Microsoft’s Azure gets a big win with Gap cloud services deal

In addition to Samsung using Microsoft cloud services, Gap Inc. is another company that will start using Azure to help increase the company’s technology capabilities. Gap  intends to incorporate Microsoft Azure across all of its brands, including Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic, Athleta, Hill City, and Intermix. As noted in a post on Microsoft Stories, the company  hopes its new partnership with Microsoft will allow it  to greatly improve customer experiences with the help of Azure and Microsoft 365.

Sally Gilligan, chief information officer at Gap Inc, sees the new Microsoft partnership will help her company do more to engage Gap customers.

“As we grow our value and active business and accelerate online and mobile, the ability to scale our technology in a secure environment to accommodate this growth is critical. The Microsoft Azure platform provides our teams the ability to deliver innovative and personalized capabilities for our customers with speed supported by a strong depth of technology expertise from the Microsoft team.”

Gap Inc. and Microsoft are working to move hundreds of applications to Azure. The company wants to focus on providing a seamless and personalized experience for their customers, both online and in-store. In the beginning stages, Gap looks to move to Azure to cut costs on the company’s on-premises data storage and services. Additionally, Gap is  also deploying Microsoft 365 solutions to help support its employees too. Microsoft 365 will help Gap Inc. employees better communicate and collaborate with each other company-wide.

Currently, stores operate in more than 90 countries with over of them 3,100 company-owned. By using Microsoft Azure, Gap Inc. can cut the time it takes to market new customer experiences and provide its customers easier ways to shop. They can utilize some of Azure’s most powerful tools, including advanced analytics and machine learning to get a better understanding of how its customers shop. Gap can then leverage that information to make more personalized shopping experiences for its customers.