Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank), Malaysia’s largest financial services group, has entered into a MYR 1 billion ($240 million) strategic partnership with global technology firm Microsoft, to accelerate its digital transformation journey and reinforce its commitment in enhancing customer experience.
Maybank said in a statement on Tuesday that this will see Maybank embracing the power of Microsoft’s collaboration suite, cloud, artificial intelligence (AI), and security capabilities to drive customer centricity, enhance operational agility, and foster a culture of continued innovation.
This partnership is for a value of approximately MYR 1 billion ($240 million) over five years, which would include upgrade of existing capabilities to Microsoft 365.
Under this partnership, Maybank will adopt Microsoft Azure as one of the main cloud platforms for some of its most strategic systems, functions and data workloads.
This move provides Maybank with a state of the art scalable, resilient, and secure foundation, enabling real-time data analytics, faster deployment of new services, and significant operational efficiencies.
To further amplify productivity and intelligence, Maybank will rollout Microsoft 365 Copilot across all its 44,000 employees.
This integration will empower Maybank personnel with expansive AI-powered capabilities.
Out of the box, Microsoft 365 Copilot acts as an intelligent assistant that can offload complex tasks from the employees.
Microsoft 365 Copilot will also enable Maybankers to innovate further and drive improvement in the overall customer experience, in efficiency and effectiveness of operations.
Recognizing the paramount importance of trust and security in the financial sector, the partnership also involves leveraging Microsoft’s advanced security tools.
Maybank will enhance its existing cybersecurity posture with Microsoft’s industry-leading solutions and ensure robust data protection.
Beyond technological adoption, this collaboration is a strategic investment to further support Maybank’s employees.
The partnership will explore the establishment of a Center of Excellence for both companies to collaborate on developing cloud and AI-powered innovation, and in nurturing in-house talents in these areas.
This partnership will cover Maybank’s presence across ASEAN and beyond, and further underscores Maybank’s commitment to drive digitalization and AI adoption in ASEAN.
“This strategic partnership with Microsoft is a leap forward in our digital transformation journey beyond our M25+ strategy,
“It’s not just about technology; it’s about thinking ahead on how we can better serve our customers, improving our ways of working, and accelerating innovations,” said Khairussaleh Ramli, President & Group Chief Executive Officer, Maybank.
“With the right technology strengthening our core parts of our business, we are building a truly agile, faster, and more competitive environment for sustainable growth and long-term value creation for all our stakeholders and customers,” he added.
Meanwhile, Mayank Wadhwa, President, Microsoft ASEAN, shared that Malaysia stands at a pivotal moment in its digital journey, and Maybank is leading by example.
“By embedding intelligence into the core of financial services, Maybank is transforming how it serves its customers while setting a powerful example for the industry across ASEAN,
“At Microsoft, we are committed to supporting this bold vision, one that humanizes innovation, empowers people, and accelerates inclusive economic growth for the region,” he added.
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