Microsoft is embedding Anaconda's Python distribution into its Azure Machine Learning products, the latest move by the software vendor to expand its capabilities in the fast-growing artificial intelligence space and an example of Anaconda extending its reach beyond high performance computing and into AI. The two companies announced the partnership this week at the Strata Data Conference in New York City, with the news dovetailing with other announcements around AI that Microsoft officials made this week at its own Ignite 2017 show. The vendors said they will offer Anaconda for Microsoft, which they described as a subset of the Anaconda Python distribution that is now available on Windows as well as MacOS and Linux. There will be a range of options within the Anaconda for Microsoft offering, they said. Initially, Anaconda for Microsoft will be included in Microsoft's Azure Machine Learning, Machine Learning Server, Visual Studio, and SQL Server, but there also will be additional advantages to developers.

That's a lot of data scientists that will now have a clearer avenue into Azure as Microsoft competes against the likes of Amazon Web Services, Google …