WPP partners with Microsoft on Cloud Studio to transform creative content production

By reducing the need for traditional production studios, Cloud Studio will also support WPP's wider sustainability agenda as well as its recent net-zero commitments in offering greater efficiency and minimizing energy consumption.

British advertising firm WPP and Microsoft have joined forces to transform creative content production via Cloud Studio, a new cloud platform developed on Azure that allows creative teams from across WPP's global network to produce campaigns for clients from any location around the globe.

With Cloud Studio, WPP will be able to fully embrace today's hybrid working environments and deliver outstanding work for clients across teams and markets. The innovative platform will arm creatives with the technology to collaborate and create impactful work for clients, moving content creation, production and editing out of on-premises environments and into the cloud.

Commenting on the partnership Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, said, "Together with WPP, we will apply the power of Azure's scalable, intelligent infrastructure to support next-generation content production and ensure thousands of WPP employees remain agile, collaborative and creative from anywhere."

Over the next three years, WPP will roll out Cloud Studio to 5,000 employees across its network and later expand the platform more broadly - to up to 25,000 users. With this platform, they will get the ability to access production tools and services from standard Internet-connected devices via Azure without the need for traditional hardware or physical equipment.

By reducing the need for traditional production studios, Cloud Studio will also support WPP's wider sustainability agenda as well as its recent net-zero commitments in offering greater efficiency and minimizing energy consumption.

Further, Microsoft Azure will enable WPP to scale up and down its storage needs as new client projects begin and end, reducing spend by utilizing more cost-efficient cloud storage.

"Partnering with Microsoft on Cloud Studio is the next step in our journey to arm creative teams with the latest in cutting-edge production tools, and draw upon the best talent, regardless of where they are," said Mark Read, CEO of WPP.