OpenAI expands cloud distribution
- OpenAI began offering its latest models and Codex on Amazon Bedrock on April 28, one day after Microsoft dropped exclusive rights to sell them. - Microsoft stays OpenAI’s primary cloud partner, keeps a non-exclusive license through 2032, and will still receive a capped 20% revenue share through 2030. - The shift lets OpenAI sell across Amazon and other clouds while Azure keeps first-ship rights. (blogs.microsoft.com)
OpenAI started selling its latest models on Amazon Web Services on April 28, one day after Microsoft gave up exclusive rights to sell them. (openai.com) (blogs.microsoft.com) The AWS launch puts OpenAI models, including GPT-5.5, on Amazon Bedrock in limited preview, alongside OpenAI’s Codex coding agent. (openai.com) (aboutamazon.com) Microsoft and OpenAI rewrote their partnership on April 27. Microsoft remains OpenAI’s primary cloud partner, but its license to OpenAI models and products is now non-exclusive through 2032. (blogs.microsoft.com) The amended deal also keeps Azure in the front seat for new launches. Microsoft said OpenAI products will ship first on Azure unless Microsoft cannot or chooses not to support the needed capabilities. (blogs.microsoft.com) Money still ties the two companies together. Reuters reported Microsoft will continue receiving 20% of OpenAI’s revenue through 2030, with that payout now subject to an undisclosed cap. (usnews.com) Reuters also reported OpenAI still has a commitment to spend at least $250 billion on Azure services by 2032, even as it expands to rival clouds. (usnews.com) Amazon moved fast after the Microsoft change. AWS said Bedrock customers can use OpenAI models, Codex, and Bedrock Managed Agents powered by OpenAI, and apply that usage toward existing AWS cloud commitments. (aws.amazon.com) OpenAI framed the move around enterprise buying habits rather than a breakup with Microsoft. Its AWS announcement said companies want OpenAI models inside the security controls, identity systems, and procurement processes they already use. (openai.com) That addresses a constraint OpenAI had acknowledged internally. CNBC reported OpenAI’s revenue chief told staff earlier this month that the Microsoft partnership had limited the company’s ability to meet enterprise customers where they are. (cnbc.com) The result is a looser alliance, not a clean split. Azure keeps priority, Microsoft keeps its stake and long license, and OpenAI can now put its models wherever large customers already run their cloud workloads. (blogs.microsoft.com) (usnews.com)
