Celebrating innovation, scale, and real-world impact with Serverless Compute on Azure

We are excited to share that Microsoft has been acknowledged as a leader in The Forrester Wave: Serverless Development Platforms for Q2 2025.

Microsoft: A Leader in The Forrester Wave for Serverless Development Platforms, Q2 2025

We are excited to announce that Microsoft has been distinguished as a leader in The Forrester Wave: Serverless Development Platforms, Q2 2025. This recognition underscores our unwavering commitment to empowering developers, fostering innovation, and providing significant value at scale for businesses using Azure Functions and Azure Container Apps. To view the full report, click here (note that a Forrester subscription is necessary).

Achieve Greater Efficiency with Serverless Computing Amid the AI Revolution

Microsoft’s vision for serverless technology is quite clear: we aim to facilitate every developer’s ability to create, deploy, and manage contemporary applications with unparalleled productivity, security, and flexibility, regardless of the architecture, language, or workload involved. With Azure’s comprehensive serverless platform, we’ve transcended traditional function-as-a-service to create an integrated environment where containers, event-driven frameworks, AI, and cloud-native patterns converge effortlessly.

Our serverless solutions do more than simply abstract infrastructure; they serve as the cornerstone for developing the next generation of intelligent applications. Boasting deep integrations with AI services, robust event management, and developer-centric tools, Azure Functions and Azure Container Apps empower teams to turn innovative ideas into impactful solutions.

What Distinguishes Microsoft’s Serverless Compute Platform?

• Unified event-driven and container-based frameworks: Azure Functions and Azure Container Apps allow you to execute any code, anywhere, scaling seamlessly-from zero to hyper-scale-supporting both serverless functions and fully managed serverless containers without the hassle of infrastructure management.
• Comprehensive AI integration: With full support for Azure OpenAI, serverless GPUs, and AI toolchains, you can incorporate generative AI, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) methodologies, and agentic workflows directly into your serverless processes, accelerating innovation in all applications.
• Exceptional developer experience: From Visual Studio and VS Code to GitHub Actions, GitHub Copilot for Azure and other familiar open-source frameworks, Microsoft’s suite prioritizes developer productivity, supported by extensive documentation, templates, and integrated DevOps functionalities.
• Enterprise-level security and compliance: Azure offers thorough identity and access management, role-based controls, and regulatory compliance measures, ensuring your applications and data remain protected at all times.
• Flexible pricing and hosting options: Choose from consumption-based serverless models, dedicated compute solutions, or adaptive options. Features like Flex Consumption Plan and serverless GPU provide the opportunity to fine-tune your costs, performance, and specific workload requirements.
• Instantaneous and effortless scaling: Immediately scale from zero to a global level with minimal cold start delays, guaranteeing consistent performance and real-time response for AI-driven and event-based tasks, all without needing manual intervention or infrastructure oversight.
• Industry significance: Backed by over ten years of reliable cloud platform operation, we manage mission-critical workloads across various sectors, including finance, manufacturing, media, and retail.

Tangible Outcomes: Success Stories from Our Customers

Our clientele continues to motivate us, showcasing the possibilities with Azure Functions and Azure Container Apps:

• Hera Space Mission: The Hera Space Companion, developed in collaboration with Terra Mater Studios, the European Space Agency, and Impact AI, utilises Azure Container Apps and Azure AI Foundry to create an interactive, multilingual experience for conversing with a spacecraft in deep space. It also enables rapid satellite image analysis and efficient AI model deployment, promoting innovation in space-based environmental methods.
• Coca-Cola: By implementing Azure Container Apps and Azure Functions for orchestrating real-time interactions in its global “Create Real Magic” holiday campaign, Coca-Cola developed a serverless, AI-driven Santa, engaging over a million consumers across 43 countries in 26 different languages through personalised experiences.
• NFL: The National Football League integrates Azure Container Apps within its scouting platform, NFL Combine, to deliver real-time, sideline-ready AI insights, converting hours of manual analysis into actionable data for coaches and scouts—without requiring infrastructure management.
• Indiana Pacers: The Pacers created a real-time captioning system for in-arena fans, providing instant, accurate captions and enhancing accessibility, thereby transforming the live sports experience through serverless computing and AI.
• Coldplay: The renowned band, Coldplay, collaborates with Pixel Artworks to deliver AI-driven immersive visuals during live performances, merging creativity with technology in real-time using Azure Functions.
• Heineken: Heineken employs Azure Functions to develop secure and scalable AI agents that automate workflows and power real-time RAG experiences—driving intelligent, cost-effective innovation throughout its international operations.

These accounts merely skim the surface of the transformative power of Microsoft serverless technologies. For more in-depth insights into how organisations are thriving with Azure Functions and Azure Container Apps, visit the Microsoft Customer Stories page, and stay updated with the latest innovations from Microsoft Build.

Fostering Innovation: What Lies Ahead with Microsoft Serverless

Being recognised as a leader is not merely a milestone; it’s a springboard for what’s ahead. We are steadfast in our investments in AI-enhanced development, fluid hybrid cloud solutions, and adaptable deployment frameworks. Our latest announcements at Microsoft Build showcase advanced AI applications and agents, new serverless GPU functionalities, alongside an expanding ecosystem of tools, templates, and partner solutions designed to assist you in modernising, innovating, and scaling.

Whether you are crafting intelligent agents, orchestrating data in real-time, or delivering engaging digital experiences, Microsoft’s serverless platform empowers you with the capability, flexibility, and security needed.

Join us on this journey! Discover the latest developments in Azure Functions and Azure Container Apps, and let’s shape the future together.

Forrester does not endorse any specific company, product, brand, or service featured in its research publications and does not advise any individual to select products or services based solely on those evaluations. This information is based on the most reliable sources available. Opinions represent perspectives at the time of publication and are subject to change. For further details, please read about Forrester’s objectivity here .