Microsoft

Microsoft and KPMG have announced an expansion to their strategic partnership to include a global partnership based on data and analytics, cloud and business offerings.

Announced on Monday, the deal brings together Microsoft's technology and KPMG, which consults businesses on how to use Microsoft's Business Intelligence (BI), Analytics and Microsoft Dynamics products to rejuvenate their business operations.

Microsoft and KPMG say the strategic collaboration, based on Microsoft's Azure, Dynamics and data platforms, is designed to "develop and deploy solutions and services that will help address the disruptive challenges topping the Board agenda today." These include promoting global platforms which deliver cloud-based solutions for Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Data and Analytics.

Under the terms of the extended partnership, the two companies will focus on developing new solutions for:

Data and analytics : A new, integrated data and analytics platform using Microsoft's data solutions within the cloud and in their existing environment using tools from Microsoft Office over Power BI, to machine learning and predictive analytics;

: A new, integrated data and analytics platform using Microsoft's data solutions within the cloud and in their existing environment using tools from Microsoft Office over Power BI, to machine learning and predictive analytics; Cloud compliance : Microsoft will provide hyper-scale, enterprise-grade and hybrid cloud technologies. KPMG will work with clients to help ensure compliance requirements.

: Microsoft will provide hyper-scale, enterprise-grade and hybrid cloud technologies. KPMG will work with clients to help ensure compliance requirements. Business solutions: KPMG will use Microsoft's Dynamics Enterprise Resource Planning and CRM Solutions to expand its transformation and customer and growth engines. KPMG will focus on developing industry-specific solutions and services.

Scott Guthrie, Microsoft Executive Vice President of the Cloud and Enterprise commented:

"We are excited to bring together KPMG's industry expertise, global network and business transformation acumen with Microsoft's enterprise cloud technologies, data, analytic and business solutions to help customers deal with their most challenging issues.



KPMG's deep experience in global business transformation combined with Microsoft Azure, SQL Server, Power BI and Dynamics will help our mutual customers compete in today's mobile first, cloud first world."

Last week, March 23 marked the date where Microsoft and Yahoo would either extend their 10-year search engine partnership or dissolve it. According to an 8K filing, the companies have agreed to extend the possible exit deadline for Yahoo to stop using the Redmond giant's technology to power its Yahoo search engine by an additional month.

Read on: In the enterprise