CISPE launches the European Cloud Competition Observatory (ECCO) in the fight against unfair software licensing practices in the cloud.
CISPE is establishing the European Cloud Competition Observatory (ECCO) to monitor unfair licensing practices within the European cloud sector. ECCO is part of the settlement between CISPE and Microsoft and will monitor Microsoft’s compliance with licensing agreements.
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Independent monitoring
ECCO is managed by CISPE, but operates independently with its own governance structure. European customer organizations, including Cigref in France and Beltug in Belgium, act as observers. As a result, the interests of European customers are reflected in the reports. Technical experts are involved for additional insights, and Microsoft is also part of ECCO.
ECCO’s first task is to evaluate Microsoft’s progress on the July 2024 licensing agreements. CISPE members are currently conducting extensive testing. A technical meeting in Redmond, USA, is scheduled for December. Following that meeting, ECCO will publish its first progress report, with further updates in February and April, prior to Microsoft’s final software release.
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In addition to Microsoft, ECCO also monitors other software vendors such as Broadcom/VMware. These companies are accused of limiting the freedom of choice for European cloud customers. All ECCO reports are made public through CISPE’s website.
Importance for European cloud users
Henri d’Agrain of Cigref emphasizes that ECCO contributes to fair software licensing and strengthens the voice of European customers. Danielle Jacobs of Beltug adds that unfair licensing increases costs and limits choices for cloud users. According to Francisco Mingorance, secretary general of CISPE, ECCO is a watchdog for unfair practices by software vendors. In addition to Microsoft, ECCO is currently targeting Broadcom.
With ECCO, CISPE is taking a step toward a more transparent and fair cloud market in Europe.