According to Bloomberg, Google has offered a group of European companies operating in the cloud, a sum equal to 512 million dollars (470 million euros) to try to hinder an agreement between the antitrust and Microsoft, trying to keep a formal complaint alive.
Despite this, the initiative it did not have the desired effect and the agreement between Microsoft and the antitrust was reached anyway.
The conflict arose from a complaint by the non-profit organization Cloud Infrastructure Services Providers in Europe (CISPE), which alleged that Microsoft had tied its software to Azure cloud services, making it difficult for customers to switch providers.
This had pushed CISPE to negotiate with Microsoftgaining greater access to the latter’s technologies and putting an end to the formal complaint initially filed.
In the midst of the negotiations, Google proposed a financial package to the group, subject to the continuation of their antitrust complaint against Microsoft.
Google’s package was divided into two parts, with a preponderant amount of software licenses for cloud technology worth $495 million (€455 million) and a cash portion, plus a long-term partnership proposal. Also Amazon Web Services (AWS) contributed to Google’s offering, even though the company was a member of CISPE.
However, Google’s attempt did not influence the European companies that make up CISPE, which they preferred to reach an agreement with Microsoft. This latest agreement allowed them to use advanced Azure features and the ability to offer Microsoft products and services on their on-premises cloud infrastructure, in addition to a cash compensation of approximately $11 million.
In light of these facts, the statements of Amit Zavery (head of Google Cloud Platform) who criticized Microsoft for its handling of the situation by paying the complainants rather than addressing the merits of the complaint, are downright ridiculous given Google’s actions.
Zavery said that Google is exploring a range of options for continue to fight against Microsoft’s anti-competitive licensing practicesaffirming Google’s commitment to promoting choice, innovation and growth in Europe’s digital economy.
Source: www.tomshw.it
