Google added support for Windows-based containers in its latest Kubernetes Engine update that also bolsters its push to usurp larger rivals Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft atop the public cloud space.

The update now allows Windows Server containers to be run alongside Linux containers in the same cluster within Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE). This allows for a central management plane for both container platforms.

“By running Windows Server apps as containers on Kubernetes you get many of the benefits that Linux applications have enjoyed for years,” Google Product Managers Venkat Gattamneni and Madhu Yennamani noted in a blog post. “Running your Windows Server containers on GKE can also save you on licensing costs, as you can pack many Windows Server containers on each Windows node.”

The move builds on the Kubernetes 1.14 update from early 2019, which included official Kubernetes support for Windows-based containers. This allowed for users to add Windows nodes as worker nodes and the scheduling of Windows containers.

It also provided a compelling case for larger enterprises with an entrenched focus on the Microsoft ecosystem to jump onto the Kubernetes bandwagon.

“It’s extremely important to people who like the powerful abstraction Kubernetes provides but have historically had to use something else to orchestrate and manage their Windows-based workloads,” explained Aaron Crickenberger, release lead for that Kubernetes update, in an email at the time. “For people whose workloads are entirely Linux-based, it’s probably not so important.”

The inclusion follows up on Google’s increased widening of its cloud platform to support Windows-based services. This included the ability for customers to bring their own Windows Server licenses (BYOL), virtual displays, and managed services for SQL Server and Active Directory.

It also plays into Google’s desire to increase its presence in the public cloud market.

According to published reports, Google set a 2023 internal deadline to become a top-two player in the market. While Google has been gaining, AWS' share of worldwide public cloud revenues has hovered around 40% for a few years, and Microsoft’s has increased to almost 20%, according to Synergy Research Group. For comparison: Google is sitting on around 10% of the market.

Outside of its tighter Windows integration, Google has been aggressively making its cloud platform more appealing to enterprise customers.

Earlier this month it rolled out a premium support plan for its cloud service. It promises to connect customers to a context-aware expert familiar with the customer’s application stack, architecture, and implementation within 15 minutes of a support ticket being submitted. And it spent much of 2019 bolstering its cloud focus.