Microsoft is a key partner of The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing ( NASCAR ) and together they are driving ahead to create an inclusive and immersive new fan experience ( FX ).

These long-term partners have not only navigated the challenges posed by the pandemic with the use of Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365 , but are now looking to a future packed with virtual events to enhance the FX , well beyond NASCAR ’ S famous Daytona racetrack .

“ Together , we ’ ve created a secure environment that ’ s allowed for collaboration , but the future is all about the fans ”, said Melinda Cook , General Manager for Microsoft , South USA Commercial Business , who cited a culture of transparency , passion , adaptiveness , and a growth mindset as to why this alignment is so successful .

“ We ’ ve partnered to create a fluid , immersive experience for the users that is supported by a secure foundation with Microsoft . We are focused on empowering customers , like NASCAR , to reach their full potential . We do this with our cloud platform which provides data insights and security .”

“ Our cloud environment allows NASCAR to move forward with their digital transformation journey while we are in the background ,” said Cook who highlights that Microsoft is helping NASCAR

• Empower employees productivity and collaboration

• Improve fan engagement and experience

• Improve environment security and IT productivity

• Improve racing operations

Microsoft Teams , which is part of the Microsoft 365 suite , enabled employees to work remotely , while staying productive , during the pandemic . “ This allowed people to provide the same level of productivity with video conference and instant messaging to collaborate on documents . Increased automation also allows pit crews , IT , and the business to focus on safety , racing operations , and the fan experience .

“ We will continue to improve automation with machine learning and artificial intelligence , from marketing to IT operations to finance to racing operations ,” said Cook .

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