All articles tagged with #cloud
Microsoft is testing a Cloud-Initiated Driver Recovery feature that can automatically replace faulty drivers installed via Windows Update with a known-good version from the cloud, eliminating manual rollbacks. The rollout is expected to begin in September, and Microsoft is also adding other update-improvement features like extended pause options to reduce disruption.
Alibaba reported for the quarter ended March 31, 2026: revenue RMB243.38B (US$35.28B), up 3% YoY (11% like-for-like excluding Sun Art/Intime), with net income RMB23.50B and non-GAAP net income RMB86M. Cloud Intelligence revenue grew 40% externally, AI-related product revenue reached RMB8.97B and the Qwen portfolio expanded with advances in MaaS and enterprise agents; AI-related product revenue has grown triple-digit for the 11th straight quarter. The board approved a annual dividend of US$1.05 per ADS (about US$2.5B total) to be paid around July 2026. Full-year revenue RMB1,023.67B and net income RMB102.13B. Cash and liquid investments stood at RMB520.8B as Alibaba continues heavy AI+Cloud investments.
Anthropic plans to spend about $200 billion with Google over five years as part of a deal to dramatically expand Google Cloud capacity and chip supply, representing more than 40% of Google's disclosed cloud revenue backlog and underscoring Anthropic’s role in the AI-infrastructure race.
Alphabet posted a strong Q1 2026 beat across all divisions, with Google Cloud up 63% to over $20B, solid YouTube and search performance, and revenue of $109.9B. The cloud backlog exceeded $460B, and 2026 capex guidance rose to $180–$190B. The market cap surpassed $4.6T, narrowing Nvidia’s roughly $200B lead. Options imply about a 53% chance Alphabet could hit $5T before May 15, as investors pivot from AI chips to deployed AI applications across cloud, search, and YouTube. The article frames a shift in value: Nvidia remains the hardware engine, while Alphabet monetizes AI via scalable platforms and services.,
Microsoft and OpenAI renegotiated their long-standing partnership to allow OpenAI’s models to run on all cloud providers (including AWS), while Microsoft remains OpenAI’s primary cloud partner. The non-exclusive agreement extends through 2032, preserves a revenue share for Microsoft from OpenAI’s ChatGPT/API revenue, and removes the AGI clause that tied future access to OpenAI models, signaling a more finance-driven, less tightly coupled collaboration and a potential for OpenAI models to appear on rival cloud platforms.
OpenAI’s expanding influence through Microsoft Azure and AWS puts pressure on MSFT and AMZN’s cloud outlook as they head into earnings, while Alphabet faces AI competition and Meta’s AI spending adds to the AI-driven outlook; Wall Street sees upside for META, AMZN, GOOGL, and MSFT, but OpenAI’s legal issues and potential demand shifts inject uncertainty.
Microsoft posted a Q3 adjusted EPS of $4.27 on revenue of $82.89 billion (above forecasts of $4.05 and $81.46B). Intelligent Cloud revenue reached $34.7B with Azure up 40% year over year, while the AI business hit a $37B annual run rate. Despite the beat, the stock fell about 1.8% in after-hours trading.
Microsoft and OpenAI have dropped the contract’s AGI clause, ending the exclusive, perpetual revenue-sharing tied to AGI. OpenAI can now sell its products on any cloud provider, a move that could help it court more enterprise customers ahead of a possible public listing, while Microsoft’s revenue from outside agreements continues. The revenue-share will now run only through 2030 with a cap, signaling a broader, less exclusive partnership and OpenAI’s push toward multi-cloud growth.
OpenAI and Microsoft unveiled a revamped partnership that allows OpenAI to serve customers across any cloud and caps revenue-sharing payments through 2030; Microsoft will stop receiving a revenue share, while OpenAI will pay Microsoft 20% of revenue under the new terms, signaling a simplification aimed at broader AI deployment.
Oracle (ORCL) stock jumped about 11% as investors returned to the name on renewed AI optimism, driven by its AI strategy, cloud expansion, and new products like Fusion Agentic Applications and an upgraded AI Database, plus real progress from its AI-powered Utilities Suite. The rally follows bullish analyst commentary and high-profile AI infrastructure deals, with a Strong Buy consensus and an average price target around $245, implying roughly 59% upside.
Britain’s CMA has opened a strategic market status investigation into Microsoft’s enterprise software licensing in cloud, aiming to address concerns about licensing practices and preserve competition as AI features are integrated into business tools; the designation signals closer scrutiny without alleging wrongdoing, with Microsoft and AWS already engaging on cloud egress and interoperability.
Oracle surged after beating Q3 estimates, with bulls arguing more than 150% upside in 2026 driven by AI data-center investments and a record backlog in Remaining Performance Obligations. Guggenheim’s John DiFucci has ORCL as his Best Idea for 2026 with a $400 target, while the street’s average target (~$256) implies ~57% upside. The quarter posted EPS of $1.79 on revenue of $17.19B, up 22% year-over-year, underscoring strong cloud/AI demand and potential long-term cash-flow growth from Oracle’s AI/data-center investments and its bring-your-own-chip model.
Oracle reported a standout Q3 FY2026 with total revenue of $17.2 billion, up 22% year over year, led by cloud revenues of $8.9 billion, up 44% (IaaS + SaaS) and IaaS growth of 84% while SaaS rose 13%. Remaining Performance Obligations reached $553 billion, up 325% YoY. GAAP EPS was $1.27 and non-GAAP EPS $1.79. Operating income was $5.46B GAAP and $7.38B non-GAAP; cash flow from operations year-to-date was $23.5B. The company kept its FY2026 revenue guidance at $67B and raised FY2027 revenue guidance to $90B, while declaring a $0.50 quarterly dividend. For Q4 FY26, it guided total revenue up about 18–21% in USD terms (roughly 19–21% in USD) and Cloud revenue up about 44–48% in constant currency (46–50% in USD), with non-GAAP EPS of about $1.92–$2.00 depending on currency.
Oracle beats Q3 estimates with $1.79 EPS on $17.19B revenue (+22% YoY); AI and cloud demand remain robust, and backlog rose to $553B, signaling early monetization of AI infrastructure. Wedbush calls the results a huge relief and notes AI monetization is starting, while Jefferies hails a clean beat across the board. Cloud growth was 41% year over year in constant currency, operating margin 42.9%; consensus rating remains Strong Buy with a substantial upside potential.
Iranian strikes on Amazon data centers reveal how geopolitical shocks can threaten cloud services, underscoring the industry’s vulnerability to physical disasters and prompting questions about resilience and redundancy.