Microsoft, 3M Partner To Advance AI Infrastructure

(RTTNews) - 3M Company (MMM) and Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) on Wednesday announced a strategic partnership to support AI data center infrastructure and enterprise transformation initiatives.

Under the agreement, Microsoft's Azure Cloud and AI Infrastructure business will become the first announced hyperscale cloud provider to deploy 3M's Expanded Beam Optical (EBO) technology in its data centers. The technology is designed to simplify fiber-optic connections, reduce maintenance requirements and support faster network deployments for AI and cloud workloads.

As part of the partnership, 3M will adopt Microsoft's AI and digital platforms across key business functions, including customer service, finance, sales and marketing, to streamline operations and improve productivity.

A new collaboration involving the newly launched Microsoft Frontier Company will deploy engineers to help 3M develop AI-driven workflows that automate credit checks, delinquency assessments and system updates, aiming to improve efficiency and cash flow.

3M said it is expanding production of its EBO technology to meet growing demand from hyperscale cloud providers and data center operators as AI-driven infrastructure investments accelerate.

"3M's EBO solution will help unlock new levels of performance, reliability and efficiency to ensure customers can run their cloud and AI workloads on a trusted, sustainable and advanced environment," said Cliff Henson, corporate vice president, Cloud Supply Chain, Microsoft.

"At 3M, we view AI as a powerful tool that can accelerate growth, improve customer experiences and help our teams work more effectively," said Jon Van Wyck, executive vice president and chief strategy officer, 3M. "Our collaboration with Microsoft supports that vision through targeted optimization opportunities for our enterprise while advancing the infrastructure needed to power the future of AI."

As of this writing, 3M shares are up nearly 3% at $162.12, and Microsoft shares rose 1% to $230.61.