French IT giant Atos has entered discussions with the government for a potential €500 million ($524 million) acquisition of its advanced computing division. Known for its crucial role in securing communications for the French military and manufacturing supercomputer servers, Atos is restructuring to address its mounting debt. The government has prioritised retaining control over the company’s strategic technology assets to safeguard national interests.
The proposed deal includes an initial payment of €150 million upon signing, expected before the exclusivity period ends on May 31. The offer could rise to €625 million with performance-based earn-outs. French Finance Minister Antoine Armand emphasised the state’s duty to ensure the survival and development of industries critical to national sovereignty. Atos’ advanced computing and cybersecurity unit, employing 4,000 people and generating €900 million annually, is seen as a vital asset.
As part of its restructuring, Atos announced plans to sell its cybersecurity unit’s Critical Systems and Cyber Products. With this deal factored in, the company forecasts its financial leverage for 2027 to be between 1.8 and 2.1 times core earnings. Meanwhile, France‘s parliament is considering an amendment that could pave the way for Atos’ nationalisation, underscoring the government’s commitment to protecting key technologies.
KPMG has committed $100 million over the next four years to enhance its enterprise AI services through collaboration with Google Cloud. The investment will focus on developing AI tools, training employees, and leveraging Google’s technology to scale AI solutions for clients.
Steve Chase, KPMG’s vice chair for AI and innovation, highlighted that enterprise demand for AI has surged, with many businesses planning substantial investments in the technology. KPMG’s partnership with Google aligns with a broader strategy to expand AI services across multiple cloud platforms, including a prior $2 billion collaboration with Microsoft.
Google Cloud‘s president of revenue, Matt Renner, noted the rapid growth in cloud services, emphasising the synergy between cloud providers and consulting firms as a key driver for future industry expansion.
According to sources, the Federal Trade Commission is preparing to investigate Microsoft’s cloud computing business over allegations of anti-competitive practices. The probe will focus on claims that Microsoft uses restrictive licensing terms to deter customers from moving data from its Azure cloud service to competitors.
Reportedly, Microsoft has been accused of tactics such as raising subscription fees for departing customers, imposing steep exit charges, and making its Office 365 products incompatible with rival cloud platforms. These practices could potentially leverage the company’s market power in productivity software to stifle competition.
While the FTC declined to comment on the investigation, Microsoft has yet to respond to the allegations. The Financial Times was the first to report on the probe.
Which? is taking legal action against Apple, alleging the company breached competition law by pressuring customers to use its iCloud service. Which? argues that Apple encouraged users to store their data on iCloud, making it challenging to switch to other providers, and then charged users when they exceeded the free 5GB limit. This practice, they claim, led to overcharges, costing consumers up to £13.36 ($16.98) this year in subscription fees.
Apple denies any wrongdoing, stating customers are not required to use iCloud and often choose third-party alternatives. However, if Which? succeeds, around 40 million Apple customers in the UK who have used iCloud over the last nine years could be entitled to compensation.
Which? CEO Anabel Hoult emphasised that the action aims to secure refunds for consumers, prevent future anti-competitive behaviour, and promote a fairer market. The group plans to file the claim with the Competition Appeal Tribunal.
German optical tech firm Carl Zeiss AG has inaugurated its first global capability centre (GCC) in Bengaluru, India, and plans to double its local workforce to 5,000 over the next three years. The new centre will focus on cloud computing, cybersecurity, and network operations, alongside software development for Carl Zeiss’s medical tech division. This move highlights India’s transformation from an outsourcing destination to a strategic base supporting global operations.
Beyond the GCC, Zeiss is expanding its presence in Bengaluru with a new manufacturing plant slated to open in 2025. This facility, the company’s largest investment outside Germany, will be its fifth in India, contributing to its workforce growth. The India unit, also involved in R&D and sales, is projected to reach a revenue of 22 billion rupees for the year ending September 2025—a 19% increase.
India’s GCC sector is booming, with Karnataka’s government aiming to double GCCs in the state by 2029. Industry reports expect the Indian GCC market to reach up to $105 billion by 2030, reflecting the country’s increasing role in global business support.
Singapore’s Keppel has announced an agreement to acquire an AI-ready data centre being developed by Japan’s Mitsui Fudosan in Tokyo. The deal comes shortly after Keppel revealed plans to significantly increase its data centre funds under management, aiming to take advantage of the growing AI sector.
Mitsui Fudosan will handle the core and shell development of the facility, while Keppel’s private fund will oversee the fit-out works. The data centre is expected to be completed by 2027, with Keppel taking on the role of facility manager, which will contribute to its recurring income stream.
Keppel emphasised its ongoing partnership with Mitsui Fudosan to develop a strong pipeline of assets for its upcoming Keppel Data Centre Fund III. Financial details of the transaction have not been disclosed due to confidentiality agreements.
NTT DATA and Google Cloud have partnered to accelerate the adoption of cloud-based data analytics and generative AI solutions across the Asia Pacific region. By combining NTT DATA’s industry expertise and client base with Google Cloud’s cutting-edge technologies, the partnership aims to drive innovation, improve operational efficiency, and enhance agility for enterprises.
Specifically, the collaboration focuses on co-developing industry-specific solutions for sectors such as healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, retail, and the public sector. A new NTT DATA Google Cloud Business Unit will also be created to focus on joint solutions in data analytics, GenAI, applications, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and SAP on the Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
The expansion also involves enhancing internal expertise, as NTT DATA plans to certify at least 1,000 more engineers in the APAC region and provide advanced training to its teams to ensure successful solution delivery. With global public cloud spending projected to grow significantly, the partnership aims to capture the increasing demand for cloud services and AI-driven solutions.
The goal is to grow NTT DATA’s cloud business in APAC by more than 10 times over the next three years. By combining NTT DATA’s digital transformation portfolio with Google Cloud’s advanced technologies, the collaboration is set to drive modernisation in AI, cloud infrastructure, and cybersecurity, offering businesses secure and efficient solutions to accelerate their digital transformation.
Thailand’s Board of Investment (BOI) announced on Friday it has approved $2 billion in new investments aimed at bolstering the nation’s data centre and electronics manufacturing sectors. Among these, a significant investment comes from a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., which will allocate 32.8 billion baht ($968 million) toward the development of a hyperscale data centre. This facility is expected to strengthen Thailand’s data infrastructure, accommodating the growing demand for digital services and data management across Southeast Asia.
The BOI highlighted that these investments align with Thailand’s strategic vision to transform into a regional tech and manufacturing hub. By enhancing its digital infrastructure and encouraging foreign investment in high-tech sectors, the country hopes to create a more resilient, future-ready economy. The addition of hyperscale data centres, in particular, will enable Thailand to meet increasing demands from cloud service providers, e-commerce companies, and other data-intensive industries.
Thailand has seen a surge in interest from global tech giants looking to establish operations in Southeast Asia, a region marked by rapid digital adoption and economic growth. BOI’s continued support for high-tech projects like these reflects the country’s focus on building a sustainable ecosystem for digital and electronics manufacturing, positioning Thailand as a key player in Asia’s digital economy.
Google Cloud has launched its first in-house Arm-based CPU, called the Axion chip, now available to all cloud customers, including streaming services like Spotify and Paramount. Designed with Arm Holdings technology, the Axion chip offers about 60% greater energy efficiency than traditional processors from Intel and AMD, allowing developers to save power for other intensive tasks, such as AI, according to Mark Lohmeyer, Google Cloud‘s vice president of compute and AI infrastructure.
Google joins Amazon, Microsoft, and Ampere Computing in offering Arm-based processors that provide high performance with lower electricity usage. The Axion chip, delivered via a service called an ‘instance,’ represents Google Cloud’s growing focus on energy-efficient computing solutions. Though Google Cloud has used Ampere’s Arm-based chips in the past, it intends to shift more focus to its own Axion chip as the primary option for cloud customers moving forward.
Google Cloud has already been using the Axion chip internally, powering various cloud services for some time. Lohmeyer stated the Axion chip’s enhanced efficiency and integration into Google’s infrastructure mark a significant milestone in Google’s cloud technology portfolio.
Alphabet’s recent earnings report showcases a robust 35% surge in Google Cloud revenue for the third quarter, signalling a strong demand for AI-driven cloud computing and setting a promising tone for competitors Microsoft and Amazon. The jump, the fastest pace of growth in two years, has sent Alphabet’s shares up by 5.5%, reflecting investor optimism about the company’s expanding foothold in the cloud sector. Analysts had anticipated growth of around 29%, making this an even stronger-than-expected outcome for Google’s cloud division.
While Alphabet’s cloud segment remains smaller than Amazon’s AWS and Microsoft’s Azure, its performance has been noteworthy, accounting for 13% of Alphabet’s third-quarter revenue, up from 11% a year prior. This consistent growth aligns with Google’s continued investment in AI-powered tools and custom chips, like the Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), which have set it apart from competitors by enhancing cloud capabilities for AI applications. Analysts like Angelo Zino of CFRA Research believe Google may deliver the most impressive cloud growth numbers this quarter.
Google has been pouring resources into AI advancements across its cloud and search businesses, including its chatbot Gemini, which offers AI-generated code, data processing, and cybersecurity tools. These innovations, combined with the Vertex AI platform that enables custom model creation, have made Google Cloud a compelling choice for organisations seeking advanced AI solutions.
Investments in AI are also fueling Alphabet’s core advertising business, which rose 10% in the quarter, and supporting its broader cloud infrastructure expansion. Google has announced plans to invest billions in new data centres worldwide to strengthen its market presence and technological capabilities.
In its latest earnings call, Alphabet’s new CFO, Anat Ashkenazi, confirmed that capital expenditures in 2025 are expected to surpass this year’s, underlining the company’s commitment to scaling its AI and cloud capabilities. Analysts like Gil Luria of D.A. Davidson emphasise that Google Cloud’s outstanding performance in recent quarters showcases Alphabet’s success in turning AI investments into substantial revenue growth, solidifying its position in a competitive market.
