Microsoft Discloses Azure Cloud Sales, Trails Behind Amazon in Quarterly Figures

Microsoft has started reporting Azure cloud sales on a quarterly basis for the first time. The move provides a direct comparison to its top rivals, Amazon and Google, in the computing market. According to Microsoft, Azure had $29.4 billion in sales in its most recently ended quarter.

The figures place Microsoft behind Amazon, whose cloud sales were $42.2 billion in its most recent quarter, but ahead of Google, which reported $24.8 billion in cloud sales in its most recent quarter. In the fiscal year that ended June 30, Azure had $101.9 billion in sales.

Microsoft will move from three reporting segments to two: one called 'Agents and Infra' that will include its cloud computing services, AI-based software, and traditional business software revenue, and one called 'Devices and Consumer' that will include its Windows operating system, Xbox gaming unit, and advertising sales across Bing search engine and LinkedIn.

There's no question AI represents a profound shift in both technology and business,' said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. It is changing what we build and how we operate, and it is blurring the boundaries between our products and reshaping our business models.'