Google filed a complaint against Microsoft with the European Commission on Wednesday, accusing the rival of anti-competitive practices, including using its dominant market position to force users to use Microsoft's Azure cloud platform.
Google has accused Microsoft of using its dominant Windows Server operating system to block competition.
Google's complaint about Microsoft's actions
During a press briefing Wednesday, Google Cloud Vice President Amit Zavery said Microsoft was forcing customers to pay a 400% markup to host Windows Server on competing cloud providers, including Google Cloud. The markup was not charged if users used Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform.
Zavery added that Internet users who also use non-Microsoft cloud systems, including Google Cloud, AliCloud, and Amazon Web Services, received later and more limited security updates. According to him, Microsoft has used similar practices before, forcing customers to use Teams even if they preferred other messengers.
Google Cloud's deputy head expressed his belief that a complaint to the regulator, the European Commission, is the only way to stop Microsoft from excluding other suppliers, as well as to give customers a choice and equalize the playing field for competitors. The company appealed to the EC for “urgent action.”
“Two-thirds of EU companies store about half of their work in the cloud”
For years, Microsoft has allowed its products, including Windows, to run on any hardware. It introduced restrictions in 2019 as it entered the cloud business.
The cloud computing industry is growing by about 20 percent a year in the EU, according to data from consulting firm McKinsey in April. It is estimated that two-thirds of EU companies store about half of their work in the cloud.
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