Internal Microsoft memo lays out its new strategy for selling AI as the company cuts salespeople

Core Insights - Microsoft is restructuring its sales unit, Microsoft Customer and Partner Solutions (MCAPS), to focus more on AI, as indicated in an internal memo from Judson Althoff, the chief commercial officer [1][2] - The restructuring comes alongside significant layoffs within the sales team, which were announced separately [2] - Althoff's memo emphasizes the need for agility and aims to position Microsoft as "the Frontier AI Firm" with five key priorities for the sales organization [2][6] Group 1: Restructuring and Priorities - The sales team will reduce its "solutions areas" from six to three: AI Business Solutions, Cloud & AI Platforms, and Security [3] - The five priorities outlined in the memo include establishing a Copilot on every device, strengthening M365 and D365 execution, creating meaningful AI design wins, growing the cloud platform business, and building a cybersecurity foundation [6][8][9] Group 2: Focus Areas - AI Business Solutions will concentrate on deploying "Copilots" across devices and enhancing Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365 offerings [8] - Cloud & AI Platforms will encompass Azure, the AI "agent factory" Foundry, and the data analytics platform Fabric, focusing on frontier AI solutions and cloud workload modernization [9] - The Security focus aims to enhance the competitiveness of Microsoft's security tools, moving from a defensive to a more aggressive market stance [9][10] Group 3: Competitive Landscape - Microsoft faces increasing competition in the AI space from companies like OpenAI and Google, despite having an advantage due to existing enterprise tool usage [10]