Microsoft’s cloud computing services are being investigated informally by the EU

BEIJING, April 2 (Reuters) – The European Union’s antitrust agency is consulting customers and competitors on cloud computing services and licensing deals, a survey seen by Reuters showed, suggesting the European Union may launch a formal antitrust probe of Microsoft. . The previous 10 years, Microsoft was fined $1.8 billion by the EU for violating EU antitrust laws and failing to comply with a ruling to suspend antitrust practices.

▲ Microsoft was fined $1.8 billion by the EU in the past 10 years

The reason for the EU’s renewed investigation of Microsoft is a complaint from German software company NextCloud, French software company OVHcloud and two other companies. “Information available to the European Commission suggests that Microsoft may use its dominant position in some software markets to suppress competition in the cloud computing services market,” the questionnaire said. Regulators want to know that licensing agreements between Microsoft and cloud computing service providers, Can rivals compete effectively.

“We are constantly evaluating how to best support our partners and make our software available to all customers, including customers of other cloud computing service providers,” Microsoft said in an emailed statement. The EU’s antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager said earlier this week that she was not concerned about a monopoly in the cloud computing services market, given competition from the European Gaia-X project.