The AntiTrust Wars. Google Vs Microsoft
Photo by Mitchell Luo on Unsplash
Developers might miss the latest tech news because they’ve got their heads down finishing one last JIRA ticket. They’d be missing an interesting battle between two behemoths of the tech world clashing in the UK.
Our favorite unfashionable hoodie wants to share their thoughts on the clash of the titans, and what it means for software developers throughout the world.
“As developers, we have been hearing about the business talking about cloud computing for years. We’ve been creating magic with the technology and the way we do that might just be changing for the better.”
The story
Google called on Britain’s antitrust regulator to take action against Microsoft. They have alleged that Microsoft unfairly stifles competition through their licensing practices in the cloud computing market.
This is important in the UK as AWS and Azure have a combined 80% market share of the public cloud infrastructure market.
The backstory
Microsoft and Google have never been easy bedfellows. Although Google is a tech behemoth it finds itself as the plucky underdogs to Microsoft in the cloud sector. This battle is not just about market share; it’s a fight for the future of cloud technology.
Microsoft dominates the cloud market. Azure has become the de facto standard platform for many customers in this space to such an extent that competition law can be used (potentially) to open the market to other players.
Google is attacking Microsoft’s dominance by using antitrust laws to ensure fair competition. This is about tackling the monopolistic behavior of big tech — surprisingly undertaken by one of the monopolistic big tech players.
Wider Implications
“I don’t want to make this battle into a simple argument between two tech giants.
If you’re not working for one of these huge companies, you are likely using some of their technology in your day-to-day work. This could change the choice that our companies have and actually give some viable competition in the cloud space.
In fact, imagine lower prices. Easy transfer of solutions between platforms. Something better than what is going on now.”
The Secret Developer’s Perspective
“This battle is significant. Changes influence everything from software design to deployment.
Competition might lead to greater choice. Imagine some customer service for a start (unless you’re a large customer).
I think life might be better without those Azure reps getting hold of your email. I guess that’s not going to stop but at least we can dream.
In any case, this is a reminder that the tech world seems to be nothing better than a soap opera of blame and games. Like the British Royal family, it appears everything is in chaos and probably in need of change.”
Conclusion
“When I think about it, we just need more competition. This all feels like the anti-trust cases against Microsoft in the 1990's.
It feels like nothing changed since then. That can’t be good, can it?”