Microsoft to Make Strategic Investment in Grab
Five-year agreement to collaborate on various technology projects including big data, artificial intelligence, and mobility solutions

(Singapore and Redmond, Washington, October 24, 2018 PRNewswire=Yonhapnews) Microsoft and Grab, Southeast Asia's leading on-demand transportation, mobile payment, and O2O (online-to-offline) service platform, have announced a strategic partnership. This collaboration aims to transform digital services and mobility offerings in Southeast Asia by leveraging Microsoft's world-class machine learning and other artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. As the first phase of this broad collaboration between the two companies, Grab will adopt Microsoft Azure as its preferred cloud platform, and Microsoft will make a strategic investment in Grab.

Ming Maa, president of Grab together with Peggy Johnson, executive vice president of Microsoft.

Ming Maa, President of Grab, said, "This partnership signifies that we will collaborate deeply with Microsoft on various technology projects such as big data and artificial intelligence that will transform the delivery of everyday services and mobility solutions in Southeast Asia. Microsoft's decision to invest in us, as a world-leading technology pioneer, underscores our position as the region's leading homegrown technology company. We will continue to work with Microsoft to improve on-demand transportation and seamless O2O experiences for our users in the future."

Peggy Johnson, Vice President of Microsoft, said, "Our partnership with Grab opens up new opportunities for innovation in a rapidly evolving industry and growth region. We are delighted to partner with Grab in transforming customer experiences and improving the delivery of digital services for millions of users who depend on safe and affordable transportation, food and package delivery, mobile payment, and financial services."

Grab, Southeast Asia's leading mobile O2O platform, operates in 235 cities across eight Southeast Asian countries, and its e-wallet GrabPay is the region's leading mobile wallet.

Through this partnership, Grab will adopt Microsoft Azure as its preferred cloud platform, efficiently scale its platform, and leverage Microsoft's intelligent cloud and AI capabilities to enhance its capacity and capabilities. Through this collaboration, both companies will explore various innovative and in-depth technology projects that will improve and transform the Grab experience for Grab users, driver-partners, merchants, and agents. These special innovation projects include the following:

Big Data, AI, and Machine Learning

- Through collaboration with Microsoft, Grab will explore new authentication mechanisms such as AI-enabled mobile facial recognition for drivers and customers who consent to alternative identity (ID) verification methods to improve passenger and driver safety and security. This enables matching driver and passenger identities to reservations.
- Grab will leverage Microsoft Azure's data analytics and fraud detection services to predict and prevent fraudulent transactions on its platform.
- Both companies will utilize Microsoft's natural language processing capabilities to provide context-aware real-time translation to customers and create AI chatbots that enable Grab users to have interactive experiences.
- Microsoft's machine learning and AI capabilities will power Grab's advanced "recommendation engine" that analyzes user data and behavior to deliver personalized services and content recommendations through the Grab app.
- Additionally, Grab plans to collaborate with Microsoft to explore image recognition and computer vision technologies that will enhance user and driver pickup experiences. For example, when a passenger takes a photo of their current location, it can be converted to an actual address that the driver can identify.
- Grab will leverage Microsoft's machine learning capabilities to improve mapping and quality.

Other Collaboration Areas

- Microsoft Outlook Integration. Grab will offer on-demand transportation booking options enabling Outlook users to seamlessly book transportation directly from the application and receive reminders based on their calendar schedule.
- Microsoft Kaizala. Grab will pilot Microsoft Kaizala, a mobile app and service for large-scale group communication and task management, to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of its customer service team.
- In-Vehicle Solutions. Both companies will collaborate on deploying in-vehicle entertainment and productivity solutions across Southeast Asia.
- Rewards Integration. Microsoft will integrate Microsoft Rewards Gift Cards into Grab's Grab Rewards loyalty program.

About Grab

Grab is one of Southeast Asia's most frequently used O2O mobile platforms, providing consumers with the most important everyday services. These include commuting, dining, shopping delivery, and e-wallet payments. Grab believes all Southeast Asian citizens should benefit from the digital economy and provides access to safe and affordable transportation, food and package delivery, mobile payment, and financial services. Grab currently operates in Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Cambodia. For more information, visit the website www.grab.com.

Microsoft

Microsoft (NASDAQ "MSFT" @microsoft) is leading digital transformation to usher in the era of the intelligent cloud and intelligent edge. The company's mission is to empower every person and organization on the planet to achieve more.

Editor's Note: For detailed information, news, and Microsoft's perspective, visit the Microsoft News Center at http://news.microsoft.com. Web links, phone numbers, and titles are as of the time this material was prepared and are subject to change. Members of the media and analysts requiring additional assistance can contact Microsoft's rapid response team or the relevant contact listed at http://news.microsoft.com/microsoft-public-relations-contacts.

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Source: Microsoft Corp.

Related Links :

http://www.grab.com