PR94211

MEMPHIS, Tenn. and REDMOND, Wash., Jan. 24, 2022 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

New offering aimed at increasing merchant competitiveness in the e-commerce

space by improving customer engagement and providing enhanced shipping options

FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) and Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) on Monday announced

the next solution as part of their multiyear collaboration (

https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=3421242-1&h=2844713017&u=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsroom.fedex.com%2Fnewsroom%2Ffedex-surround%2F&a=multiyear+collaboration

) to transform commerce, supply chains and logistics. FedEx and Microsoft will

bring together FedEx network intelligence with capabilities from Microsoft

Dynamics 365 to introduce a cross-platform "logistics as a service" for

retailers, merchants and brands.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1732082/FesEx_and_Microsoft__Logo.jpg

The companies share a vision for reimagining commerce experiences for

businesses so they can offer their consumers more integrated ways to shop, and

faster, more efficient deliveries. In today's world of just-in-time supply

chains, global trade and accelerated e-commerce growth, speed, flexibility and

visibility are critical. Customer needs and expectations have shifted across

every industry. Together, FedEx and Microsoft are using tools like artificial

intelligence and machine learning to extrapolate new insights from the 17

million packages that pass through the FedEx network each day to help brands

deliver improved customer experiences.

Cross-platform, logistics as a service solution for brands

The companies announced plans to introduce a unique data integration coupling

data insights from FedEx with Dynamics 365 Intelligent Order Management to help

brands access new information and capabilities to better fulfill, ship and

service customer orders while easily integrating with their existing e-commerce

platforms. This cross-platform approach helps brands deliver modern, high-value

experiences directly to their customers including faster, more cost-effective

delivery; near real-time delivery status communications; and convenient,

frictionless returns with approximately 60,000 drop-off locations and

printerless QR codes. For brands facing increased pressure to build affinity

while managing higher order volumes, ensuring cost-effective fulfilment and

reducing costly customer service calls, this new technology brings

unprecedented opportunity to leverage existing systems of record, optimize

fulfillment and deliver on their order promises with increased precision, while

benefiting from a more complete view of their customer.

"Nearly two years ago we set out on a mission with Microsoft to transform the

commerce ecosystem," said Raj Subramaniam, president and COO of FedEx Corp. "In

that time, we've made significant progress, leveraging Microsoft Azure

technology with our FedEx Surround solution, which provides critical support in

enabling advanced monitoring of time-sensitive priority shipments. This next

phase of our collaboration will continue to connect the unmatched supply chain

insights from the FedEx network with the Microsoft Cloud to improve e-commerce

experiences for brands, merchants and consumers."

Dynamics 365 Intelligent Order Management uses data and AI to create an

omnichannel order management application that integrates with existing

enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM)

systems and can leverage an ecosystem of other order source systems such as

online e-commerce marketplaces, mobile apps and social commerce alongside

traditional ordering channels like electronic data interchange (EDI) or brick

and mortar point-of-sale. The platform is equipped with prebuilt connectors to

the leading tools brands already use for omnichannel order intake,

cross-channel order fulfillment and delivery, and rules-based order

orchestration actions within a low-code/no-code environment that uses AI and

machine learning. Coupled with data and visibility into the FedEx network, the

companies aim to empower businesses with new, innovative ways to better serve

their customers.

"More than ever, it's clear just how critical having a resilient supply chain

is for every organization's success in the modern economy," said Satya Nadella,

chairman and CEO, Microsoft. "We're bringing data and insights from the FedEx

network together with the Microsoft Cloud, starting with Dynamics 365, to help

organizations accelerate their digital transformation across their business

operations so they can offer customers more integrated ways to shop, and

faster, more efficient deliveries."

Empowering all industries with increased logistics supply chain visibility

FedEx and Microsoft joined forces in May 2020 to enable businesses to better

compete in today's increasingly digital commerce ecosystem. The pandemic has

dramatically accelerated e-commerce adoption and the digital transformations of

business of all sizes. Pre-pandemic, FedEx projected that the U.S. domestic

package market would hit 100 million packages per day by calendar year 2026.

The market is now expected to hit this mark four years sooner than expected,

growing to 110 million packages a day in 2022 — with 86% of that growth

expected to come from e-commerce.

FedEx Surround, the first FedEx customer-facing solution built using Microsoft

Azure cloud technology, is a testament to the collaboration's innovative

potential and immediate impact on how data is used in logistics. Built to

leverage the millions of data points across the FedEx network, the FedEx

Surround platform leverages AI, machine learning and analytics solutions to

proactively monitor the risk to FedEx packages along a delivery route — such as

weather disruptions or traffic delays. This near real-time information provides

customers with visibility to the state of their supply chain and allows them to

proactively plan remediation and alternatives that FedEx can help execute to

keep a shipment on track.

FedEx Surround was deployed in December 2020 and has been instrumental in

supporting COVID-19 vaccine transportation. The platform enabled FedEx to

manage monitoring this significant increase in priority shipment volume.

Availability

Seamless FedEx data integration with Dynamics 365 Intelligent Order Management

is expected to be available to customers in the U.S. in the second half of

2022.

About FedEx Corp.

FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a

broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With

annual revenues of $90 billion, the company offers integrated business

solutions through operating companies competing collectively, operating

collaboratively and innovating digitally under the respected FedEx brand.

Consistently ranked among the world's most admired and trusted employers, FedEx

inspires its more than 600,000 team members to remain focused on safety, the

highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and

communities. FedEx is committed to connecting people and possibilities around

the world responsibly and resourcefully, with a goal to achieve carbon-neutral

operations by 2040. To learn more, please visit about.fedex.com (

https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=3421242-1&h=552002854&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fedex.com%2Fen-us%2Fabout.html&a=about.fedex.com

).

About Microsoft

Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT" @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era

of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower

every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release may be considered forward-looking

statements, such as statements relating to FedEx and Microsoft managements'

views with respect to future events and financial performance. Forward-looking

statements include those preceded by, followed by or that include the words

"will," "may," "could," "would," "should," "believes," "expects,"

"anticipates," "plans," "estimates," "targets," "projects," "intends" or

similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks,

uncertainties and other factors which could cause actual results to differ

materially from historical experience or from future results expressed or

implied by such forward-looking statements. Potential risks and uncertainties

include, but are not limited to, the rate of future e-commerce growth and our

ability to successfully compete in the e-commerce market, our ability to

successfully introduce e-commerce solutions in the expected time frame,

customer acceptance of the FedEx Surround platform and other factors which can

be found in FedEx Corp.'s and Microsoft's respective press releases and filings

with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking statement

speaks only as of the date on which it is made. FedEx and Microsoft do not

undertake or assume any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking

statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE Microsoft Corporation

CONTACT: Microsoft Media Relations, WE Communications for Microsoft, +1 (425)

638-7777, rrt@we-worldwide.com; or FedEx Media Relations, +1 (901) 434-8100,

mediarelations@fedex.com

NOTE TO EDITORS:For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft,

please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://news.microsoft.com. Web links,

telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may have

changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact

Microsoft's Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at

https://news.microsoft.com/microsoft-public-relations-contacts.