Oracle and Microsoft have revealed further details of their upcoming cloud partnership, after Oracle CEO Larry Ellison hinted at “startling” announcements to come last week.

The two companies, which sell a number of competing products, announced today that Oracle’s database software, its WebLogic middleware platform and other products will be available for use on Microsoft’s Azure cloud service and Hyper-V virtualisation platform. 

Oracle will offer full support to customers using those products on Microsoft’s platforms. The software will be available under a pay-per-use license through Microsoft. 

“Microsoft is deeply committed to giving businesses what they need, and clearly that is the ability to run enterprise workloads in private clouds, public clouds and, increasingly, across both,” said CEO Steve Ballmer in a press release.

“Now our customers will be able to take advantage of the flexibility our unique hybrid cloud solutions offer for their Oracle applications, middleware and databases, just like they have been able to do on Windows Server for years.”

James Statem, analyst for Forrester, said that the partnership will empower customer choice and improve Oracle’s relevance in the cloud world, giving Microsoft a “clear competitive advantage” against virtualisation rival VMware, as Oracle software is only supported on OracleVM and Hyper-V today.

Oracle is “wisely acknowledging the market momentum behind Amazon Web Services and Windows Azure, ensuring Oracle presence where its customers are going,” said Statem.

“These moves are also necessary to combat the widespread use of open source alternatives to Oracle’s middleware and database products on these new deployment platforms.”

“Combine today’s moves with its SaaS acquisitions, investments in cloud companies and its own platform as a service, and the picture clearly emerges of a company moving aggressively into cloud.”