Microsoft and The Walt Disney Co. agreed to a five-year deal to leverage the tech giant’s cloud prowess to speed up production of TV and movies.
The companies will work on cloud-based solutions to accelerate “production and postproduction processes, or from ‘scene to screen,’” according to a press release. Microsoft cited a partnership with media technology provider Avid, where it has built tools for collaborative editing, content archiving, active backup and production continuity, as examples of what it could do with Disney.
“By moving many of our production and postproduction workflows to the cloud, we’re optimistic that we can create content more quickly and efficiently around the world,” Jamie Voris, CTO of Disney Studios, said in a statement. “Through this innovation partnership with Microsoft, we’re able to streamline many of our processes so our talented filmmakers can focus on what they do best.”
Kate Johnson, president of Microsoft’s U.S. division, said the “cloud has reached a tipping point for the media industry.” Variety noted that the two companies are already working together, and the first movies using the cloud technology could debut in the next 12 to 18 months.
Disney is less than two months away from launching its highly anticipated new streaming service. In addition to the new deal with Microsoft, Disney is also working with rival Amazon, choosing Amazon Web Services as its preferred cloud provider in 2017.
