Latest news with #EntraWeb
Business Insider
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Leaked Microsoft document shows Walmart's past spending on Azure cloud services
At Microsoft's Build developer conference last week, the company's head of AI security accidentally leaked details of its partnership with Walmart. The leak happened when employees protesting Microsoft's selling products and services to the Israeli military interrupted a presentation at the conference. The executive was streaming and switched over to a Teams message stating Walmart is ready to "rock and roll" on Microsoft services Entra Web and AI Gateway. Walmart and Microsoft have for years boasted of a partnership, but the companies don't disclose much about the relationship. A separate leaked document viewed by Business Insider shows just how big of a customer Walmart is. The document reveals that Walmart spent about $580 million on Microsoft's Azure cloud services between June 2023 and May 2024. Microsoft and Walmart declined to comment. The software giant discloses relatively few financial details about its crucial cloud operation. Analysts get an Azure percentage growth rate from the company each quarter; they estimate actual revenue. The document seen by BI provides a rare look at Azure financials and focuses on a key metric within Microsoft called Azure Consumed Revenue. Also known as ACR, this measures the dollar value of Azure services consumed by customers, whether they paid a full retail rate or a discounted rate. Walmart spent about $580.4 million on Azure cloud services from July 2023 through May 2024, according to the document. The company's monthly ACR went from nearly $50 million in July 2023 to around $45 million in May 2024, with a peak of nearly $61.9 million in November 2023. That peak tracks with ramping up for the holiday season. Companies don't typically reveal their cloud spending, except when securities laws require them to disclose multiyear cloud commitments. The Information reported last year that TikTok was spending about $20 million per month on Microsoft's Azure OpenAI service, citing a person who had seen the financials. Walmart and Microsoft in 2018 announced a partnership in which the retail giant would chose Azure as its "preferred and strategic cloud provider." Walmart operates a huge online store and marketplace and, as a rival to Amazon, may be less likely to use Amazon Web Services as a cloud provider. In 2024, Microsoft and Walmart bolstered their partnership by announcing a generative AI-powered search function built on the Azure OpenAI service. It made Walmart one of Microsoft's marquee generative AI customers. The internal document obtained by BI isn't clear on which type of ACR is being discussed. Microsoft has different ways to slice ACR. ACR with MACC, or Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment, includes spending toward a pre-committed amount for which the customer includes a discount. ACR with PIN, or Partner Influenced Number, would also include revenue generated through a partner.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
When Vaniya Agrawal made Microsoft's AI security chief 'stumble' and accidentally reveal Walmart's AI plans
Former Microsoft employee Vaniya Agrawal , alongside colleague Hossam Nasr , disrupted a presentation by Microsoft's head of AI security Neta Haiby at the Build 2025 conference on Tuesday, causing an unexpected revelation of confidential internal messages about Walmart's artificial intelligence expansion plans. The leak occurred when Haiby switched screens amid the protests, accidentally exposing private Teams conversations about the retail giant's upcoming use of Microsoft's AI tools. The exposed messages showed Walmart is "ready to ROCK AND ROLL with Entra Web and AI Gateway," according to a Microsoft cloud solution architect. The conversation also quoted a Walmart AI engineer praising Microsoft's security capabilities, stating "Microsoft is WAY ahead of Google with AI security. We are excited to go down this path with you." The accidental revelation highlighted concerns about Walmart's existing "MyAssistant" tool, which the messages described as "overly powerful and needs guardrails." This proprietary AI system, built last summer using Azure OpenAI Service, helps store associates summarize documents and create marketing content. The Verge first reported on the incident and the AI partnership details. Protests disrupt multiple Microsoft Build sessions Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Switch to UnionBank Rewards Card UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo This marked the third protest interruption at Microsoft Build 2025, as Agrawal and Nasr continued their campaign against Microsoft's cloud contracts with the Israeli government. The duo, representing the "No Azure for Apartheid" group, specifically chose Haiby's AI security session to voice their concerns. "Sarah, you are whitewashing the crimes of Microsoft in Palestine," Nasr shouted at Sarah Bird, Microsoft's head of responsible AI, who was co-hosting the session. The disruption followed similar protests during CEO Satya Nadella 's keynote and other Build presentations. Both Nasr and Agrawal are former Microsoft employees who were terminated after organizing Palestinian solidarity activities. Their protests centered on demanding Microsoft end its Azure contracts with Israeli military and government entities. Microsoft has not commented on the Build disruptions or the accidentally revealed Walmart partnership details.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Build 2025 Chaos: Walmart Inc. (WMT)'s Powerful AI Tool ‘MyAssistant' Unintentionally Revealed By MSFT
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) inadvertently leaked confidential details about its AI integration with Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) during a disrupted security session at Build 2025. In a chaotic moment, MSFT's AI security chief, Neta Haiby, shared an internal Teams chat revealing Walmart's readiness to deploy Microsoft's Entra Web and AI Gateway. The message also flagged WMT's proprietary AI tool, MyAssistant, as 'overly powerful' and in need of guardrails, highlighting security vulnerabilities. The accidental leak underscored the depth of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)'s partnership with one of its largest enterprise clients while revealing critical deployment plans involving Azure OpenAI Service and Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)'s LLM-based tech stack. A Walmart AI engineer noted Microsoft Corporation's clear lead over Google in AI security. Simultaneously, MSFT faced escalating internal protests. Demonstrators disrupted CEO Satya Nadella's keynote and other panels, accusing MSFT of enabling Israeli military operations via Azure. Protesters from the 'No Azure for Apartheid' group, including recently terminated employees, accused MSFT of complicity in civilian deaths in Gaza, demanding that the company sever ties with Israel. The backlash intensifies scrutiny over Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)'s growing military AI footprint. Analysts are watching closely for potential customer fallout, employee unrest, and reputational risks that could derail enterprise trust in its AI ecosystem. WMT is up by over 6.5% since the start of 2025. While we acknowledge the potential of WMT to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than WMT and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about this READ NEXT: and Disclosure: None.
