Walmart agrees to 5-year cloud services deal with Microsoft

July 17 (UPI) -- Walmart announced Tuesday a new strategic partnership with Microsoft to improve online shopping for customers.

The five-year agreement gives Walmart access to the full range of Microsoft cloud services, including Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365, Walmart said Tuesday.

"The world's leading companies run on our cloud, and I'm thrilled to partner with Walmart," Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said.

Walmart already uses Microsoft for critical applications, but the new agreement establishes a broader set of cloud projects aimed at improving efficiency.

"For example, to grow and enhance the online experience, the company will migrate a significant portion of walmart.com and samsclub.com to Azure, including its cloud-powered check-out enabling Walmart to grow with rising customer demand and reach more global markets than ever before," the retailer said.

Tuesday's announcement came as both companies are competing with Amazon's cloud computing and retail services.