Google files EU antitrust complaint over Microsoft’s cloud practices

Google has filed an antitrust ailment to EU regulators, accusing Microsoft of unfair licensing contracts for its Azure unreality services. CNBC reports that Google, which is 3rd down Microsoft and Amazon successful the unreality market, alleges that Microsoft uses licensing presumption that marque it hard and costly to usage Windows Server and Office products connected non-Azure unreality infrastructure.

Reuters reports that Google Cloud vice president Amit Zavery told reporters Microsoft made customers wage a 400 percent mark-up to proceed utilizing Windows Server connected rival unreality providers, but that this interest doesn’t use connected Azure.

Google’s ailment comes conscionable months aft Microsoft reached a settlement with an manufacture radical backed by European unreality infrastructure providers who were voicing akin concerns astir Microsoft's licensing practices. The group, Cloud Infrastructure Service Providers successful Europe (CISPE), agreed to retreat its 2022 EU ailment acknowledgment to a woody allowing European unreality providers to connection Microsoft’s apps and services connected section unreality infrastructure. Google, obviously, wasn’t connected that list.

CISPE is besides creating an autarkic European Cloud Observatory (ECO), made up of Microsoft, unreality infrastructure vendors successful Europe, and European lawsuit associations. Amazon Web Services was captious of the woody successful July, noting that Microsoft was lone making “limited concessions for immoderate CISPE members that show determination are nary method barriers preventing it from doing what’s close for each unreality customer.”

Naturally, Microsoft isn’t blessed with Google’s complaint. “Microsoft settled amicably akin concerns raised by European unreality providers, adjacent aft Google hoped they would support litigating,” says Microsoft spokesperson Robin Koch successful a connection to The Verge. Microsoft successful a statement. “Having failed to transportation European companies, we expect Google likewise volition neglect to transportation the European Commission.”

Microsoft is besides facing antitrust scrutiny implicit its unreality practices successful the UK, wherever regulators are investigating Microsoft and Amazon’s unreality licensing practices. The Federal Trade Commission is looking into Microsoft, Amazon, and Google’s AI investments and however they’re linked to unreality services.