and achieve measurable outcomes.
About EPAM Systems
Since 1993, EPAM Systems, Inc. has used its software engineering expertise to become a leading global provider of digital engineering, cloud and AI-enabled transformation services, and a leading business and experience consulting partner for global enterprises and ambitious startups. We address our clients' transformation challenges by focusing EPAM Continuum's integrated strategy, experience and technology consulting with our 30+ years of engineering execution to speed our clients' time to market and drive greater value from their innovations and digital investments.
We leverage AI and GenAI to deliver transformative solutions that accelerate our clients' digital innovation and enhance their competitive edge. Through platforms like EPAM AI/RUN™ and initiatives like DIALX Lab, we integrate advanced AI technologies into tailored business strategies, driving significant industry impact and fostering continuous innovation.
We deliver globally but engage locally with our expert teams of consultants, architects, designers and engineers, making the future real for our clients, our partners, and our people around the world. We believe the right solutions are the ones that improve people's lives and fuel competitive advantage for our clients across diverse industries. Our thinking comes to life in the experiences, products and platforms we design and bring to market.
Added to the S&P 500 and the Forbes Global 2000 in 2021 and recognized by Glassdoor and Newsweek as Most Loved Workplace, our multidisciplinary teams serve customers across six continents. We are proud to be among the top 15 companies in Information Technology Services in the Fortune 1000 and to be recognized as a leader in the IDC MarketScapes for Worldwide Experience Build Services, Worldwide Experience Design Services and Worldwide Software Engineering Services.
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