Google Snags Ford Cloud Partnership in Coup Over Microsoft

Google signed a six-year deal with Ford Motor that will bring Android technology to the automaker's cars and cloud services to its factory floor, in a triumph for the internet giant over rival Microsoft. From a report: Google Cloud Platform will be Ford's 'preferred cloud provider' and the partners will form an innovation team called Team Upshift to jointly work on future projects, the companies said Monday in a statement. Ford dashboard infotainment screens will be powered by an Android operating system starting in 2023 and the automaker will adopt Google's artificial intelligence and data-analytics technology. The companies did not disclose the value of their deal, but Google will receive revenue from cloud services as well as a Google apps and services licensing fee for every Ford and Lincoln vehicle sold starting in 2023. Thomas Kurian, chief executive officer of Google Cloud, is trying to sell the Alphabet company's computing and storage services through broad strategic partnerships. Fresh off a multiyear alliance with Deutsche Bank announced in December, Google has snagged Ford, a longtime Microsoft client. Google will need to continue accumulating these types of customer wins to catch cloud market leaders Amazon.com and Microsoft.

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