Microsoft & Walmart Partners?

[Lobo Technician]

Hey folks, so I came across this article stating that Microsoft will be partnering with Walmart, in order to become its exclusive Clound and Software services provider (Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365).

Walmart establishes strategic partnership with Microsoft to further accelerate digital innovation in retai

I have mixed feelings about this, I am not the greatest fan of Walmart due to their poor service, rundown cheap retail stores, and unethical employee treatment. Though that being said they have such a grasp on the market that I am forced to shop there for certain things (though I'd rather go to Target every time), so I can't help but think that this will be a very lucrative endeavor for MS.

Satya Nadella's focus on cloud turned out to be a smart strategy after all. I hope this deal provides enough revenue for MS to allow them to focus on more riskier business ventures. *cough*Andromeda*cough*

What do you guys think about the deal? Will it be a successful partnership, or with it crash and burn? Do you wish that they would have partnered with Target instead?

I just hope this deal has nothing to do with this:

Walmart gains patent to eavesdrop on shoppers and employees in stores

 

[T Moore]

Walmart is purchasing these services from Microsoft Enterprise, a very lucrative deal for MS.
Don't know what Target uses. Partner is a very loose description. All Target would have to do to partner with MS is to purchase the same services.
Son is in MS Enterprise sales.

 

[Adventurer64]

Good move in my opinion. Need to compete head on with Amazon.

 

[Lobo Technician]

Good move in my opinion. Need to compete head on with Amazon.

I think that's the main reason for the partnership, Walmart is building up its war chest.

 

[sniperboywc]

Microsoft is bad luck. All the companies that do business with Microsoft always fail.

 

[MatsuDano]

Walmart data center(s) used to dwarf nearly everything this side of the Pentagon. Their data operations is on a massive scale and for MS to step up and partner with them is a testament to the confidence of MS and their operations.

A small example of how Walmart uses the data available to them. The article is from 2017 but they have been engaging in strategies like this since the early 2000's. They really were ahead of their time in terms of data science and predictive analytics. https://www.countryliving.com/food-drinks/a44550/walmart-strawberry-pop-tarts-before-hurricane and https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernar...om-their-40-petabyte-data-cloud/#547a98bb6c10

also see this to get an idea of the volume of data used:

https://www.dezyre.com/article/how-big-data-analysis-helped-increase-walmarts-sales-turnover/109

Walmart topics are used as case studies in academic fields related to data science. And for good reason.

 

[deadonthefloor]

Microsoft is bad luck. All the companies that do business with Microsoft always fail.

These people disagree:
https://news.microsoft.com/inspire2018/

 

[deadonthefloor]

Old money billionaires tackling new money billionaire by enlisting the service of not so old money billionaire infrastructure.

I don't know why anyone roots for any side in any of this.

 

[Hirox K]

Microsoft is bad luck. All the companies that do business with Microsoft always fail.

Really? I work in a game studio with 4k+ employees around the globe, we use MS's business / dev solutions and Windows PC.
My GF, is managing APAC for a US IT firm, MS's solutions...

Most arcade cabinets in Japan are Windows.
Drone, Robot, Singapore's smart city project, Australia's agriculture, ZPMC, Nike... MS's solutions...

 

[Hirox K]

I think it's a good move. There was a news about MS and Walmart co-developing these Azure + AI (and maybe IOT inside) cashiers, and it can be updated through MsStore.
* It's in my town and my GF loves it.

For MS, the (software, human behavior, etc) know-how they gathered can be apply to other retails and business.
I'd help promoting these Azure cashiers to other retails or supermarkets If I were running the project. And then, years later, I'll release new API/framework to support MS Reward, Pay or even XBL (buy a energy drink gives you virtual boost in game?).

 

[Lobo Technician]

I'd help promoting these Azure cashiers to other retails or supermarkets If I were running the project. And then, years later, I'll release new API/framework to support MS Reward, Pay or even XBL (buy a energy drink gives you virtual boost in game?).

This is an awesome idea! Just imagine the possibilities and the different types of events that can come from an ecosystem like this.