Then there is Google, down in third place by some distance, but way ahead of anything bringing up the rear. That means going after Azure. If Google Cloud is going to win the war, it must first pass Azure. Google has concluded that the only way to do that is to directly go after Microsoft’s customers. And that’s where the Chromebook wooing comes in. A report from Petri.com says some Microsoft Partners have been receiving packages from Google. These are gifts attempting to lure customers from Azure and towards Google Cloud. This concerted effort has occurred over the last few weeks. In the packages is information about the company’s cloud service, and customer testimonials talking up the platform. Additionally, Google believes some hardware can seal the deal, so is bundling in a Chromebook for good measure. In fact, the Chromebook is so Microsoft partners can start a Hangouts chat with Google to see the benefits of its cloud offering.
Healthy Competition
While Google is well within its rights to basically advertise itself to Microsoft customers, this is a bold strategy. Not least because Microsoft partners are not necessarily open customers. They would have already entered into expensive agreements with the company to use its cloud services. Even if Google’s enticing worked, it would not be simple for partners to walk away from Azure.
