The FTC is considering opening a new investigation into Microsoft, a company accused time and time again of employing anticompetitive practices to hinder competitors in the lucrative cloud business. Unnamed sources spilled the beans to the Financial Times, stating that the federal agency asked industry players for relevant feedback before deciding to start a formal probe.
Redmond competitors told the FTC that Microsoft is forcing customers to use its Azure platform by using unlawful practices to block third-party cloud services. Microsoft is allegedly making Office 365 products incompatible with other cloud platforms and requiring costly exit fees for customers considering leaving Azure.