A cloud computing trade group has filed an antitrust criticism about Microsoft to the European Fee’s Directorate-Basic for Competitors.

The physique, dubbed Cloud Infrastructure Service Suppliers in Europe or “Cispe”, is made up of 24 cloud infrastructure suppliers, together with a few of Microsoft’s largest rivals within the cloud internet hosting house reminiscent of Amazon Net Providers (AWS).

In a press release, CISPE secretary normal Francisco Mingorance alleged that Microsoft leverages “its dominance in productiveness software program” in a method that “restricts alternative and inflates prices as European prospects look to maneuver to the cloud, thus distorting Europe’s digital economic system”. 

What’s Microsoft accused of?

Cispe added that the tech large engages in “anti-competitive practices included discriminatory bundling and tying of its merchandise, self-preference pricing and locking in prospects each on the technical and aggressive stage”.

Microsoft has been making some modifications to alleviate all these antitrust complaints to date in 2022, agreeing to amend a few of its licensing guidelines in August, admitting to some extent of unfair practices, and posting upgrades to software program packages in a weblog submit.

Nonetheless, Cispe alleged that these modifications had been inadequate (opens in new tab)and that Microsoft failed to make sure that its licensing phrases “must be clear and intelligible”.

This yr has definitely seen Microsoft obtain loads of scrutiny from an anti-trust perspective.

In March 2022, France’s OVHcloud lodged a separate cloud criticism to the European Fee in partnership with Italian internet hosting biz Aruba.

Within the final ten years, Microsoft has racked up over €1.6 billion in anti-trust fines from the European Fee.

Regardless of this intense stage of regulatory scrutiny, the US-owed “Large Three” of the cloud computing world nonetheless have a good stranglehold on EU cloud spending.

Amazon Net Providers (AWS), Microsoft, and Google now management practically three-quarters (72%) of the European enterprise cloud storage market,  whereas the market share held by native suppliers has dwindled from 27% to only 13%.

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