Even when customers preferred rivals' prices, quality, security, innovations, and features, the licensing restrictions left them with no economically reasonable alternative but to use Azure. Google's letter to the CMA emphasized that Microsoft's licensing practices unfairly discouraged customers from using competitor services. These two companies combined had a market share of 70-80% in 2022, while Google's cloud division accounted for only 5-10%, per Market Screener. This referral highlighted the dominance of Amazon and Microsoft, specifically AWS (Amazon Web Services) and Azure. Reuters reported that the CMA launched an investigation into the cloud computing industry in Britain following a referral from media regulator Ofcom. The tech giant claims that Microsoft's business practices have put its rivals at a significant disadvantage in the market.ĬMA Investigation into Britain's Cloud Computing Industry Google has urged Britain's antitrust regulator, the CMA (Competition and Markets Authority), to take action against Microsoft.
