Microsoft accuses Google of ‘shadow campaigns’

mirosoft google feud

The feud between Microsoft and Google is getting some extra pepper. Microsoft accuses Google of directing anti-lobbying campaigns from the shadows.

That Microsoft and Google are not too good friends has long been known. The feud flares up some more. In a blog, Rima Alaily, deputy general counsel, lashes out sharply at Google. Among other things, Alaily accuses Google of running “shadow campaigns” and bribing smaller cloud providers to unite against Microsoft.

Open Cloud Coalition

The reason for the lashing out is the foundation of the Open Cloud Coalition, an association of a dozen or so cloud providers from the EU and the UK that is being officially christened today. The fact that Google is also a member of this association clearly antagonizes Microsoft. Alaily calls the association a “pseudo-organization” created to conspire against Microsoft.

“Google will position itself as a supporting member rather than the leader, we understand. It remains to be seen what Google has offered smaller companies to become members, in the form of money or discounts. Google has gone to great lengths to obscure its involvement, funding and control,” Alaily interjected.

The association is defending itself against Microsoft’s lashing out. In a statement to TechCrunch, the Open Cloud Coalition explains that the association is not founded against Microsoft or any other company, but seeks to promote openness and interoperability in the cloud industry. Anyone who supports those values may join, the statement concludes.

Lawsuit against Microsoft

The feud between Microsoft and Google goes back several years Microsoft must also reach out for that. It made itself unpopular with competitors by, for example, making it more expensive to run Microsoft software in cloud environments other than Azure. That earned Microsoft several antitrust complaints, which it managed to get out from under with multimillion-dollar checks, against Google’s wishes.

Google then went on the attack itself and recently filed suit on its own against Microsoft. It only did so by first offering the European cloud association CISPE half a billion to continue its proceedings against Microsoft, but in vain. Google itself is not a member of CISPE, but AWS is. Microsoft has also already accused AWS of colluding with the association’s members.