• Microsoft’s (MSFT.O) recent improvements to cloud computing have been attacked by Amazon and Google.
• The companies claim that they hinder competition and deter users from transferring.
• Microsoft’s action comes after smaller European Union rivals complained to EU antitrust officials about its cloud service policies.

Microsoft’s (MSFT.O) recent improvements to cloud computing have been attacked by Amazon (AMZN.O) and Google, a unit of Alphabet (GOOGL.O), who claim that they hinder competition and deter users from transferring to competing cloud service providers.

On Monday, the US software behemoth revealed new licensing agreements and other adjustments that will go into effect on October 1 and, according to the company, will make it simpler for cloud service providers to compete.

The transactions will not include Microsoft’s own cloud services, Amazon, Google, Alibaba (9988. HK), or any other cloud provider.

Microsoft’s action came after smaller European Union rivals complained to EU antitrust officials about its cloud service policies.

The regulators then questioned market participants on the matter and the effects they have seen.

Amazon was harsh in its criticisms, trailing just Microsoft and Google as the top cloud service providers.

Instead of listening to its customers and restoring fair software licensing in the cloud for everyone, Microsoft is now doubling-down on the same harmful practices by implementing even more restrictions in an unfair attempt to limit the competition it faces, a spokesperson for its cloud service unit AWS said in an email.

Marcus Jadotte, Google’s vice president for policy and government affairs, had a similar critique.

In a tweet, he stated that “the promise of the cloud is flexible, elastic computing without contractual lock-ins.”

Customers ought to be free to switch between platforms and select the technology that best suits their needs rather than Microsoft’s, according to Jadotte.

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