The biggest cloud computing companies—Amazon, Microsoft and Google—often pull out all the stops to land long-term contracts with marquee corporate customers. The latest prize all three are pursuing, according to four people with knowledge of the matter, is a multiyear deal to provide cloud services to aerospace giant Boeing.
Amazon, Microsoft and Google are all involved in a bidding process for the Boeing deal, which is expected to be worth at least $1 billion over several years, according to two of those people. While the size of the deal would make it attractive no matter who the customer was, winning Boeing’s cloud business carries extra significance for Amazon and Microsoft, both of which are based either in Seattle or near it. Boeing was founded more than a century ago in the city and is a revered corporate icon in the region, despite the safety issues involving its 737 Max airplanes, which tarnished its reputation in recent years.