Intelligent Adoption Framework Marks a New Era for AI Integration
After a surge of initial excitement, AI has now entered a phase of more thoughtful and strategic adoption, focusing on sustainable progress and measurable results.
Following years of hype in which artificial intelligence was hailed as a revolutionary force poised to instantly transform industries, AI is now facing a more tempered reality. As it settles into Gartner’s “Trough of Disillusionment,” organizations are grappling with the reality of high costs and challenges scaling experimental projects. However, this phase of learning is typical for any emerging technology, and the journey to unlock AI’s full potential is far from over.
Steve Daly, Senior Vice President of Solutions at New Era Technology, explains: “AI has been around for 70 years, but the recent hype inflated expectations. At $30 per user per month for tools like Microsoft 365 Copilot, they’re appealing for proof-of-concept projects. But once those initial tests are over, many companies struggle to find a clear ROI when scaling.”
Cost is not the only barrier to broader AI adoption. Concerns over data security and sharing sensitive information are top priorities for many organizations. Daly adds, “New Era’s robust data and security practice has shifted to offer Copilot Studio, allowing companies to build GenAI solutions with tighter security controls. With Copilot Studio, you can limit access to specific files or libraries, ensuring greater control over sensitive data.”
Moving Beyond Overpromises
Building confidence in AI requires addressing several factors. First, organizations must tackle security and data control issues, alongside developing a clear business model to justify AI investments. Equally important is maintaining momentum—patience and persistence are key to seeing projects through to success, or determining when to pivot.
Daly observes, “We’re seeing many projects lose steam. Around half of AI initiatives stall due to poor security practices and suboptimal data management. Projects must demonstrate progress, and that’s difficult in the innovation phase when you don’t always know what you don’t know.”
Introducing Intelligent Adoption
This is where Copilot Studio and New Era’s Intelligent Adoption Framework come into play. The framework is designed to help organizations chart their AI development journey and ensure investments yield tangible results. Copilot Studio supports IT teams by focusing on the tasks that truly drive value, helping them stay on track toward their goals.
The Intelligent Adoption Framework is built around three core pillars: technical redesign, organizational readiness, and user readiness. New Era’s framework leverages its expertise to guide businesses through the steps necessary to define their AI strategy, align their corporate vision, and identify the most valuable use cases for AI adoption.
Daly concludes, “It’s not just about purchasing licenses—it’s about creating a roadmap for successful adoption. We’re developing packaged solutions, such as ‘train the trainer’ programs from day one, followed by proof-of-concept demonstrations using Copilot Studio. Our goal is to help customers answer key questions, like when to build a GenAI chatbot, while navigating the complexities of AI adoption and managing the pressures CIOs face from stakeholders.”
In this new era of AI, success will be determined not by rushed deployment, but by strategic, intelligent adoption that ensures sustained value over time.