3M and Microsoft have announced a strategic partnership to deploy 3M's Expanded Beam Optical (EBO) technology in Microsoft Azure data centers, marking the first hyperscale cloud provider to adopt the solution. The collaboration aims to accelerate AI adoption and strengthen the physical networks required for cloud and AI workloads. By combining Microsoft's digital infrastructure with 3M's materials science and precision manufacturing, the companies intend to enhance the performance and reliability of data center operations.

Innovating Datacenter Infrastructure

Microsoft will integrate 3M's proprietary EBO technology into Azure data centers to support high-performance, efficient, and sustainable infrastructure for enterprise and generative AI workloads. The EBO technology utilizes an expanded beam optical interface, which eliminates the need for direct contact required in traditional connectors. This design is intended to make fiber connections faster to install, more tolerant to contamination, and easier to maintain.

The implementation of EBO technology is expected to help Microsoft reduce the frequency of cleaning and inspections while ensuring reliable optical performance in dense, high-volume environments. Early use of the technology by Microsoft has demonstrated the potential to shorten network deployment timelines and maintain strong signal performance in live data center conditions, where dust exposure and routine handling are common.

Enterprise AI Transformation

As part of the agreement, 3M will deploy Microsoft's AI and digital capabilities across key areas of its enterprise transformation roadmap, including customer service, finance, sales, and marketing. These initiatives are designed to streamline processes, enhance decision-making, improve customer experiences, and boost employee productivity.

A specific initiative involves the newly launched Microsoft Frontier Company, which will deploy engineers to assist 3M's Global Business Services team in automating customer order management. The companies are collaborating on an AI agent-driven workflow to handle credit checks, delinquency assessments, and system updates. The solution features human-in-the-loop controls and a custom monitoring dashboard for real-time visibility and approvals, aiming to reduce manual effort, improve process speed, and accelerate cash flow.

Strategic Collaboration

3M is scaling the production of its EBO technology to meet rising demand from hyperscalers and data center operators. The company has advanced single-mode expanded beam optical technology for high-volume data center applications and helped establish the EBO Multi-Source Agreement (MSA) to support industry standardization. Microsoft and 3M plan to continue their technical collaboration through joint innovation opportunities across Microsoft's data center and device ecosystem, focusing on reliability, deployment speed, density, and scalability.

New York Attorney General Letitia James has filed a lawsuit against 3M, Chemours, Corteva, and DuPont De Nemours over alleged toxic pollution from consumer products. The legal action targets these chemical companies for their reported role in environmental contamination. The suit seeks accountability for the alleged harm caused by the substances involved.

Companies Named in the Lawsuit

The complaint specifically names four major entities:

Allegations and Legal Basis

The lawsuit alleges that the companies engaged in practices leading to toxic pollution. The focus is on consumer products identified as sources of the contamination. The Attorney General's office asserts that these actions violated state laws designed to protect public health and the environment.