Microsoft has scored a big win as Universal Filmed Entertainment Group has chosen Azure for its cloud platform.

Universal is looking to the cloud to improve remote collaboration and content creation. The goal is to prove a way for the creative teams to work together seamlessly, regardless of location or circumstances. Especially with the pandemic forcing many individuals to continue working from home, the transition to a cloud-based workflow is more important than ever.

Azure’s compute platform and global hyper-scale storage will be used to support the production of both animated and live action content. The consolidated production platform will also save money in the long run by storing resources and ensuring they’re available for reuse.

“With this partnership, Universal is continuing to build on our commitment as an industry leader in transitioning to a cloud production model across our portfolio of studios. As outlined last year in the MovieLabs 2030 vision paper, streamlining our workflows will allow for a more efficient creative process, empowering the artists and storytellers we work with to make the best content possible,” said Michael Wise, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Universal Filmed Entertainment Group.

“Together with customers like Universal and DreamWorks, we are prioritizing cloud + edge technologies to help transform workflows, increase production output and reduce friction for creatives,” said Hanno Basse, media and entertainment CTO, Microsoft Azure. “Working together, we aspire to create technology for the industry, with the industry, so they can tell stories the world loves.”

This is a big win for Microsoft as it continues to battle Amazon and Google for the US cloud market.