Microsoft Corp. and the Coca-Cola Company have entered a five-year strategic partnership aimed at aligning Coca-Cola’s core technology strategy systemwide, promoting the adoption of cutting-edge technology, and driving innovation and productivity globally.
As part of the collaboration, Coca-Cola has committed $1.1 billion to the Microsoft Cloud and its generative AI capabilities. This investment underscores Coca-Cola’s ongoing technology transformation, with Microsoft Cloud serving as its globally preferred and strategic cloud and AI platform.
The partnership will involve joint experimentation with innovative technologies such as Azure OpenAI Service to develop groundbreaking generative AI use cases across various business functions. This includes exploring how Copilot for Microsoft 365 could enhance workplace productivity.
Judson Althoff, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of Microsoft, emphasized the significant progress made in accelerating systemwide AI transformation across The Coca-Cola Company and its network of independent bottlers worldwide. He expressed pride in supporting Coca-Cola as it embraces AI and leverages solutions like Azure OpenAI Service and Copilot to drive innovation across its business areas.
John Murphy, President and Chief Financial Officer of the Coca-Cola Company, highlighted the growth of the partnership with Microsoft, from the initial $250 million agreement announced in 2020 to the current $1.1 billion commitment. Coca-Cola has migrated all its applications to Microsoft Azure, with major independent bottling partners following suit. The company has been pioneering AI adoption, leveraging Azure OpenAI Service to reimagine various aspects of its operations, from marketing to manufacturing and supply chain management.
Neeraj Tolmare, Senior Vice President and Global Chief Information Officer for the Coca-Cola Company, described the expanded partnership with Microsoft as a significant step in advancing Coca-Cola’s digital transformation journey. He emphasized Microsoft’s capabilities in accelerating the adoption of AI to create incremental enterprise value. The agreement aims to provide expanded access to Microsoft’s cloud and AI platforms, as well as solutions such as Microsoft 365, Power BI, Dynamics 365, Defender, and Fabric, to enhance efficiency, scalability, and innovation across Coca-Cola’s system.
The strategic partnership between Microsoft and Coca-Cola demonstrates a shared commitment to driving digital innovation and leveraging emerging technologies to shape the future of business globally.
