Google filed a complaint against Microsoft with the European Commission, accusing them of making it expensive for cloud customers to switch from Azure to other providers like Google Cloud. Google claims Microsoft’s licensing terms restrict European customers from changing to competing platforms, costing European businesses €1 billion annually. Amazon’s AWS leads Europe’s cloud market, with Microsoft’s Azure in second place and Google in third. The European Commission confirmed receiving Google’s complaint, which referred to a settlement between Microsoft and CISPE, accusing Microsoft of anti-competitive practices similar to Google’s current complaints. Microsoft expressed optimism that the EC would dismiss Google’s complaint. Google stated that licensing terms adopted by Microsoft in 2019 imposed financial penalties for using Windows Server software with Azure competitors. They cited evidence of extreme pricing differences and restrictions on security patches. Google also referenced research by Professor Frédéric Jenny, claiming that non-Microsoft cloud providers drained €1 billion from the European economy in 2022. Google Cloud’s Head of Platform, Amit Zavery, criticized Microsoft’s practices, advocating for a more open market for cloud providers. Zavery urged the removal of restrictions to allow customers to choose their cloud provider freely.
