Tag: Microsoft

Singapore – Sitecore has announced the launch of the Sitecore AI Innovation Lab, a unique program created in collaboration with Microsoft that provides a guided environment for marketing leaders looking to rapidly explore AI-driven solutions for optimising content operations. 

Furthermore, it allows marketers to clearly define their AI journey and fast track the development of solutions best suited for their specific use cases.

It is worth noting that this solution addresses concerns on whether marketers are hesitant to invest heavily in new technology without proof of ROI; as they don’t want to risk budget or reputation on AI projects that might fail and struggle to prioritise the time investment needed to figure out where AI may fit best to aid their strategies.

In response, the Sitecore AI Innovation Lab targets these specific pain points by providing a collaborative, guided environment to rapidly explore AI-driven solutions powered by Microsoft Azure and Azure OpenAI Services. 

Participants work alongside Sitecore and Microsoft experts to prototype solutions for their unique challenges using an agile and low risk approach. The result is either a validated AI solution or invaluable learnings, that can further empower marketers to achieve their business objectives and position their brands at the forefront of digital innovation.

Some of the benefits of the program include being focused on AI innovation in marketing and best practices with minimal risk and time commitment required, with participants getting access to Sitecore and Microsoft experts to prototype solutions to address their unique challenges.

Moreover, the program aims to accelerate AI adoption and empowers marketers to position their brands at the forefront of digital innovation. In addition, AI innovations developed with customers will be integrated into Sitecore’s DXP to further enhance, improve and future-proof the platform.

Dave O’Flanagan, CEO of Sitecore, said, “The Sitecore AI Innovation Lab marks a significant milestone in our commitment to empowering marketers with cutting-edge AI solutions. By collaborating closely with Microsoft, we are providing a best in class, unique opportunity for marketers to innovate and transform their content operations and the experiences they can deliver to their customers.”

He added, “The Lab underscores our dedication to driving digital experience innovation and helping our customers achieve their objectives. We are excited to see the groundbreaking solutions and best practices that will emerge from this effort.”

Meanwhile, Mo Cherif, vice president of AI and innovation at Sitecore, commented, “Sitecore is at the forefront of digital experience, and launching the first AI Innovation Lab for marketers is exciting and underscores our commitment to marketer-first AI. For those eager to leverage AI but unsure where to start, our lab offers a fail-fast, goal-oriented experience. Successful AI solutions mean significant time and effort savings – a direct boost to productivity and the bottom line for customers.”

Lastly, Jason Graefe, Microsoft Corporate Vice President, WW ISVs and Digital Natives, stated, “Microsoft is proud to collaborate with Sitecore on this groundbreaking initiative that empowers marketing leaders to harness the full potential of AI. By providing access to expert guidance, we are enabling marketers to innovate rapidly and transform their content operations.”

He added, “The Sitecore AI Innovation Lab offers a collaborative environment that makes it easier for marketing leaders to explore and prototype AI-driven solutions with minimal risk. This partnership highlights our unwavering dedication to driving digital transformation and helping businesses thrive in a digital-first world.”

India – Microsoft has announced a US$3b investment in India over two years to enhance cloud and AI infrastructure, skilling, and establish new datacenters, driving AI innovation in the country.

During his visit to India, Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella announced plans to expand the company’s cloud and AI infrastructure across its datacenter campuses. With three datacenter regions already operational and a fourth set to launch by 2026, the investment aims to build a scalable AI ecosystem to support India’s growing AI start-ups and research community.

The new datacenters will also feature zero-water cooling, reinforcing Microsoft’s commitment to sustainable AI growth. Additionally, long-term renewable energy contracts with Amplus and ReNew support the company’s goal of becoming carbon-negative by 2030.

Nadella said, “India is rapidly becoming a leader in AI innovation, unlocking new opportunities across the country. The investments in infrastructure and skilling we are announcing today reaffirm our commitment to making India AI-first and will help ensure people and organisations across the country benefit broadly.”

Puneet Chandok, president of Microsoft India and South Asia, further explained, “In the last 12 months Microsoft has been a copilot to making AI a reality in India, taking it from boardrooms to classrooms, commerce to communities, and finance to farmers. Today’s announcement strengthens our belief in India’s potential and our resolve to equip the country with the resources and future-ready skills needed to excel in the global marketplace. We will continue to use AI to unlock possibilities for the next few decades and ensure communities across the country have access to the compute they need to prosper in the AI era.”

Moreover, Microsoft plans to bolster India’s long-term competitiveness by equipping 10 million people with AI skills over the next five years through the second edition of its ADVANTA(I)GE India program. As part of Microsoft’s Global Skills for Social Impact charter, the program will deliver training in collaboration with government, nonprofit, and corporate partners, as well as local communities.

Shri Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, said, “India’s vibrant youth and tech talent are key to shaping the future of AI. Through the ‘AI for India’ mission, we aim to empower citizens with cutting-edge AI skills, driving innovation, creating jobs, and bridging the digital divide. Collaborations with global leaders like Microsoft and similar companies are pivotal in this transformation. By equipping our workforce, especially women and youth, with advanced skills, we are building an AI-ready India, poised for digital leadership and sustainable economic growth.”

To strengthen its commitment to India’s AI ecosystem, Microsoft Research (MSR) Lab also launched an AI Innovation Network. This initiative will drive new collaborations, particularly with digital-native companies, to accelerate the translation of AI research into practical business solutions.

In line with this, Microsoft signed an AI MoU with SaaSBoomi, an Indian B2B startup community. The partnership aims to fuel the growth of India’s AI and SaaS ecosystem, positioning the country as a global product powerhouse and contributing to its trillion-dollar economy.

By combining SaaSBoomi’s network with Microsoft’s technology, the collaboration seeks to support over 5,000 startups and 10,000 entrepreneurs, upskill 150,000 employees, and drive regional development in more than 20 tier II cities. Over the next five years, the initiative aims to create 200,000 new jobs, attract $1.5b in venture capital, and nurture 50 unicorns and soonicorns, advancing innovation, sustainability, and tech infrastructure across India.

Microsoft underscores that its investments in accelerating AI innovation are crucial to supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of transforming India into a developed nation (Viksit Bharat) by 2047.

Singapore – Microsoft Asia has appointed Vivian Chua as the new leader of its consumer devices and creativity retail sales division, where she will lead efforts to drive growth and enhance consumer experiences in the age of AI.

Starting December 2, 2024, Chua will lead the consumer sales, category, and channel partner marketing teams across the Asia region, including Greater China, India, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, and Australia and New Zealand, with a focus on driving growth for Windows, Surface, and Microsoft 365.

Alongside Microsoft’s retail partners and the broader partner ecosystem, Chua and her team will work to deliver exceptional consumer experiences that drive the shift to AI platforms, as well as accelerate cloud and subscription adoption.

Chua brings 30 years of experience in the technology industry, including more than two decades in leadership roles at HP across Asia Pacific and Japan. She has deep expertise in regional and country management, go-to-Market transformation, and category management.

Chua’s appointment follows the announcement of Su Yin Yam’s retirement after five years as Microsoft Asia’s leader of the consumer sales organisation for devices and creativity retail. During her tenure, Yam transformed Microsoft’s consumer business models across Asia, delivering seamless customer experiences. Most notably, she led the introduction of the AI-powered Copilot+ PC, the fastest and most intelligent Windows PCs to date.

Bengaluru, India – Infosys, a digital services and consulting company, has expanded its collaboration with Microsoft to advance the customers’ adoption of its artificial intelligence (AI) offerings globally. The collaboration aims to promote the use of generative AI and Microsoft Azure, a cloud computing platform.

The collaboration began when Infosys became one of the early users of the coding assistant GitHub Copilot, a tool developed by Microsoft and OpenAI. Since then, over 18,000 Infosys developers have used GitHub Copilot to generate code, enhancing their productivity.

Additionally, Infosys became a supplier that delivers cloud and AI services to Microsoft’s enterprise customers. Leveraging Microsoft’s generative AI technologies, Infosys aims to help its clients achieve cost-efficiency, scalability, and agility.

Complementing Microsoft’s technology, Infosys’ AI-powered tools will also contribute to enhancing customer experiences.

The expanded collaboration focuses on enhancing efficiency across various industries, including financial services, healthcare, supply chain, telecommunications, energy management, and customer service. These solutions will be available on the Azure Marketplace.

Infosys and Microsoft are also jointly working on responsible AI initiatives, sharing best practices, and developing ethical guidelines.

“This collaboration addresses various business problems by delivering heightened value to clients through a customer-centric approach, providing scalability, agility, and cost-efficiency across key sectors like Finance, Healthcare, Supply Chain, and Telecommunications. As Infosys and Microsoft embark on this transformative journey together, we are poised to redefine industry standards and empower organisations to thrive in the era of generative AI,” Anand Swaminathan, executive vice president and global industry leader of communications, media, and technology at Infosys, said.

Nicole Dezen, chief partner officer at Microsoft, commented, “Our expanded collaboration with Infosys will transform industries, enhance business operations, elevate employee experiences, and deliver new value for customers. Together, we will harness the power of generative AI to deliver innovative solutions, drive AI Adoption and enable unprecedented innovation for customers.”

Jakarta, Indonesia – GoTo Group has taken a significant step forward in enhancing productivity across its engineering teams by collaborating with Microsoft Indonesia to adopt GitHub Copilot, an AI developer tool.

GoTo’s move in integrating AI into the company’s workflow underscores its commitment to driving innovation while empowering its workforce to deliver impactful technology at scale. 

Hans Patuwo, chief operating officer at GoTo said, “Since June 2024, almost a thousand GoTo’s engineers have adopted GitHub Copilot, with full rollout expected by mid-October 2024. The adoption of this AI-powered coding assistant has enabled our engineers to enhance code quality and to accomplish more in less time.”

He added, “GoTo engineers have reported significant time savings averaging over seven hours per week, allowing them to innovate with greater speed and to bring more value to our users.”

GitHub Copilot aims to boost engineers’ productivity and happiness in daily coding tasks with its AI capabilities, from real-time code suggestions, chat assistance in the integrated development environment, to breaking down complex coding concepts using daily conversational language.

Andrew Boyd, general manager of digital natives and startups at Microsoft Asia, said, “We are proud to support GoTo in their mission to empower progress by offering technology infrastructure and solutions that enable everyone to thrive in the digital economy. By integrating GitHub Copilot into their engineering processes, GoTo equips their teams with the tools to innovate faster, enhance productivity, and ultimately deliver greater user value.”

He added, “Trust and technology go hand-in-hand, and this collaboration underscores our shared commitment to harnessing AI technology, creating meaningful opportunities for all Indonesians, and accelerating an inclusive digital transformation agenda as part of Microsoft’s Empowering Indonesia initiative.”

Meanwhile, Nayana Hodi, engineering manager at GoTo shared, “GitHub Copilot has significantly reduced syntax errors and provided helpful autocomplete features, eliminating repetitive tasks and making coding more efficient. This has allowed me to focus on the more complex elements in building great software.”

Lastly, Sharryn Napier, vice president for APAC at GitHub, stated, “We are thrilled to empower GoTo with GitHub Copilot, equipping their engineers with AI across the software development lifecycle. GoTo has implemented an impressive evaluation strategy, collaborating directly with engineers to collect first-hand measurements that showcase real impact. By quantifying the value of Copilot from the start, GoTo is building strong momentum for widespread adoption and accelerated learning across their engineering team. We’re excited to continue this journey, helping GoTo ship software ahead of the curve and accelerate the pace of innovation.”

Singapore – Microsoft has named Rodrigo Kede Lima as the new president of Microsoft Asia, succeeding Ahmed Mazhari who held the position for five years.

Leveraging his experience in digital transformation, Lima will spearhead Microsoft business in 20 countries, encompassing a team of 30,000 employees. As president, he will lead the team in unlocking opportunities for sustainable economic growth of the company. 

Lima held other leadership roles since joining Microsoft in 2020, including the position of president for Microsoft Americas Enterprise.

At IBM, where he previously worked, Lima led initiatives in the technology industry as president of IBM in Brazil and Latin America.

Judson Althoff, executive vice president and chief commercial officer at Microsoft Corporation, commented, “I am thrilled to welcome Rodrigo Kede Lima as the new President for Microsoft Asia. Rodrigo’s extensive experience and proven leadership in driving digital transformation make him the perfect fit for this role. His commitment to empowering our people, customers and partners will be invaluable as we lead AI Transformation in the region and make a significant impact on the communities we serve. I would also like to thank Ahmed Mazhari for his key contributions in building Microsoft’s reputation as a trusted partner in Asia.”

“I am truly honored and excited to take on the role of President for Microsoft Asia. This region is at the forefront of digital transformation and now has the opportunity to lead the world in the era of AI. I am committed to work with our talented teams to drive innovation and empower our customers and partners to ride this next wave. In doing so, we will unlock inclusive growth for all across Asia,” Lima said.

Singapore – Meltwater, a global leader in media monitoring and intelligence, has bolstered its presence in the Asia-Pacific region through strategic senior leadership appointments and key partnerships aimed at launching innovative AI-driven products.

The first of Meltwater’s new appointments is Josh Drasta, who will assume the role of enterprise sales area director for APAC. Drasta brings over a decade of experience in sales and partnerships, having worked with companies such as Digimind, Google, and Isentia. His previous experience with Linkfluence, which was acquired by Meltwater in 2021, further deepens his familiarity with the company’s capabilities and solutions.

Joining Drasta is Alexandra Feig, who has been appointed as the new head of talent for APAC. Feig will lead a dynamic team dedicated to designing and implementing innovative recruitment strategies, processes, and best practices. Before joining Meltwater, she spearheaded Zendesk’s talent acquisition efforts across APAC and held senior roles in talent acquisition at Indeed and EssenceMediacom.

Rounding out the series of new appointments is Chris Hackney, who will step into the role of chief product officer. Hackney will oversee the strategic direction, expansion, and operation of Meltwater’s product portfolio.

With over 25 years of experience in the technology sector, Hackney has successfully built several pioneering companies and has a proven track record of driving innovation and growth in B2B SaaS companies. He has also held executive positions at Cision, Trendkite, Mercury Healthcare, and AI Guardian.

Since Hackney’s appointment, Meltwater has introduced a series of significant product innovations and strategic partnerships.

Meltwater’s new appointments coincide with the company’s accelerated AI-driven growth, marked by innovative product launches. In addition to expanding its leadership team, Meltwater has secured a strategic partnership with Microsoft to introduce the new ‘Meltwater Copilot.’

Meltwater Copilot is a next-generation communications assistant built on Microsoft’s technology stack—including Azure OpenAI Service, Microsoft 365, and Copilot for Microsoft 365. This tool enables users to access real-time insights such as brand mentions, sentiment analysis, key issues, and competitive benchmarking, all seamlessly integrated within their Teams environment.

The Meltwater Copilot App for Teams and its Microsoft 365 extension leverage cutting-edge AI from both Microsoft and Meltwater to harness Meltwater’s extensive global data set, processing over a billion pieces of information daily. Both companies aim to transform how communications and marketing professionals interact with data through this collaborative innovation. 

Additionally, Meltwater has partnered with CYFIRMA to enhance its brand protection and digital security capabilities. This integrated solution combines Meltwater’s AI-powered media and social intelligence suite with CYFIRMA’s DeCYFIR—the industry’s first external threat landscape management platform—providing a comprehensive approach to risk monitoring and mitigation.

This partnership provides organisations with enhanced visibility into potential threats across diverse digital environments, enabling them to proactively protect their brand and make informed decisions in today’s complex digital landscape.

David Hickey, executive director for Asia Pacific at Meltwater, said, “We have seen significant growth this past year in key markets like the Philippines, Australia, China, and Japan, and AI continues to present a tremendous opportunity for Meltwater in the APAC region.” 

“Our early investment in AI has led to the development of the latest generative AI capabilities, enabling our customers to unlock the full potential of online data without the need for technical expertise. We look forward to building on this momentum and rolling out more innovations that provide greater value, empowering organisations of all sizes to make better data-driven business decisions,” he added. 

Recently, Meltwater’s consumer intelligence solution provided in-depth insights into the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Through visual analytics and social listening, it assessed how sports brands engaged with audiences and how the performance of select athletes influenced their visibility.

Philippines – A staggering 89% of leaders in the Philippines believe their company needs to adopt AI to stay competitive, according to a report from Microsoft Corp. and LinkedIn.

The report showed that AI holds value for many Filipinos at the leadership level, with 89% believing it will give them a competitive edge. This puts the Philippines ahead of its global and regional counterparts at 79% and 84%, respectively.

Meanwhile, 55% of Filipino leaders are concerned that their organisation lacks a clear plan and vision for implementing AI. Although this figure is lower than the global and regional averages of 78% and 61%, respectively, it highlights potential consequences when local companies cannot meet the growing demand for AI resources.

Microsoft and LinkedIn’s data further shows that employees want AI at work, and they are making the move to use it themselves without waiting for their companies to catch up. 

In the Philippines, 86% of Filipino knowledge workers use AI at work, higher than the global average of 75% and the regional average of 83%. 

Additionally, 83% of Filipino AI users bring their own AI tools to work, practicing what is called ‘Bring Your Own AI’ (BYOAI), which introduces privacy, security, and legal risks for companies. This trend is also observed globally, with 78% of employees participating in BYOAI, and regionally at 79%.

For employees, having skills in AI will not only benefit the company but also them as individual workers. It ‘raises the bar and breaks the career ceiling’, as the report stated. 

In the data, it was revealed that 70% of Filipino leaders now will only hire someone with AI skills, a preference that is seen in 66% and 70% of global and regional leaders, respectively.

Interestingly, a smaller percentage of Filipino leaders (68%) are willing to hire a less experienced employee with AI skills over a more experienced candidate, compared to the global and regional averages of 71% and 76%, respectively.

Furthermore, because of the growing demand for AI in the hiring market, mentions in LinkedIn job posts grew by 17%, and 142x more users globally added AI skills to their profiles as of last year.

Considering all this data, Microsoft and LinkedIn suggest that for Philippine workplaces to stay ahead, they must take advantage of demand and start investing in AI to equip their employees with tools and skills to remain competitive.

As part of the report, Microsoft and LinkedIn also discussed the rise of AI power users. An ‘AI power user’ is someone who uses technology several times a week, saving 30 minutes of work daily. 

In the Philippines, the data shows that 86% of power users frequently start their day with AI, while another 86% use it to plan for the next. Demand is high among AI power users in the Philippines. They are 52% more likely to ask coworkers about useful prompts compared to 40% of global users, and 65% more likely to experiment with different ways of using AI compared to 68% of global users.

Filipino AI power users are significantly more likely to hear from their leadership about the importance of generative AI—57% more likely from their CEO, 41% more likely from their department head, and 107% more likely from their manager’s manager, compared to 61%, 40%, and 42% for global AI power users, respectively.

However, while Filipino power users are increasingly interested in learning about technology, the report reveals that they aren’t being trained enough. 

Only 30% are more likely to get training, especially on prompts (23% more likely) and using AI for their specific role or function (37% more likely). Globally, the percentage of AI power users likely to get training is 42%, and regionally, it is 36%.

Atul Harkisanka, Philippines country lead at LinkedIn, said, “As the Philippines witnesses a transformative shift in the workplace due to AI, companies are realising the need for a new talent playbook. With how rapidly the talent ecosystem evolves, leaders who prioritise agility and invest in skills development to build an AI-ready workforce gain a competitive edge.” 

“68% of Filipino business leaders will hire a less experienced candidate with AI skills, emphasising the urgency and importance for professionals to focus on advancing their AI aptitude through upskilling. Meanwhile, our data shows a 65% increase in learning hours for the top 100 AI/GAI courses from 2022 to 2023 on LinkedIn Learning. A record number of learners took the top AI courses on LinkedIn since January 2023 across Southeast Asia, Australia, and India.”

Meanwhile, Peter Maquera, CEO of Microsoft Philippines, shared, “2023 will be remembered as the year of AI, but this year we will start to see real impact as we move from potential applications to living innovations. The current state of AI adoption in the Philippines is very promising. We’re seeing innovation at scale across industries through our customers, who are unlocking efficiency, personalisation, security, and sustainability by applying AI solutions to their challenges and priorities.” 

“In terms of the workforce, our 2024 Work Trend Index shows Filipino employees are leading not just Asia but the world in leveraging AI to help boost productivity, efficiency, and creativity. More and more, the AI business imperative is becoming clearer, but there are still opportunities to explore and imperatives to take. Microsoft is committed to empowering this broad transformation as we bring more advanced AI technologies and platforms to the world, as well as insights to guide our customers and partners.”

Malaysia – Microsoft has announced that it will invest US$2.2 billion over the next four years to promote Malaysia’s digital transformation. The investment demonstrates Microsoft’s commitment to developing Malaysia as a hub for cloud computing and related technologies like generative AI. This project seeks to increase the nation’s productivity, competitiveness, resilience, and economic growth. 

The investment in digital infrastructure continues Microsoft’s April 2021 initiative, Bersama Malaysia (Together with Malaysia), which aims to promote inclusive economic growth. This project included preparations to set up the company’s first datacenter area in the nation. 

The disclosed investment places Microsoft in a position to handle Malaysia’s growing need for cloud computing services. Furthermore, it enables Malaysia to capitalise on the significant economic and productivity opportunities presented by AI technology. 

Microsoft revealed a broader pledge to provide 2.5 million people in the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) with chances for AI skill development by 2025. Governments, nonprofit organisations, corporate entities, and communities throughout Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam will all work together to give this training and support. 

The commitment builds on Microsoft’s recent skilling efforts in Malaysia, including its success in providing digital skills to over 1.53 million Malaysians as part of the Bersama Malaysia project. 

Microsoft intends to continue working with the Malaysian government on a number of projects aimed at strengthening the country’s digital environment. Among these efforts is the establishment of a national AI Center of Excellence in collaboration with Malaysia’s Ministry of Digital Agency. The objective is to ensure compliance with AI governance and regulatory standards while fostering the deployment of AI across critical industries.

In order to strengthen Malaysia’s cybersecurity capabilities, Microsoft will continue to work with the National Cyber Security Agency of Malaysia (NACSA) as part of the Perisai Siber (Cyber Shield) program. Through security evaluations and capacity building, our alliance will put the public sector’s security and resilience first. 

Furthermore, Microsoft wants to support NACSA as it develops the next stage of the country’s cybersecurity strategy, serving as NACSA’s principal agency for cybersecurity matters in Malaysia. The two organisations will also engage in more extensive cooperation to develop cybersecurity knowledge via programs such as Microsoft’s Ready4AI&Security initiative.

Microsoft continues to support the growth of Malaysia’s developer community by launching new projects like AI Odyssey. This initiative aims to assist 2,000 Malaysian developers in becoming AI subject matter experts by acquiring new skills and obtaining Microsoft credentials. 

Speaking about the investment, Satya Nadella, chairman and CEO, Microsoft, said, “We are committed to supporting Malaysia’s AI transformation and ensure it benefits all Malaysians. Our investments in digital infrastructure and skilling will help Malaysian businesses, communities, and developers apply the latest technology to drive inclusive economic growth and innovation across the country.”

Meanwhile, YB Senator Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Abdul Aziz, Malaysia’s Minister of Investment, Trade & Industry, said, “Microsoft’s 32-year presence in Malaysia showcases a deep partnership built on trust. Indeed, Malaysia’s position as a vibrant tech investment destination is increasingly being recognized by world-recognized names due to our well-established semiconductor ecosystem, underscored by our value proposition that ‘this is where global starts’.” 

He added, “Microsoft’s development of essential cloud and AI infrastructure, together with AI skilling opportunities, will significantly enhance Malaysia’s digital capacity and further elevate our position in the global tech landscape. Together with Microsoft, we look forward to creating more opportunities for our SMEs and better-paying jobs for our people, as we ride the AI revolution to fast-track Malaysia’s digitally empowered growth journey.” 

Andrea Della Mattea, president of Microsoft ASEAN, expressed, “We are honoured to collaborate with the government to support their National AI Framework, which enhances the country’s global competitiveness. This strategic emphasis on AI not only boosts economic growth but also promotes inclusivity by bridging the digital divide and ensuring everyone gets a seat at the table, so every Malaysian can thrive in this new digital world. As a result, Malaysia is steadily establishing itself as a regional hub for digital innovation and smart technologies, embodying a forward-thinking approach that prioritises sustainable development and societal well-being through digital transformation.” 

Washington, USA – Microsoft and The Coca-Cola Company have recently announced a five-year strategic partnership to align Coca-Cola’s core technology strategy systemwide; enable the adoption of leading-edge technology; and foster innovation and productivity globally.

As part of the partnership, Coca-Cola has made a $1.1 billion commitment to the Microsoft Cloud and its generative AI capabilities. The collaboration underscores Coca-Cola’s ongoing technology transformation, underpinned by the Microsoft Cloud as Coca-Cola’s globally preferred and strategic cloud and AI platform.

Through the partnership, the companies will jointly experiment with groundbreaking new technology like Azure OpenAI Service to develop innovative generative AI use cases across various business functions. This includes testing how Copilot for Microsoft 365 could help improve workplace productivity.

Moreover, Coca-Cola has migrated all its applications to Microsoft Azure, with most major independent bottling partners following suit. As a pioneer in AI adoption, Coca-Cola has been innovating with generative AI for nearly a year and has already leveraged Azure OpenAI Service to reimagine everything from marketing to manufacturing and supply chain and beyond. 

The company is currently exploring the use of generative AI-powered digital assistants on Azure OpenAI Service to help employees improve customer experiences, streamline operations, foster innovation, gain a competitive advantage, boost efficiency and uncover new growth opportunities.

Judson Althoff, executive vice president and chief commercial officer at Microsoft, said, “Through our long-term partnership, we have made significant progress to accelerate system-wide AI Transformation across The Coca-Cola Company and its network of independent bottlers worldwide. We are proud to support Coca-Cola as it continues to embrace the era of AI and looks to solutions like Azure OpenAI Service and Copilot for Microsoft 365 to drive innovation across every area of its business.”

Meanwhile, John Murphy, president and chief financial officer of The Coca-Cola Company, stated, “This new agreement builds on the success of Coca-Cola’s partnership strategy with Microsoft, showing our commitment to ongoing digital transformation. Our partnership with Microsoft has grown exponentially, from the $250 million agreement we initially announced in 2020 to $1.1 billion today.”

Lastly, Neeraj Tolmare, senior vice president and global chief information officer for The Coca-Cola Company, commented, “Our expanded partnership with Microsoft is an important next chapter in Coca-Cola’s journey toward a digital-first enterprise powered by emerging technologies. Microsoft’s capabilities help accelerate our adoption of AI to create incremental enterprise value.”