Microsoft has offered to modify its cloud computing practices to ward off an ongoing European Union (EU) antitrust investigation.
The probe was prompted by a group of EU-based cloud companies complaining to the European Commission over Microsoft's alleged unfair cloud practices and licensing deals.
French cloud computing company OVHCloud, Italian cloud firm Aruba, and a Danish association of cloud service providers have all filed complaints about Microsoft with the European Commission.
- In Oct. 2022, Microsoft announced changes to its licensing practices, which include allowing customers to use their licenses on any European cloud provider delivering services to their own data centers and letting them purchase licenses without having to buy Microsoft's physical hardware.
- Cloud Infrastructure Service Providers in Europe (CISPE), a group of cloud companies backing fair cloud principles, data protection, climate initiatives, and inclusion in the IT sector, was not satisfied with these changes and thus filed a formal complaint against Microsoft in Nov. 2022.
- Microsoft has not shared the specific changes to its cloud practices that it intends to make.
- The EU has fined Microsoft over $1.7B over the past decade for antitrust violations.
