Microsoft and 3M team up to power AI data centre infrastructure

Both companies are expected to combine Microsoft’s digital and hyperscale infrastructure with 3M’s material science and manufacturing expertise to accelerate AI adoption.

Microsoft’s Azure cloud and AI infrastructure is expected to become the first announced hyperscale cloud provider to deploy 3M’s Expanded Beam Optical (EBO) technology. 3M has said it will use Microsoft’s AI and digital platforms as part of its enterprise transformation strategy across all key business functions.

This forms part of its plan to strengthen the physical networks required for AI and cloud workload growth.

“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 and engineering at Microsoft.

“At Microsoft, we’re redefining the foundation of cloud and AI infrastructure – combining our own innovations with advances from partners like 3M to build data centres that are faster to deploy, more resilient and ready for the scale of AI,” he added.

3M’s EBO technology will be deployed in Azure data centres, with the technology designed to make fibre connections faster to install and easier to maintain. This is expected to help Microsoft reduce its need for frequent cleaning and inspection, while also supporting reliable optical performance in dense, high-volume deployment environments.

The technology giant’s easy use of EBO technology has shown potential to reduce network deployment timelines in certain environments, it said. It can also offer strong signal performance in live data centre conditions, where dust exposure and routine handling are typical during installation and maintenance.

3M has committed to scaling production of its EBO technology in recent years to meet rising demand on data centre operators to scale AI infrastructure. It has advanced EBO technology specifically for high-volume data centre applications so it can be adopted across the wider ecosystem.

For instance, both companies are collaborating on an AI agent-driven workflow to help with credit checks, delinquency assessments and system updates, with human-in-the-loop controls and a custom monitoring dashboard for real-time visibility and approvals. Both companies said the solution should reduce manual effort – freeing up 3M staff for higher-value work – and thereby improving process speed, while boosting cash flow.

The company is expected to deploy Microsoft’s AI and digital capabilities in critical areas of its enterprise transformation roadmap, which includes customer service, finance, sales and marketing. These efforts will help simplify processes, improve decision-making, strengthen customer experiences and enable greater employee productivity, both organisations shared.

“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 at 3M. “Our collaboration with Microsoft supports that vision through targeted optimisation opportunities for our enterprise while advancing the infrastructure needed to power the future of AI.”

Both Microsoft and 3M are expected to build on their partnership via joint innovation across Microsoft’s data centre and device ecosystem and between engineering and commercial teams. Focus will be placed on areas where 3M’s material sciences, optical connectivity and manufacturing capabilities can address evolving requirements for reliability, deployment speed, density and long-term scalability.

Van Wyck stated: “We are excited to deepen our partnership and develop practical solutions that can create mutual value.”

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