Microsoft recently offered to change its cloud computing practices following numerous complaints from several European Union (EU)-based cloud firms which prompted an EU antitrust investigation.
French
cloud computing company OVHcloud, Italian cloud firm Aruba, and the
Danish Cloud Community allege that Microsoft engages in unfair cloud
practices and licensing deals.
- The
aforementioned EU cloud companies and 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, had filed a formal complaint against Microsoft in Nov. 2022.
- CISPE, which represents 24 European cloud providers, stated that Microsoft’s actions constitute a violation of Article 102 TFEU,
a law stating that “any abuse by one or more undertakings of a dominant
position within the internal market or in a substantial part of it
shall be prohibited as incompatible with the internal market in so far
as it may affect trade between Member States.”
- CISPE
also commented that the decision among the three cloud companies
to settle with Microsoft was “disappointing on many levels” and that it
is concerned “it is not at all clear what the details of those changes
will be.”
- The details surrounding Microsoft’s changes are vague and unclear.
