Walmart enters partnership with Microsoft to use cloud tech

US retail giant Walmart said on Tuesday it entered into a strategic partnership with Microsoft for wider use of cloud and artificial intelligence technology, in a sign that major rivals of Amazon.com are coming together.

The five-year agreement will leverage the full range of Microsoft’s cloud solutions, including Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365, to make shopping faster and easier for customers, the Arkansas-based company said.

As part of the partnership, Walmart and Microsoft engineers will collaborate to migrate a significant portion of walmart.com and samsclub.com to Azure, Walmart added.

E-commerce presence

While Walmart is doubling down on its e-commerce presence to better compete with Amazon, Microsoft has been working on a technology that would eliminate cashiers and checkout lines from stores, Reuters reported last month.

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Microsoft’s technology aims to help retailers keep pace with Amazon Go, the e-commerce giant’s highly automated store format.

The Windows software maker has also shown the sample technology to retailers from around the world and has had talks with Walmart about a potential collaboration, Reuters reported.

Through the partnership, Walmart plans to defend itself from Amazon’s retail ambitions and expertise in data, and boost its online presence.

– Reuters