EU antitrust team probing Microsoft ties between Entra ID and 365 services

Date:
Mon, 25 Mar 2024 12:15:20 +0000

Description:
Microsoft probed over its use of Entra ID as antitrust scrutiny continues to develop globally.

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Microsoft is under yet more scrutiny by the EU antitrust regulators, this
time about the integration of cloud-based identity management system Entra ID with Microsofts suite of services, such as Microsoft 365.

An exclusive report by The Register details Googles revelation that the European Unions antitrust regulators are investigating whether Microsoft unfairly ties authentication to its Azure platform.

This wont be the first probe into Redmonds business practices, with the company already facing other investigations about its licensing terms for the cloud market and its productivity apps . Microsoft Entra ID probe

Amit Zavery, VP/GM and Head of Platform for Google Cloud, disclosed to The Register that the EU is probing complaints against Microsoft to ascertain if customers are compelled to use Entra ID exclusively to access Microsoft services or if they have the option of using other solutions.

Zavery reportedly claimed that Microsoft can remove interfaces or APIs and make other changes that make it impossible for vendors to keep up, in turn creating barriers.

Speaking to system administrators familiar with Microsofts ecosystem, The Register says that Entra ID appears to be the primary means of accessing Microsoft 365 resources, suggesting a close integration between the two.

The report quotes one such admin: As soon as you create a 365 tenancy, it
also creates an Entra ID as your ID, they are intrinsically linked.

This probe is just one of a broader set of investigations by antitrust bodies across Europe, the UK, and the US, and while Microsoft has reached some settlements, the broader implications of its licensing policies continue to draw widespread regulatory scrutiny worldwide.

TechRadar Pro has asked both the European Commission and Microsoft for
further comments on this case, but neither responded immediately. More from TechRadar Pro These are the best cloud storage and best cloud backup tools Weve rounded up the best online collaboration software Microsoft issued cloud pricing ultimatum by EU states



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/eu-antitrust-team-probing-microsoft-ties-between -entra-id-and-365-services


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