Microsoft Expands AI Portfolio with Anthropic Claude Models on Azure
Microsoft deepens its AI ecosystem through a strategic partnership with Anthropic, integrating Claude models into its Foundry platform. The deal grants Microsoft customers access to Claude Sonnet 4.5, Opus 4.1, and Haiku 4.5—hosted on Azure infrastructure while Anthropic maintains its $30 billion cloud commitment.
Anthropic’s hybrid cloud strategy remains intact: Amazon retains primary partnership for model development, while Nvidia collaborates on GPU optimization. This bifurcated approach mirrors the competitive dynamics in cloud AI services, where major players increasingly share partners without exclusivity.
The move signals Microsoft’s aggressive positioning against rivals like AWS and Google Cloud in the enterprise AI stack. Foundry’s expanded model menu could pressure smaller AI-as-a-service providers as hyperscalers dominate compute and distribution channels.
