#Japan #Tokyo #Microsoft #Azure #Hitachi

Hitachi Engineers Shine at the Microsoft Top Partner Engineer Awards 2025

In an exciting announcement, three engineers from Hitachi have been awarded in three categories of the prestigious Microsoft Top Partner Engineer Award. This accolade, held by Microsoft Japan, recognizes engineers who significantly contribute to customer projects and promote the use of Microsoft technologies within partner companies. The esteemed categories include Azure Apps & Infra, Azure Data & AI, and Modern Work & Copilot. This achievement marks the third consecutive year since the award's inception that Hitachi engineers have been honored, emphasizing the consistent excellence in technological contributions by the company.

The award-winning engineers are:

1. Sohta Uehara of the Azure Apps & Infra category
2. Shogo Sato of the Azure Data & AI category
3. Daisuke Utsunomiya of the Modern Work & Copilot category

Contributions by Award Winners

Azure Apps & Infra - Sohta Uehara

Sohta Uehara leveraged his experience in the development of services utilizing Microsoft Azure in Hitachi's global IoT service, known as Hitachi Global Data Integration. Uehara's role as a system architect has significantly impacted both internal and external projects, promoting application development and infrastructure construction on Azure. His commitment to enhancing organizational skills has made a valuable contribution to the overall development of technical expertise within Hitachi.

Azure Data & AI - Shogo Sato

Shogo Sato has been at the forefront of developing and managing the common generative AI platform for the Hitachi Group. He has skillfully led the application of Azure AI services, particularly Azure OpenAI, in supporting the widespread adoption of generative AI across the group. Sato’s innovative management services, which encompass the operation of Azure environments, establish a comprehensive technical support framework, instrumental for organizational success. Additionally, he is engaged in the development of AI-focused services for the Hitachi Application Reliability Centers (HARC).

Modern Work & Copilot - Daisuke Utsunomiya

Daisuke Utsunomiya's contributions are evident in his role in migrating the infrastructure of a large administrative body, which serves around 50,000 users, from on-premises setups to Microsoft 365 services. This phased transition involved careful communication strategies to minimize user impact while ensuring a smooth large-scale migration. Utsunomiya is also deeply involved in enhancing internal capabilities by supporting the acquisition of Microsoft 365 certifications and expanding the user base for Microsoft Copilot.

Fostering Digital Transformation

Hitachi is dedicated to nurturing high-level digital talent, including engineers specialized in cloud and AI, as part of its commitment to support digital transformation (DX). The company has developed a structured learning path tailored to various specialized fields, actively promoting training and certification support. As AI technology becomes central to transforming societal and industrial structures, Hitachi emphasizes the importance of practical skills in building a competitive workforce.

To solidify its role in AI transformation, Hitachi has initiated a program to cultivate ‘GenAI Professionals,’ equipping over 50,000 individuals with advanced software development skills gained through training that utilizes GitHub Copilot and Azure OpenAI. Moving forward, Hitachi aims to enhance both cloud engineering skills and practical AI applications, further advancing business transformation through its offerings such as Cloud & DX.

Microsoft’s Endorsement

Minoru Naito, Executive Officer at Microsoft Japan, expressed appreciation for Hitachi's collaboration, highlighting the importance of the Microsoft Top Partner Engineer Award in recognizing contributions to business through technology. Naito complimented the achievements of Uehara, Sato, and Utsunomiya, emphasizing the relevance of their expertise in supporting Microsoft's technological proliferation.

Hitachi’s accomplishments and ongoing projects reflect its commitment to innovation and collaboration with Microsoft, emphasizing their role in facilitating digital transformation.

For more information, visit the official Microsoft Partner blog on the Microsoft Top Partner Engineer Award. Remember, innovative talent and a collaborative spirit are crucial for technology's evolution.