Microsoft has disclosed quarterly sales figures for its Azure cloud-computing business for the first time, giving investors a clearer picture of how it compares with Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud.

The company reported that Azure generated $29.4 billion in sales in its most recent quarter and $101.9 billion during the fiscal year ended June 30.

The figures place Azure behind Amazon’s AWS in quarterly cloud revenue but ahead of Google’s cloud business.

Microsoft previously reported Azure’s growth rate without giving the business’s exact sales figures. 

The new disclosure provides a more direct way to compare the three technology giants as they compete for customers in cloud computing and artificial intelligence.

The company is also changing the way it reports its overall business. Microsoft will now use two main divisions: Agents and Infra, covering cloud computing and AI-based services, and Devices and Consumer, which includes Windows, Xbox and advertising operations.

Microsoft’s shares rose after the announcement. The change highlights the growing importance of Azure and AI to the company’s future as competition with Amazon and Google becomes increasingly intense. 

Source: Reuters