The Kroger Co., the world's third-largest retailer behind Wal-Mart and Costco, announced this week that its cloud computing portfolio is expanding with Google Cloud Platform.

"The adoption of Google Cloud Platform signals our commitment to positioning Kroger as an industry leader for digital programs such as ship-to-home and home delivery," Kroger chief information officer Chris Hjelm said. "Kroger Technology has been working to accelerate our ability to deliver our business the tools and technology-enabled services that support growth, as outlined in our Restock Kroger Plan.”

Hjelm said the expansion of Kroger’s cloud computing portfolio “will be a foundational cornerstone to current and future initiatives that will drive measurable business value by advancing Kroger's ability to offer the digital and e-commerce services our customers want most."

Kroger now operates agreements with Google, Microsoft and Pivotal. This portfolio brings a new level of capability that will help Kroger Technology accelerate the delivery of new technology-based innovations to better serve customers and grow the business.

To manage the portfolio, Kroger is creating a "cloud enablement team." This talent will focus on different aspects of cloud computing, such as: product management; private and public cloud engineering and operations; cloud architecture; code infrastructure; automation, and security architecture. The team will be comprised of specialized talent, including Kroger Technology associates and external recruits.