salesforce.com (CRM), Microsoft (MSFT) May Partner in Cloud Initiative

salesforce.com (NYSE: CRM) is positive in early trading on chatter that it and Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) might be mulling a cloud partnership.

Bloomberg notes that a deal might enable Microsoft's cloud computing service subs to use salesforce.com's customers management programs. salesforce.com's CRM services would initially be integrated into Microsoft Azure, but the platform would make its way onto Microsoft Office in the future.

While the two companies have butted heads in the past -- Microsoft even ran a "Don't Get Forced" ad campaign back in 2010 -- Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has put cloud and mobile as two key growth areas for the company moving forward, looking to bolster offerings in the process.

Microsoft is also up in early trading Thursday.

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