And when Microsoft invited the Europeans to sign a settlement agreement that would only pay compensation, as Google claimed, CISPE’s loyalty battle began. Google offered a group of CISPE companies $512 million (€470 million) to terminate their antitrust agreement with Microsoft and force them to file a formal complaint. But the attempt failed.
Google’s offer was for five-year cloud software licenses worth $495 million, or €455 million. The remaining amount was offered in cash and as a long-term partnership offer. The deal was also supported by Amazon Web Services (AWS), which contributed money to Google’s financial package, despite its European division being a full member of CISPE.
As a result, Google and some other cloud providers were categorically unhappy with the outcome. Representatives who asked to remain anonymous said the companies viewed the settlement agreement between Microsoft and CISPE as “an ordinary bribe to complainants” because CISPE gained access to its technology and stopped the official complaint.
“Microsoft’s decision to pay complainants instead of addressing their complaints on their merits is bad for business and shouldn’t fool anyone,” said Amit Zaveri, head of platforms at Google Cloud.
Source: Ferra
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