The blockchain technology that creates permanent ledger books across multiple computers is seen by Google as the key to competing with Amazon and Microsoft in the cloud services arena. Therefore, this Monday, Google officially announced a partnership with New York’s Digital Asset to bring blockchain technology to Google Cloud.
Blythe Masters, CEO of Digital Asset, said: “At present, the main goal of our collaboration with Google Cloud is to provide developers with a complete solution stack, which will help them tap the potential of network innovation in the blockchain field.”
The key to this collaboration is Digital Asset, which provides Google with a Software Tools Development Kit (SDK) that helps Google developers try out a smart contract programming language called DAML (US Defense Advanced Design Research Agency’s proxy markup language).
In March, Digital Asset released DAML, the company’s modeling language, which helps other companies to simplify the production of various blockchain applications, including smart contracts, in addition to other features.
Masters said that companies can use DAML to create block-based technology-based payments and financial services for their partners or contractors. Of course, DAML can also have broader applications.
However, Masters also said that the language is not known for its effectiveness in the asset-based industry. The application of DAML smart contract tools in healthcare and media royalties may be helpful for future development.
Masters is a man of the financial world. Before creating Digital Asset, he worked in commodities at JP Morgan Chase. The startup is now fiercely competing with R3, a New York-based blockchain startup, and other companies that provide blockchain services to businesses, which has caught the attention of the Australian Stock Exchange, the exchange’s intention extend the stock market to the blockchain sector.
The cooperation between Google and Digital Asset has been showing signs that the search giant reported in the report released in May that the blockchain is an important part of its cloud strategy. According to Bloomberg News, in order to develop the blockchain function, Google Cloud has started a series of investment and acquisition activities.
According to Masters, it is worth noting that in the cooperation between the two parties, Digital Asset only provides application licenses and does not recognize the acquisition behavior and ownership of other companies.
Masters said that Digital Asset has established a “widespread relationship” with Google in personnel management. For example, AG Gangadhar, the company’s new board member, was a former Google executive and a well-known engineer.
Leonard Law, director of Google Cloud Financial Services Platform, said in a statement: “We are happy to cooperate with Digital Asset in the field of distributed ledgers. DLT can benefit customers in the financial sector and many other industries, so we are excited to introduce Google Cloud into the developer tools.”
Another reason for Google’s collaboration with Digital Asset is the proprietary nature of startup code. In general, search giants often choose to use open source code building programs, but according to Masters, the SDK they provide can make Google’s blockchain building tools easier to access and use.
Cloud services have gradually become an important part of the technology giant’s trade strategy, and this collaboration between Google and Digital Asset was achieved in this situation. At present, Amazon’s network services are still the leader in cloud services, followed by Microsoft, while Google Cloud ranks third, accounting for only 6% of the market.
