TikTok and the Cloud Wars, Amazon’s Store Habit

The jockeying for ownership of TikTok seems to be turning into a subplot in the cloud wars. The unlikely cast of suitors—and almost-suitors—include database giant Oracle, Google (which reportedly considered and decided against a bid) and, of course, Microsoft. These are the same companies that have been waging a bare-knuckled battle for years to steal share and prestige customers from Amazon, the dominant cloud provider. 

And now Walmart has entered the picture, teaming with Microsoft on a joint offer for TikTok. Two years ago, Microsoft inked an expansive, five-year deal with the retailer, which helped Microsoft build credibility for its Azure cloud service. That, in turn, was good for Walmart, which doesn’t want Amazon—its retail nemesis—to walk away with the cloud market unchallenged.