Microsoft and Oracle announced a significant partnership on Monday to bring Java, Oracle Database, and other Oracle software to Microsoft's Windows Azure platform. The unusual collaboration will allow developers to simply spin up an Oracle Database on Microsoft's cloud platform with full support from Oracle. Java developers and businesses will benefit from the integration, allowing them to move legacy software that runs on a desktop straight into a cloud-based system.
The news is unusual as the two companies have been fierce competitors for years, with Oracle's Database software going head-to-head with Microsoft's SQL server. Oracle also hired private investigators back in 2000 to look through the trash contents of Microsoft supporters, with many branding the episode as "trashgate" at the time. It's clear that traditional software vendors are increasingly looking to the cloud as the future platform, and Oracle isn't afraid to bury old grudges to get there. The announcement comes just days before Microsoft kicks off its Build conference in San Francisco, where the company is expected to detail its latest developer offerings and improvements to Windows 8.1.
