As a cloud provider we have been waiting some time for the larger providers to stand-up.
Examples of this include:
Office 365/Microsoft 365 - Microsoft provides Office Licenses on a subscription basis to end users for significantly less than the cloud providers can provide the licenses under SPLA - additionally Microsoft allows end users to install the software on multiple machines across Azure and their own desktop, whereas cloud providers can only provide the license for use on the cloud platform. Users are not allowed to install office on the cloud provider unless the cloud provider is Tier 1 and has QMTH which requires the cloud provider to spend at least $300,000 with Microsoft - but they won't be doing this as they run their own platform.
Microsoft Azure Hybrid Benefit - allowing users to bring Windows Server licenses with Software Assurance - which is not allowed on any other provider.
Forcing cloud providers to utilise SPLA Licensing which is generally increased by 10 to 15% every year.
Microsoft forcing audits on all other providers but ignoring compliancy on their platform.
Removing dedicated options to host on dedicated hardware for the major public cloud providers.
Automatically allowing use of "365" applications in any situation on Azure but requiring all other providers to either use hardware dedicated to the customer or if on shared environments be the provider under CSP Tier 1 with QMTH - this locks out customer flexibility - why demand this when in reality there is no difference between physical and virtual instances and the customer clearly has to purchase the subscription to use the software so cannot pirate it.
Creating a specialist version of Windows 10/11 called MultiSession" that provides RDS like functionality within Azure Virtual Desktop - but is technically restricted so that it only operates on Azure. Licensing is through Microsoft subscription bundles that include WIndows Enterprise.
All other providers have to either provide functionality via RDSH with the additional cost of RDS CALs via SPLA (which as noted increase every year) or dedicated Windows 10/11 VDI.
Announcing that the Office 365 apps for Enterprise will no longer be supported on servers (e.g. RDSH which cloud providers are required to use) following 2025 and also not releasing support for server 2022 despite normal Office having support for server 2022. - Essentially this newly announced policy either requires users of cloud services to purchase SPLA Office for use in RDSH or use Microsoft VDA to save paying for office twice.
All of the above are Licensing "optimisations" that unfairly favour Microsoft over other Cloud Providers - Big and Small.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
