Microsoft and 3M have entered into a partnership to advance AI data centre infrastructure and support enterprise transformation.
Under the agreement, Microsoft’s Azure Cloud and AI Infrastructure is set to become the first large-scale cloud provider to implement 3M’s Expanded Beam Optical (EBO) technology.
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Additionally, 3M will leverage Microsoft’s AI and digital platforms to drive transformation across various business operations.
Microsoft will use 3M’s EBO technology in Azure data centres to support high-performance and sustainable infrastructure for AI workloads.
EBO technology differs from traditional fibre connectors by using an expanded beam optical interface, which does not require direct contact.
According to 3M, this design makes fibre connections faster to install, more resistant to contamination, and easier to maintain.
The technology is intended to reduce the need for frequent cleaning and inspection in dense, high-volume data centre environments while maintaining reliable optical performance.
Early adoption of EBO technology by Microsoft has shown that it can help cut network deployment times in certain scenarios, and that it provides consistent signal performance during typical data centre installation and maintenance activities.
3M is increasing production of EBO technology to meet demand from hyperscalers and data centre operators building AI infrastructure.
The company has also contributed to the establishment of the EBO Multi-Source Agreement to encourage standardisation and wider industry use of the technology.
Microsoft cloud supply chain corporate vice-president Cliff Henson said: “At Microsoft, we’re redefining the foundation of cloud and AI infrastructure — combining our own innovations with advances from partners like 3M to build datacenters that are faster to deploy, more resilient and ready for the scale of AI.
“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.”
The partnership extends to 3M adopting Microsoft’s AI technologies to transform business processes such as customer service, finance, sales, and marketing.
Both companies have signalled plans for further technical collaboration and joint work on areas including optical connectivity, deployment speed, and long-term reliability in data centres.
Last month, Microsoft completed construction of its first data centre facility in the Village of Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, US and commenced complete operations.
