By Emma Woollacott
Publication Date: 2026-10-28 11:51:00
Organizations are sticking with Microsoft Azure largely due to the risk of financial penalties rather than merit, according to a new survey.
A poll conducted by the Coalition for Fair Software Licensing (CFSL) has concluded that Microsoft’s software licensing practices are a widespread barrier to competition and choice.
More than three-quarters (83%) of software and cloud decision-makers said Microsoft’s rules meaningfully limit which cloud providers they can realistically consider.
61% that shopped around said they chose Azure to avoid fees, not because it was the better product. Nearly all reported at least one concrete harm from Microsoft’s licensing practices, with 65% reporting three or more.
Notably, if cost wasn’t a factor, eight-in-ten said they would migrate workloads away from Azure if Microsoft’s licensing restrictions were lifted.
These concerns…
