Four colleagues sit and discuss a new idea

Setting the table for a complete digital transformation

As the saying goes, “For an organization to succeed, it must become a software organization.” But transferring ideas into the cloud requires a reliable and efficient approach that leaves many newcomers wary and searching for a tried-and-true solution. A pioneer of Enable Azure, Chef Software makes cloud transformation as easy as a microwave dinner. By helping companies build, deploy, and manage infrastructure and applications by automating processes that would otherwise be manual, Chef enables businesses in their journey to the cloud.

Chef’s partnership with Microsoft helps customers transform their businesses. Consider one of Chef’s recent clients: a major Seattle airline that labels itself “a software company with wings.” Michele Todd, Microsoft Alliance Director says that “from automation to compliance, and with Enable Azure alongside with Azure, Chef Software is truly able to help it in its journey to the cloud.”

“Recently, we worked with Azure to put our full commercial product, Chef Automate, onto the Azure Marketplace, and we also now have it in the Azure Government cloud for our federal customers.”

— Shanku Niyogi, Senior Director of Product Engineering, Chef

Dishing up new solutions

Rather than coast in its success, Chef continues to drive innovation in the world of Enable Azure. How? “Recently, we worked with Azure to put our full commercial product, Chef Automate, onto the Azure Marketplace,” says Shanku Niyogi, Senior Director of Product Engineering at Chef.

By providing Chef Automate on Azure Marketplace, Chef not only extends its services to a far-reaching customer base, but it also enables customers to try out the product through a “test drive” feature. Michele Todd notes that, “Azure Marketplace Test Drive has been a great way for Chef to have customers try out our software with limited resources.” These trial runs not only benefit the customer, but allow Chef to “further nurture that customer relationship as the customer considers a purchase decision.”

Taking Chef’s goods to market

Along with Test Drive, Azure Marketplace aids Chef in distributing its services. Michele Todd explains that “Azure Marketplace has transformed Chef’s business because it has opened up brand new channels and a new lead generation.” Through Azure Marketplace, Chef has tapped into international markets in Europe, Asia, and Latin America, and has widened its channels of communication. Furthermore, Chef’s work with Azure Marketplace has not only made the company’s products more accessible, but has also increased the quality of experience with these products: clients have access to both Azure’s storage, security and resource management features, and to Chef’s services, providing the best end-to-end experience.

“…large organizations in verticals like financial services, or healthcare really aren't ready to go all in with the cloud. By being able to leverage Chef and the Enable Azure experience with Microsoft, they're able to drive that transformation.”

— Michele Todd, Microsoft Alliance Director, Chef

A savory partnership and a sweet future

According to CEO Barry Crist. “Chef has been recognized for our growth over the last four years.” And Chef’s partnership with Microsoft? “There's no doubt that Microsoft Azure is one of the most important technologies out there in the marketplace right now,” Marc Holmes, Vice President of Product and Revenue Marketing, declares, adding that “it's crucial to Chef that it continues to work with Microsoft and ensure that its tools are relevant.” Chef, too, aids Microsoft by helping the company drive cloud adoption. “Whether it’s to make it faster, or to remove blockers like security issues, Microsoft has come to us,” Michele Todd says.

When asked about what’s to come, Chef predicts a plethora of growth opportunity. “I feel like we're just really starting this journey with Microsoft now,” Michele Todd says, “I see the future as wide open.”

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