Microsoft recently turned the spotlight on some high-profile customers that are using its latest cloud, machine learning and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions as part of what it calls “digital transformation” initiatives.
At this week’s Digital Experience event in New York, Microsoft touted over a dozen customers that are piloting or implementing its wares, such as Bank of America, Hershey, Fruit of the Loom, Geico, Maersk and UBS — all of which are using some of the latest Azure-based technologies.
For example, Hershey is using Azure Machine Learning, Azure IoT and Power BI to better predict the temperatures in the vats it uses to manufacture Twizzlers. The company does this by reading feeds from sensors on the vats.
“This is a beautiful correlation plot that we run in Power BI,” said George Lenhart III, senior manager of IS innovation and disruptive technologies at Hershey. “We turned on the Machine Learning, and by adjusting every five minutes with the prediction of whether it was going to be heavy or light, we were able make changes accordingly.”
Maersk Transport and Logistics, one of the world’s largest logistics providers, plans to use Microsoft’s technology to automate its supply chain and predict scenarios that could cause delays, with the goal of reducing its costs by tens of millions of dollars.
“It’s all about speed — how do we go to market faster, how do we do much more with less and how do we increase our return on investments,” said Ibrahim Gokcen, Maersk’s chief digital officer.
Gokcen said Maersk started using the Azure Machine Learning, IoT suite and other services about a year ago, and has decided to engage in a long-term effort to build out an Azure-based digital marketplace. Maersk is also considering the potential of Azure Stack and of running it on the company’s 1,000-plus ships throughout the world.