San Francisco, Jun 19 (IANS): Microsoft has acquired ADRM Software, a leading provider of large-scale industry data models, which are used by large companies worldwide as information blueprints, for an undisclosed sum.

North Carolina-based ADRM's industry data models have been built and refined over decades for business-critical analytics.

"An industry data model enables organizations to more holistically capture and define business concepts, refine and integrate processes, and build interoperability in their ecosystem," Microsoft said in a statement on Thursday.

According to Ravi Krishnaswamy, CVP, Azure Global Industry, Microsoft has been investing in the power of data and artificial intelligence (AI) to continuously innovate, influence and enhance customer experience and partner growth.

"Data and AI are the foundation of modern technological innovation, yet businesses today struggle to unlock the full value data has to offer as fragmented data estates hinder digital transformation," said Krishnaswamy.

Combining comprehensive industry models from ADRM with limitless storage and compute from Azure allows for the creation of the intelligent data lake where data from multiple lines of business can be harmonized together more quickly.

"Together with Microsoft Azure, these capabilities will be delivered at scale, enabling our customers to accelerate digital progress, and reduce risk in a variety of major initiatives," said the company.