A high‑stakes, potentially precedent‑setting legal push against Microsoft over its cloud licensing policies is gathering momentum in the UK: competition lawyer Dr Maria Luisa Stasi is pressing a proposed collective claim worth roughly £2 billion that alleges thousands of UK organisations were...
Google Cloud has publicly reminded regulators that it filed a formal antitrust complaint against Microsoft’s cloud licensing practices one year ago — and warns that little has changed while competitors, customers and regulators continue to grapple with pricing, portability and potential vendor...
Google’s decision to keep the pressure on Microsoft over cloud licensing turned into a public reminder this week that the fight over how Windows and SQL Server licenses move into the cloud is far from settled—and that regulators, competitors and customers are still picking through the...
Google’s formal complaint to Brussels ratchets up one of the most consequential regulatory fights in cloud computing: the search giant says Microsoft’s cloud licensing practices lock customers into Azure, harm competition and security, and should prompt fast antitrust action from the European...
ChatGPT is not a Microsoft product — it was created and is operated by OpenAI — but the relationship between the two companies is deep, strategic, and increasingly intertwined, which explains why ChatGPT often feels like a Microsoft feature inside Windows, Edge, Bing, and Microsoft 365. tl agent...
ai governance
ai integration
azure
bing
chatgpt
cloudlicensing
copilot
data governance
edge
enterprise ai
github copilot
llms
microsoft
microsoft 365
multi-cloud
openai
openai api
openai partnership
vendor lock-in
Sure’s Channel Islands data-centre arm has added Microsoft’s Azure Stack Hub to its managed portfolio, giving local organisations the ability to run Azure-consistent infrastructure-as-a-service workloads inside on-island facilities while keeping data, compliance controls and support physically...
azure compatibility
azure parity
azure stack hub
capacity planning
channel islands
cloudlicensing
connected mode
data governance
data residency
data security
data sovereignty
disaster recovery
disconnected mode
expressroute
hybrid cloud
iso 22301
iso 27001
iso certifications
licensing models
local support
managed cloud
managed service
offshore cloud services
on island support
on-island data centre
paas limitations
procurement checklist
procurement risk
proof of concept
regulatory compliance
resiliency reserve
vendor coordination
vendor lock-in risk
The United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has dramatically intensified its focus on Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure, the powerhouses of the cloud computing sector. This heightened scrutiny signals a pivotal moment not only for the British digital infrastructure...
The recent agreement between the Cloud Infrastructure Services Providers in Europe (CISPE) and Microsoft has triggered a significant debate within the European cloud ecosystem, raising fundamental questions about fairness, competition, and the route to a genuinely open cloud market. At the heart...
Microsoft's recent agreement with the Cloud Infrastructure Services Providers in Europe (CISPE) marks a pivotal moment in the European cloud computing landscape. This settlement, reached after prolonged negotiations, aims to address longstanding concerns over Microsoft's cloud licensing...
European cloud computing has long battled for regulatory fairness in the face of US tech giants' commercial dominance, but a groundbreaking agreement between Microsoft and the Cloud Infrastructure Services Providers in Europe (CISPE) may signal a new chapter for regional sovereignty and customer...
azure alternatives
cispe agreement
cloud competition
cloud computing
cloud innovation
cloudlicensingcloud market fairness
cloud providers
data residency
digital sovereignty
european cloud
european data laws
european digital policy
european tech
hyperscalers
microsoft licensing
multi-cloud strategies
regulatory reforms
tech regulation
vendor lock-in
European cloud providers have long operated under the looming shadow of American tech giants, their ambitions often hamstrung by restrictive licensing, technical tying, and complex negotiations. In one of the most significant developments for the continent’s digital sovereignty in recent years...
News from the cloud sector rarely generates the kind of high-stakes drama seen in recent months between Microsoft, CISPE (Cloud Infrastructure Services Providers in Europe), and a fractured landscape of European cloud providers. At the heart of the matter are longstanding grievances about...
cispe
cloud competition
cloud industry analysis
cloud infrastructure
cloud interoperability
cloudlicensingcloud providers
digital sovereignty
eu antitrust regulations
eu digital strategy
european cloud market
european tech policy
european union
market dominance
microsoft concessions
microsoft licensing practices
multi-cloud strategies
open standards
regulatory challenges
vendor lock-in
Europe’s cloud landscape has long been a battleground for digital sovereignty, fair competition, and innovation. The latest chapter in this saga—pitting CISPE, the coalition of European cloud infrastructure providers, against Microsoft—marks a turning point that could reshape the future of cloud...
azure alternative
cispe
cloud competition
cloud hosting
cloud infrastructure
cloudlicensingcloud marketplaces
cloud regulation
cloud sovereignty
cloud vendor lock-in
data localization
data protection
digital sovereignty
eu digital policy
european cloud
european data privacy
gdpr compliance
microsoft cloud
microsoft csp
multi-cloud strategy
European cloud infrastructure providers, long frustrated by Microsoft’s complex and oft-criticized licensing rules, have scored a measured win in their drawn-out battle for more equitable cloud software terms. After more than two years of pressure from the Cloud Infrastructure Services Providers...
azure active directory
bring-your-own-license
cispe
cloud competition
cloud infrastructure
cloud interoperability
cloudlicensingcloud market reform
cloud privacy
cloud regulation
cloud sovereignty
cloud vendor lock-in
digital sovereignty
european cloud
european data residency
european regulators
fvb
hyperscaler dominance
microsoft 365 local
microsoft licensing
Microsoft's recent migration of its Windows Key Management Licensing Service (MKMS) to Azure's Confidential Computing platform marks a significant advancement in cloud security and operational efficiency. This strategic move leverages cutting-edge technologies to enhance the protection of...
Navigating the complexities of running Windows Server workloads on Amazon Web Services (AWS) can be a daunting challenge, especially for organizations seeking to maximize value from pre-existing Microsoft licenses. As cloud adoption accelerates across industries, the Bring Your Own License...
As Cumberland and Westmorland Councils prepare to vote on a proposed three-year contract for a new Microsoft Enterprise and Server Cloud Agreement—a deal which could see costs soar up to £10.5 million—the discussion at Carlisle’s Civic Centre is emblematic of the growing complexity and stakes in...
cloud infrastructure
cloudlicensingcloud security
cybersecurity
digital strategy
digital transformation
government it contracts
government technology
hybrid cloud
it cost management
it governance
it procurement
local government
microsoft 365
microsoft cloud
microsoft enterprise agreement
public sector cybersecurity
public sector it
tech policy
Microsoft Office 2024, unveiled in September 2024, marked another milestone in productivity software by offering a range of upgrades and additional features. Yet, even as users and IT administrators eagerly adopted the latest iteration, a persistent and troubling licensing bug cast a shadow over...
Microsoft’s latest move in the cloud computing arena marks a significant evolution for enterprise IT management: the introduction of Windows 365 Cloud Apps, which allows IT administrators to deliver individual applications—such as Word or Outlook—directly from Cloud PCs without the overhead of...
Few undertakings within the U.S. federal government are as indicative of shifting strategic priorities as the Department of Defense’s ongoing review of its gargantuan software investments. The latest development—an exclusive confirmed by DefenseScoop—sees the Pentagon’s Chief Information Officer...
change management
cloud computing
cloudlicensing
cost containment
cybersecurity
defense technology
department of defense
digital infrastructure
e5 licenses
federal budget
federal it optimization
government digital transformation
government efficiency
it asset management
it procurement
microsoft 365
public sector it
shadow it
software license management
tech budget strategy