Microsoft has been in talks with some European cloud provider partner representatives for roughly a year. As a result, this company has noticed an unfairness in software licensing terms that could be deleterious to the cloud market competition. Microsoft promised to fix this issue, and as per the recent company announcement, the changes will take effect from October 1, 2022. Microsoft says these changes aim to “help these partners to be more competitive and grow their businesses.” Microsoft’s President and Vice Chair, Brad Smith, wrote in the EU Policy blog, “As a major technology provider, we recognize our responsibility to support a healthy competitive environment and the role that trusted local providers play in meeting customers’ technology needs.” “Microsoft is now doubling-down on the same harmful practices by implementing even more restrictions in an unfair attempt to limit the competition it faces – rather than listening to its customers and restoring fair software licensing in the cloud for everyone,” An AWS spokesperson told Reuters. Marcus Jadotte, Google’s SVP for Government Relations, also said, “The promise of the cloud is flexible, elastic computing without contractual lock-ins.” He added, “Customers should be able to move freely across platforms and choose the technology that works best for them, rather than what works best for Microsoft.” These unsatisfied companies suggest that cloud providers must focus on “the merits of their technologies” and not lock their customers in.
