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# Amazon and Frenemies
- URL: https://www.philsimon.com/amazon-and-frenemies/
- Published: 2013-06-26T11:59:16.000Z
- Updated: 2025-07-05T12:25:23.000Z
- Description: What does Amazon do and why does the company do it? Watch and find out.
- Author: Phil Simon
- Tags: Platforms, Strategy, Amazon, Frenemies, Microsoft, Startups, The Age of the Platform

\\The Age of the Platform is causing some interesting ripples, and not just with consumers.

The enterprise is starting to pay attention to the threat posed by the Gang of Four.

Exhibit A: [Oracle's new partnership with Microsoft](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-06-24/microsoft-joins-oracle-in-cloud-computing-rivalry-thaws.html?ref=philsimon.com).

I for one never thought that Steve Ballmer and Larry Ellison would walk down any type of aisle, but these tealeaves aren't terribly hard to leave. Each fears Amazon–and it should.

I know plenty of startup founders here in Las Vegas and nary a single one uses the expensive infrastructure of Oracle. Not too many use Microsoft either, but let's focus on hardware here.

[AWS](https://aws.amazon.com/?ref=philsimon.com) is all the rage among startups. Amazon's once experimental side project is now a $2-billion annual business according to my research. And it's growing.

## Simon Says

Never say never in the Age of the Platform.