CMA CEO Sarah Cardell welcomed Ofcom’s referral of public cloud infrastructure services for in-depth scrutiny, emphasizing the critical role of this £7.5 billion ($9.1 billion) market underpinning various online services, from social media to AI foundation models. As many businesses heavily rely on cloud services, ensuring effective competition in this market is deemed essential. The CMA aims to conclude its investigation by April 2025.
In response to these developments, both Microsoft and Amazon have expressed their intent to cooperate constructively with the CMA. Amazon contested Ofcom’s assertions, suggesting that the watchdog’s conclusions were based on a “fundamental misconception of how the IT sector functions, and the services and discounts on offer.”
