"The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) seems to be doubling down on its investigation of Microsoft and the tech giant's potentially shady bundling and licensing practices. According to a Bloomberg report, the federal agency has been issuing civil investigative demands (CIDs) to companies that compete with Microsoft in the business software and cloud computing markets. CIDs are powerful, subpoena-like mandates used by government agencies to investigate potential violations of civil law, typically before a formal complaint or lawsuit is filed."
"According to inside sources, at least a half-dozen companies have received these requests, which ask a range of questions around Microsoft's licensing and other business practices, the report said. The FTC is also seeking information on Microsoft's bundling of AI, security, and identity software into other products, including Windows and Office. This development is the latest in an ongoing, nearly year-and-a-half-long probe into whether the company is illegally monopolizing several markets critical to modern enterprises."
The Federal Trade Commission has issued civil investigative demands to multiple companies that compete with Microsoft in business software and cloud computing. At least a half-dozen companies received requests probing Microsoft's licensing, bundling, and other business practices. The FTC is seeking information on the bundling of AI, security, and identity software into products such as Windows and Office. The probe, which began in November 2024, examines whether Microsoft illegally monopolizes key enterprise markets and whether Microsoft makes it difficult, more expensive, or near-impossible to run Microsoft products on rival cloud services. An industry analyst called Microsoft a serial offender that leverages scale to force bundled products on customers.
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