"Google Cloud has confirmed the withdrawal of a complaint it filed with the European Commission (EC) in September 2024, relating to Microsoft's controversial cloud licensing strategy, whereby it charges customers higher fees for wanting to run its software in competing cloud environments. The issue has seen Microsoft repeatedly come in for criticism and scrutiny from regulators, trade bodies and cloud market stakeholders from around the world in recent years, with research previously claiming the tactic is costing enterprises billions in additional annual licensing fees."
"What Microsoft does is restrict those licences to be taken to other cloud providers and puts them all towards Azure, and [in doing so is] linking the on-premise products, as well as Windows Server, to Azure, which are really two different markets. One is around the operating system and on-premise, and the other one is about cloud,"
"That's why we believe this regulatory action is the only way to end Microsoft vendor lock-in and for customers to have a choice, and create a level playing field for customers."
Google Cloud filed an antitrust complaint with the European Commission in September 2024 over Microsoft's cloud licensing strategy that charges higher fees for running Microsoft software in competing cloud environments. The licensing approach raised concerns about supplier lock-in and research suggested it costs enterprises billions in extra annual licensing fees. Google argued that Microsoft links on-premise licences and Windows Server to Azure, treating operating system and cloud as different markets. Microsoft has faced global criticism and regulatory scrutiny over the tactic. Google withdrew its complaint on 28 November 2025 after the EC launched its own probe.
Read at ComputerWeekly.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]