Microsoft and Amazon battle over yet another $10 billion U.S. government cloud contract
The shoe is on the other foot, as Microsoft protests a $10 billion contract awarded to Amazon by the NSA.
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What you need to know
Microsoft and Amazon are yet again fighting over a $10 billion cloud contract. This is entirely separate from thedrawn-out legal battleover the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) contract with the U.S. Department of Defense. This time, Amazon was awarded a $10 billion contract with the National Security Agency (NSA), and Microsoft is the one filing the complaint (viaThe Verge).
Washington Technologyreports that the tech giants are competing for a contract codenamed “WildandStormy” that is worth up to $10 billion. Amazon Web Services (AWS) has already been awarded the contract, but Microsoft is challenging the decision with theGovernment Accountability Office (GAO). The company claims that the NSA did not conduct a proper evaluation. Microsoft filed its protest on July 21, 2021.
“Based on the decision we are filing an administrative protest via the Government Accountability Office. We are exercising our legal rights and will do so carefully and responsibly,” said a Microsoft spokesperson toNextgov.
A decision regarding Microsoft’s protest is expected from the GOA by October 29, 2021.
The legal contest over the JEDI contract lasted from October 2019 to July 2021. The contract waseventually canceledand replaced with the Joint Warfighter Cloud Capability (viaFedScoop), which could include deals with both Microsoft and Amazon. If the JEDI contract dispute sets a precedent regarding the length of legal battles, it could be quite some time until a final resolution is made regarding the NSA’s WildandStormy contract.
Multiple recent government contracts have been awarded to multiple partners rather than a single company. Last November, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) awarded its Commercial Cloud Enterprise contract to five companies; Amazon, Google, IBM, Microsoft, and Oracle.
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Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He’s covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean’s journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_.
