Google denies funding lobbies against Microsoft's cloud business

Recent reports accused Google of shady practices against Microsoft. The company could have sought to affect the Redmond giant in the cloud-based services segment. Now, Google has denied that it is funding an “anti-Microsoft” initiative.

Google denies accusations of funding initiatives against Microsoft’s cloud-based business model

Previously, Microsoft had accused Google of lobbying against them. The company claimed that the Mountain View giant was funding pressure groups dedicated to giving a negative image of its business practices to regulators and authorities. The ultimate goal could be to affect Microsoft’s Azure server business model.

At that time, Microsoft alleged that Google had made an offer to Cloud Infrastructure Services Providers in Europe (CISPE) to continue the legal process against the parent company of Windows. Both companies were battling each other in court over the fees and restrictive conditions associated with using Windows Server-based developments on third-party servers. These fees did not apply when using Azure servers, thereby forcing the use of Microsoft’s tech.

Google presented “alternative options” to an organization suing Microsoft, report claims

Now, according to The Register, there was at least one offer from Google to CISPE. “I can confirm that the CISPE members were presented with alternative options to accepting the Microsoft deal. I cannot reveal any of the terms,” said a spokesperson for the organization.

Google responded to the report with an official statement. The company does not deny that it offered some kind of financing or benefits to CISPE. However, Google asserts that the case against Microsoft had no bearing on it. “Google Cloud has long supported the principles of fair software licensing. We were having discussions about joining as a member to help CISPE continue to fight against anticompetitive licensing and promote choice, innovation, and the growth of the digital economy in Europe,” said a Google spokesperson.

The source had access to a presentation by Amit Zavery, former Google Cloud VP. According to the report, the document mentioned a “Members Innovation Fund” that included €4 million. That amount represented €100,000 per member for “immediate funding for projects and license fees of CISPE members to support innovation in open cloud ecosystems.” The document also reportedly listed €10 million for trade association activities and €100 million in Google Distributed Cloud software credits.