Microsoft And Oyo Collaborate To Develop Next-Gen Hotel Technologies

The American tech giant Microsoft and Indian company Oyo have established a multi-year strategic agreement to collaborate on the development of next-generation travel and hospitality products and services.

The plan is to use Microsoft's cloud and artificial intelligence capabilities to create solutions that will assist the clients of Oyo, which operates small and medium hotel and home storefronts in several countries.

Oyo will use Microsoft Azure—the cloud computing service—as a "key enabler" for cloud-based innovations, with solutions tailored to the needs of customers. Small and independent hotels and homeowners will be able to use Oyo's latest technology to manage their guests' experiences, increase revenue and control operations, all while benefiting from Microsoft Azure's "security" and "scalability."

Oyo said that it will also start sharing existing workloads to Microsoft Azure and embrace the Microsoft 365 suite for greater collaboration and productivity, as well as migrate to Github Enterprise for safely expediting software development.

According to The Economic Times, Oyo has also received a strategic equity investment from the American company, according to the Ritesh Agarwal-led business, albeit the magnitude of the investment was not disclosed.

However, as per Abhinav Sinha, who is the global chief operating officer and chief product officer at Oyo Hotels & Homes, the partnership with Microsoft will speed up the deployment of the company's products, allowing it to have a greater impact through an integrated technology ecosystem available on the cloud for businesses in the most remote parts of the globe.

He said: "For our guests, this alliance will mean more personalisation, better choices, differentiated experiences and an improved guest experience in the future. Microsoft's commitment is further strengthened by the equity investment in the company."

According to Oyo, it will create 'Smart Room' experiences for travellers using the platform, including premium and customised in-room experiences. As reported, guest experiences will include self-check-in, a digital record of arrivals and departures, self-Know Your Customer (KYC), IoT-managed smart locks, and virtual assistance, all powered by Microsoft's Azure IoT.

Anant Maheshwari, the president of Microsoft India, said that while combining Azure's power with the technology and product stack established by Oyo, "we are looking forward to accelerating innovation in travel and hospitality". Additionally, he said: "It is inspiring to see how the Microsoft cloud is empowering digital natives like Oyo to accelerate industry transformation and innovations, turning the challenges of a post-pandemic era into opportunities for the future."

The Indian company earlier stated that over the next six months, it will hire more than 300 technology experts, including software developers, engineers, product managers, designers and data scientists, in positions ranging from entry-level to senior leadership.

Oyo said that it has been looking for full-stack teams, Android and iOS developers, with critical skill sets and expertise in Machine Learning, Data Engineering, and Information Security. The new design, product and engineering teams will be in charge of creating long-term capabilities for Oyo from the ground up while also updating the present tech stack.

As per other reports, Oyo is expected to file its draught red herring prospectus (DRHP) with the capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) in the coming months.

The company hopes to raise $1.2-1.5 billion at a $14-16 billion value. As claimed, internally, the firm has set a September deadline for filing its IPO papers, intending to become a public company by the end of the calendar year.