No, Amazon did not acquire Workday.
Amazon's Relationship with Workday
While Amazon did not purchase Workday as a company, the two organizations had a significant business relationship. In 2017, Amazon entered into a deal to utilize Workday's human capital management (HCM) software across its vast operations. This agreement specifically included the deployment of Workday's main HCM software, such as Workday Payroll, company-wide.
This arrangement meant that Amazon was a major client for Workday, committing to deploy their services throughout one of the largest employer's global workforce. However, this partnership, where Amazon purchased and used Workday's software, was ultimately terminated. The conclusion of this agreement represented a notable loss for Workday, given Amazon's immense scale and its prior commitment to integrating Workday's solutions across its employee base.
Key Aspects of Their Past Partnership:
- Client-Vendor Dynamic: Amazon was a customer that licensed software from Workday, not an owner.
- Software Adoption: Amazon agreed to purchase and deploy Workday's core human capital management software.
- Specific Services: This included essential services like Workday Payroll, vital for managing a large workforce.
- Company-wide Deployment: The initial commitment was to implement Workday's solutions across Amazon's entire organization, highlighting the scope of the deal.
- Deal Termination: The partnership was later concluded, indicating that Amazon no longer extensively uses Workday's HR software.
This detailed explanation clarifies that their interaction was a business-to-business software licensing and service agreement, rather than an outright acquisition.
