With this new deal, instead of Microsoft having exclusive access to all of OpenAI’s products and IP until the magical day when OpenAI produces AGI, its partnership has a definitive timeline. This contract gives Microsoft a nonexclusive license to OpenAI IP for models and products through 2032.

The two companies are still calling Microsoft OpenAI’s “primary cloud partner,” meaning that the bulk of OpenAI’s cloud will likely be served by Azure for the six years this deal covers, even as OpenAI rushes to build its own data centers with other partners. In October, OpenAI agreed to buy an additional $250 billion worth of Microsoft’s cloud. This line is a message to Microsoft shareholders that OpenAI will still be an enormous Azure customer.

OpenAI products will ship “first on Azure, unless Microsoft cannot and chooses not to support the necessary capabilities,” the companies say. But, critically, “OpenAI can now serve all its products to customers across any cloud provider.”

Again, “first” is not defined clearly in this announcement, whether that means exclusive on Azure only for some time period or just that Microsoft will also be among the vendors carrying OpenAI’s latest products.