FTC plans to investigate Microsoft’s cloud computing business, FT reports

The FTC is planning to launch a probe into Microsoft’s (MSFT) cloud computing business and will examine allegations that Microsoft is abusing its market power in productivity software by imposing punitive licensing terms to prevent customers from moving their data from its Azure cloud service to competitors’ platforms, The Financial Times’ Arash Massoudi, James Fontanella-Khan, Stephen Morris, and Stefania Palma report. The agency will probe tactics including substantially increasing subscription fees for those that leave, charging steep exit fees and allegedly making its Office 365 products incompatible with rival clouds, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter. The FTC has not yet formally requested documents or other information from Microsoft as part of the probe, the sources say.