Google has recently filed an antitrust complaint with the European Commission against Microsoft, claiming that Microsoft’s cloud platform, Azur, engages in anti-competitive practices that restrict European customers from utilizing other cloud systems. Google argues that Microsoft’s platform locks customers in through the Windows server, making it difficult for them to switch to competitors’ services. The complaint alleges that Microsoft imposes financial penalties on businesses that want to use other cloud providers, as well as security and interoperability obstacles.
This is not the first time Microsoft has been accused of unfair practices in the cloud market. In 2022, the European Commission received a complaint from the Amazon-backed cloud lobby CISPE regarding Microsoft’s contractual terms. The case was resolved with a €22 million settlement between Microsoft and CISPE last July.
Amazon, Microsoft, and Google are the key players in the global cloud infrastructure market, and the competition between them is intense. Microsoft is also under scrutiny by the European Commission for its communication and collaboration product, Teams, which may result in a fine of up to 10% of its annual revenue if its dominant position is confirmed.
The article will be updated with responses from the European Commission and Microsoft as the situation develops.
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