Microsoft to Deploy AMD's Next-Generation AI Chips on Azure Under Expanded Partnership
By Anvee Bhutani
Advanced Micro Devices is expanding its strategic partnership with Microsoft, under which the software company is set to deploy AMD's next-generation artificial-intelligence chips and processors across its Azure cloud platform.
Microsoft will deploy AMD's Helios rack-scale AI platform to power frontier-model inference workloads for its own AI services and Azure customers, the companies said on Monday. AMD said it expects to begin shipping the Helios platform to customers, including Microsoft, in the second half of 2026.
Helios combines AMD's Instinct MI455X graphics processors, sixth-generation EPYC Venice central processing units, Pensando networking technology and ROCm software in an integrated AI computing platform, the companies said.
Microsoft said it will also introduce two new Azure virtual-machine series powered by AMD's sixth-generation EPYC processors. The Azure HDv2 series is designed for agentic AI and data pipeline workloads, while the Azure HXv2 series targets semiconductor-design applications.
The companies also said they are expanding deployment of AMD Pensando data-processing units across Azure's networking infrastructure and integrating AMD silicon with Microsoft's Azure Boost technology to improve cloud-networking performance.
"Microsoft's new AMD deployments mark an important milestone as we deliver leadership compute solutions to Azure customers and scale the next generation of AI infrastructure together," AMD Chief Executive Lisa Su said in a statement.
Microsoft Chief Executive Satya Nadella said the expanded partnership will provide customers with additional infrastructure options for AI training, inference and other workloads.
Financial terms of the partnership weren't disclosed.
Shares of AMD were up 3.5% Monday morning at $513.29. Shares of Microsoft were down around 0.7% at $391.24.
Write to Anvee Bhutani at anvee.bhutani@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
July 20, 2026 10:19 ET (14:19 GMT)
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