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In what’s the first-ever partnership of it’s kind for the firm, Microsoft has teamed up with tech start-up Kind Financial to help track sales of legalised marijuana.
The California start-up has been selling marijuana tracking software to businesses and government agencies for the past three years and will now be working on Microsoft’s government cloud.
Microsoft selected the firm to participate in its newly created Microsoft Health and Human Services pod for managed service providers.
The goal of this relationship is to ‘leverage each company’s resources to provide State, County, and Municipalities with purpose built solutions for track and trace (‘seed to sale’ in the cannabis industry) technology’.
"KIND’s strategic industry positioning, experienced team and top-notch-technology running in the Microsoft Azure Government cloud, made for an easy decision to align efforts,” said Kimberly Nelson, executive director State and Local Government Solutions from Microsoft.
“KIND agreed that Azure Government is the only cloud platform designed to meet government standards for the closely regulated cannabis compliance programs and we look forward to working together to help our government customers launch successful regulatory programs."
Earlier this week, it was revealed that Microsoft is planning to buy professional networking site LinkedIn for $25.2 billion (£18 billion).
The tech giant has stated that the network will retail its ‘distinct brand, culture and independence’.
Some have pondered over what this acquisition – the biggest that Microsoft has ever made – means for users of both LinkedIn and Microsoft products.
Daniel Domberger, partner and co-leader of Livingstone’s global Media & Technology team, believes that the new formation could bring about changes to a professional’s working day.
“Every professional should take notice – the deal between these two technology giants might transform their working days. Both Microsoft Office and LinkedIn are synonymous with professional business and this deal could cement the presence each already has in the professional working world,” said Domberger.
