OpenAI ends Microsoft exclusivity
- OpenAI and Amazon said Tuesday that GPT-5.5, Codex and OpenAI-powered agents are coming to Amazon Bedrock, one day after Microsoft dropped exclusivity. - Microsoft’s amended deal makes its OpenAI license non-exclusive through 2032, while OpenAI can now serve products across any cloud provider. - The rewrite opens AWS and other clouds to OpenAI distribution as it widens enterprise sales channels. (reuters.com)
OpenAI put its latest models on Amazon Web Services on Tuesday, a day after Microsoft gave up its exclusive rights to sell OpenAI technology. (cnbc.com) (reuters.com) Amazon Web Services and OpenAI said GPT-5.5, Codex and Amazon Bedrock Managed Agents powered by OpenAI are launching in limited preview on Amazon Bedrock. AWS said customers can apply existing cloud spending commitments to those services. (aboutamazon.com) (aws.amazon.com) (openai.com) The timing was not accidental. On Monday, April 27, Microsoft and OpenAI said they had amended their partnership so Microsoft’s license to OpenAI intellectual property is now non-exclusive. (blogs.microsoft.com) (openai.com) Microsoft said it will no longer pay a revenue share to OpenAI, while OpenAI will keep paying Microsoft a revenue share through 2030 at the same percentage, subject to a total cap. Microsoft also remains a major shareholder. (blogs.microsoft.com) (cnbc.com) For years, most developers and companies buying OpenAI models through a major cloud had to go through Microsoft Azure. The revised terms let OpenAI serve its products across any cloud provider, opening the door to Amazon and other rivals. (reuters.com) (openai.com) OpenAI said the AWS move is aimed at companies that want OpenAI models inside the security controls, identity systems and procurement processes they already use on Amazon’s cloud. AWS framed the pitch the same way: frontier models on existing enterprise infrastructure. (openai.com) (aboutamazon.com) Reuters reported that the Microsoft rewrite clears the way for OpenAI to pursue deals with rivals including Amazon. CNBC reported that the AWS offerings are becoming generally available in the next few weeks. (reuters.com) (cnbc.com) The new arrangement does not end the Microsoft relationship. Microsoft said Azure remains OpenAI’s primary cloud partner for training and inference, even as OpenAI gains the right to sell across other clouds. (blogs.microsoft.com) (openai.com) The immediate result is simple: OpenAI now has Microsoft as a shareholder and cloud partner, while Amazon becomes a new storefront for its flagship models and coding tools. (cnbc.com) (aboutamazon.com)
