Exclusive-Microsoft clinches deal to settle CISPE antitrust complaint

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Microsoft has clinched a multi-million-euro deal to settle CISPE's antitrust complaint about its cloud computing licensing practices, the U.S. tech giant said on Wednesday, averting an EU antitrust investigation that could have led to a hefty fine.

CISPE, whose members include Amazon and a score of small EU cloud providers, filed a complaint with the European Commission in late 2022 alleging that Microsoft's new contractual terms imposed on Oct. 1 were harming Europe's cloud computing ecosystem.

Microsoft ranks behind market leader Amazon in the cloud computing sector but ahead of Alphabet's Google.

"After working with CISPE and its European members for more than a year, I am pleased that we've not only resolved their concerns of the past, but also worked together to define a path forward that brings even more competition to the cloud computing market in Europe and beyond," Microsoft President Brad Smith said.

 

 By Foo Yun Chee.

Full story at Yahoo News.