Microsoft rose to dominance during the '80s and '90s thanks to the success of its Windows operating system running on Intel’s processors, a cosy relationship nicknamed “Wintel”. Now Microsoft hopes that another another hardware–software combo will help it recapture that success—and catch rivals Amazon and Google in the race to provide cutting-edge artificial intelligence through the cloud. Microsoft hopes to extend the popularity of its Azure cloud platform with a new kind of computer chip designed for the age of AI.