Microsoft, a multinational technology company, has reportedly inked a partnership with SpaceX. The deal is centered upon connecting the Azure cloud computing network to the aerospace company’s Starlink satellite internet service.

Starlink has been designed by SpaceX to develop an interconnected network with several satellites, which will help deliver high-speed internet services to users across the globe.

According to Gwynne Shotwell, COO & President of SpaceX, the recent partnership to deliver connectivity via Starlink, for use on the Azure cloud platform, will significantly serve both the private and public sectors. The two companies will co-sell new offerings to mutual customers, new enterprises, and future customers.

This new agreement comes along the heels of Microsoft’s significant expansion to the space industry. The company recently unveiled Azure Orbital, a new service, used to connect satellites to the cloud. SpaceX and Microsoft have been testing software that is required to connect Azure and Starlink.

The new service connects the network of Starlink to Microsoft datacenters, which include a new ‘Azure Modular Datacenter’ product that is a mobile unit. The global coverage of Starlink has assisted Azure Modular Datacenters, as the product has been reportedly designed to meet the needs of customers who require cloud computing capabilities in challenging or hybrid environments, including remote areas.

Microsoft has revealed that some of its Azure Modular Datacenters are used in defense & private sector organizations, adopting the product as a solution for mining, mobile command centers, humanitarian efforts, military needs, and others.

Tom Keane, corporate VP of Azure Global at Microsoft, has reportedly stated that the rapid innovations and expansion of the space community have lowered the access barriers among the private and public sector organizations. Additionally, the company is planning to make Azure the ecosystem and platform of choice for various missions in the space community.

Source credit:

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/20/microsoft-expands-its-space-business-pairing-its-azure-cloud-with-spacexs-starlink-internet.html