Dive Brief:

• Google Cloud Platform will become the first cloud provider to offer Intel’s new Xeon processor, Skylake, according to a Google blog.

• Google says the tech will be on display in time for Google Cloud NEXT '17 on March 8. The processors will be available in five of Google's regions, including Western, Eastern and Central U.S., as well as Western Europe and Eastern Asia Pacific. 

• "This technology delivers significant enhancements for compute-intensive workloads, efficiently accelerating data analytics that businesses depend on for operations and growth," said Diane Bryant, Intel executive vice president and general manager of the Data Center Group.

Dive Insight:

According to the Google blog post, Skylake is great for "scientific modeling, genomic research, 3-D rendering, data analytics and engineering simulations."

The timing is ideal for Google. As companies prepare to dive headfirst into newly emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, advanced analytics and Internet of Things, they will need chips that can handle compute-intensive workloads.

And if Google remains the only cloud platform offering Skylake, it could help lure customers and potentially help Google Cloud make headway against enterprise cloud behemoth Amazon Web Services.

Google and Intel have worked closely together for several years. Last November, the two companies announced a strategic partnership to "support and accelerate" enterprise adoption of the cloud.