Microsoft and Oracle announce partnership that will allow customers to bring Oracle Database services inside Azure

As expected, Microsoft and Oracle yesterday announced a major partnership. Through this partnership, Microsoft Azure has become the only cloud provider other than Oracle Cloud Infrastructure to host Oracle services, including Oracle Exadata Database Service and Oracle Autonomous Database on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure in Azure datacenters. This new solution is called Oracle Database@Azure and it will allow customers direct access to Oracle database services running on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) and deployed in Microsoft Azure datacenters. Oracle will operate and manage these Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) services directly within Microsoft’s datacenters globally and this service will be available beginning with regions in North America and Europe.

Oracle Database@Azure will provide the following benefits for customers:

• More options to move their Oracle databases to the cloud;
• The highest level of Oracle database performance, scale, and availability, as well as feature and pricing parity;
• The simplicity, security, and latency of a single operating environment (datacenter) within Azure;
• The ability to build new cloud native applications using OCI and Azure technologies, including Azure’s best-in-class AI services;
• The assurance of an architecture that is tested and supported by two of the most trusted names in the cloud.

Colocating Oracle database services on OCI, such as Exadata and related OCI hardware, into Microsoft datacenters is a huge move that will benefit customers in a number of ways. Microsoft has also worked with Oracle to bring the ability for customers to purchase Oracle Database@Azure through Azure Marketplace, leveraging their existing Azure agreements. Customers can also use their existing Oracle Database license benefits including Bring Your Own License and the Oracle Support Rewards program.

“We have a real opportunity to help organizations bring their mission-critical applications to the cloud so they can transform every part of their business with this next generation of AI,” said Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO, Microsoft. “Our expanded partnership with Oracle will make Microsoft Azure the only other cloud provider to run Oracle’s database services and help our customers unlock a new wave of cloud-powered innovation.”

“Most customers already use multiple clouds,” said Larry Ellison, Oracle Chairman and CTO. “Microsoft and Oracle have been working together to make it easy for those customers to seamlessly connect Azure Services with the very latest Oracle Database technology. By collocating Oracle Exadata hardware in Azure datacenters, customers will experience the best possible database and network performance. We are proud to partner with Microsoft to deliver this best-in-class capability to customers.”