Maersk Expands Partnership with Microsoft to Digitize, Decarbonize Logistics

A.P. Moller - Maersk (Maersk), one of the world’s largest logistics companies, today announced a boost to its cloud-first technology approach by expanding the company’s use of Microsoft Azure as its cloud platform.

Azure provides Maersk access to a resilient and performing portfolio of cloud services, enabling its business to innovate and deliver scalable, reliable, and secure products with improved time to market.

The cloud backbone enables Maersk to build scalable platforms to cater for organic and inorganic growth, supporting the Maersk transformation strategy.  Further, the use of machine learning and data analytics will enable Maersk to gain greater ‎insights and support new ways of working.

Navneet Kapoor, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology and Information Officer at A.P. Moller – Maersk said: “I am thrilled to extend our collaboration with Microsoft. With Microsoft, we can use their innovation in the technology space to drive our innovation in the logistics space.

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"Together, we have a unique and interdependent relationship which is driven by mutual creation, trust, and an understanding of both companies´ strategic direction, which is valuable to all.”

With the expansion of its relationship with Microsoft, Maersk is looking to accelerate its transformation and to further digitize logistics.

Judson Althoff, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, Microsoft said: ”Digital technologies are essential for the logistics industry to develop solutions and services that will help build and maintain resilient supply chains.

“With Azure as Maersk’s strategic cloud platform, Microsoft and Maersk are collaborating to accelerate innovation and digitize the industry to meet its customers’ evolving needs.”

The collaboration between Maersk and Microsoft has already brought innovative digital solutions to the market, such as Remote Container Management (RCM), which allows Maersk to monitor temperature and humidity data from hundreds of thousands of refrigerated shipping containers in real time.

Another project, Connected Vessel, aims at optimizing fuel consumption by monitoring performance data from Maersk’s container vessels to create a shared view with experts onshore who can provide advice to Captains, helping lower bunker costs and reducing emissions.

Both projects are great examples of the benefit of how digitization is bringing real value for Maersk’s customers and their businesses, as well as the commitment to decarbonize logistics.

As part of Microsoft’s commitment to actively use and scale low-carbon solutions for global supply chain activities, Maersk is a key partner for Microsoft in air freight, ocean freight and domestic services, providing logistics services to Microsoft.

The companies also recently extended their Airfreight collaboration where Maersk intends to utilize their own controlled freighter network to support Microsoft’s Global supply chain.

Furthermore, the companies intend to work together to strengthen their global strategic relationship across three core pillars: IT/technology, ocean & logistics and decarbonization.

The main objectives of this work are to identify and explore co-innovation opportunities and to drive digital innovation and decarbonization in logistics.

Maersk aims to develop state-of-the-art solutions to accelerate and modernize collaboration and processes and to further enable modern work experiences to create value for its customers and employees.

Read More: Maersk Reports Solid Q1 2023 Results