Valto and Ingram Micro discuss AI adoption, AI Agents and the Frontier Firm mindset

In a recent video discussion, Rob Thomas, 365 & Azure Business Unit Lead at Valto, joined Dave Buckley, Digital Transformation Lead and Solution Architect, to share practical insights into how businesses are adopting AI, streamlining processes and preparing for the next phase of digital transformation.

The conversation highlights the role Ingram Micro plays in helping Microsoft partners and their customers access the latest technologies, funding opportunities and programmes that support AI adoption at scale.

 

A Frontier Firm Approach to AI

During the discussion, Rob describes Valto as a business that has adopted a “frontier firm” mindset towards emerging technologies.

Rather than waiting for AI solutions to become mainstream, Valto is actively exploring, implementing and refining new Microsoft AI capabilities today. This approach enables the business to test emerging technologies, identify practical use cases and apply real-world lessons to customer engagements.

By operating at the forefront of Microsoft AI, automation and data technologies, Valto helps organisations move beyond theory and understand how AI can be applied to solve genuine business challenges.

 

Turning AI Into Business Value

While many organisations have experimented with AI over the last two years, creating lasting business value remains a challenge.

The discussion focuses on how businesses can identify practical AI opportunities, automate repetitive tasks and use Microsoft technologies to drive efficiency and innovation across their operations.

Rather than viewing AI as a standalone technology, Valto and Ingram discuss how organisations should approach AI as part of a wider digital transformation strategy, combining data, automation, governance and cloud platforms to create sustainable outcomes.

 

Real-World AI Use Cases

The video explores several examples of AI already delivering value in the real world.

One hospitality organisation used AI to automate the reconciliation of commission payments from third-party booking platforms, reducing manual effort and saving significant administration time for its finance team.

Another example demonstrates how AI agents can support loan processing within financial services, gathering information from multiple external sources to speed up application reviews while improving accuracy and consistency.

Both examples illustrate how AI can be applied to operational challenges today, rather than being treated as a future ambition.

 

Why AI Agents Matter

One of the key themes throughout the discussion is the rise of AI agents.

Beyond generating content or providing summaries, AI agents can interact with business systems, gather information, trigger workflows and complete actions with minimal human involvement. As organisations adopt more of these technologies, agentic automation is expected to become one of the most transformative developments in modern business operations.

For forward-thinking organisations, the opportunity is no longer just using AI to assist people, but using AI to automate and orchestrate entire business processes.

 

Preparing for AI at Scale

As AI adoption grows, so too does the importance of governance, security and oversight.

The discussion concludes by looking at how organisations will need to manage increasing numbers of AI agents, identities and automated processes. This is expected to drive demand for managed services that help businesses securely operate, monitor and govern AI at scale.

For organisations looking to embrace AI, success will depend on balancing innovation with strong foundations in security, compliance, governance and data management.

 

Watch the Full Video

Watch the full discussion, kindly produced by Ingram Micro, to hear how Valto and Ingram Micro are helping organisations unlock more value from Microsoft technologies, accelerate AI adoption and prepare for the future of agentic automation.