https://www.theverge.com/2019/1/15/18183542/microsoft-walgreens-partnership-azure-cloud-services

Microsoft has signed a new seven-year deal with Walgreens Boots Alliance to supply cloud services to the retail pharmacy store chain. Walgreens, the second-biggest pharmacy store chain in the US, is planning to “migrate the majority” of its IT infrastructure over to Microsoft’s Azure service, and is promising “new transformational platforms in retail, pharmacy and business services” as a result of the deal. Microsoft will also roll out Microsoft 365, a combination of Windows 10 and Office, to Walgreen’s 380,000 employees and stores globally.

Walgreens is the fourth major retailer to partner with Microsoft in recent months. Walmart, Kroger, and Gap have also partnered with Microsoft, in moves that are clearly designed to fight off competition from Amazon and others. Amazon acquired Whole Foods in 2017, and is reportedly planning to open 3,000 Amazon Go stores across the US in a threat to traditional retailers.