Microsoft president Brad Smith announced five European cloud computing principles on Microsoft’s official blog on May 18. Microsoft will adopt these principles when running cloud computing business in Europe, support European cloud service providers to easier host a wider range of Microsoft products on their cloud infrastructure, and establish a new team directly connected with European cloud providers. The above five principles are: to ensure that Microsoft’s public cloud meets the needs of Europe and supports European values; Ensure that Microsoft cloud provides a platform for the success of European software developers; Cooperate with and support European cloud providers; Microsoft cooperates with local trusted technology suppliers to provide cloud products that meet the sovereign needs of European governments; Microsoft recognizes that European governments are regulating technology, and Microsoft will adapt to and support these efforts.
Microsoft is relaxing the commercial terms of its cloud computing services to quell complaints from competitors and avoid a comprehensive antitrust investigation by the EU, the Financial Times reported today. Margaret vestag, the EU’s executive vice president in charge of competition and digital policy, confirmed last month that the EU was “actively following up” complaints about the suspected Microsoft azure cloud computing platform.
