Microsoft Azure to Deploy AMD's 'Helios' AI Rack

Microsoft is set to adopt AMD's artificial intelligence (AI) rack system, 'Helios', into its cloud platform, Azure. AMD made the announcement on the 20th (local time). Unveiled at CES 2026 in January, Helios is an AI training and inference rack platform that integrates AMD's previously individual graphics processing units (GPUs), central processing units (CPUs), networking, and software into a single cabinet.

AMD CEO Lisa Su described Microsoft's adoption of AMD technology as "an important milestone in scaling next-generation AI infrastructure." Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella emphasized the significance of the partnership, stating it "provides customers with performance, scale, and choice."

With the introduction of Helios, AMD has expanded its customer base to include major cloud companies, following Meta, OpenAI, and Oracle. AMD plans to begin supplying Helios to customers, including Microsoft, starting in the second half of the year. Buoyed by this news, AMD's stock price rose approximately 3.6% on the day.