Tech giant Microsoft has ceased naming its competitors in its annual report in a notable shift away from a common corporate disclosure strategy it had followed for 30 years. The company’s 2024 annual filing, released earlier this week, does not mention longtime rivals such as Apple and IBM, nor does it cite emerging AI players like Anthropic or Databricks as competitors.
In its 2023 annual report, Microsoft listed more than 25 companies as direct competitors. The company has consistently identified its adversaries in public filings since at least 1994. The same goes for other players in the space, like Apple, Facebook parent Meta and Nvidia, who name their rivals in filings.
The Windows and CoPilot maker now describes its competitive landscape with references only to categories like productivity software, PC operating systems, and cloud infrastructure.
The change was intended to reflect the “fast-moving nature” of today’s technology markets, CNBC reported, citing a company spokesperson, with a focus on broader market dynamics rather than individual players.
Despite the omission in official filings, Microsoft executives continue to acknowledge competitors in other forums. CEO Satya Nadella referenced Amazon during the company's recent earnings call. Scott Guthrie, executive vice president of Microsoft’s Cloud and AI group, pointedly noted at a May conference that “some cloud providers, like AWS, still haven’t launched a GB200 offering.” The comment referred to Nvidia’s GB200 NVL72 systems, which integrate 72 high-powered graphics processing units.
While Microsoft is stepping back from naming names, it’s not alone in doing so. Amazon hasn’t listed competitors in its reports since 1999. Tesla last did so in 2020, and Google’s parent company, Alphabet, halted the practice after 2022.
Microsoft recently reported a strong June quarter, posting a 24% jump in net income at $27.2 billion, primarily driven by growth in AI and cloud technology. The stronger-than-expected earnings and bullish guidance propelled Microsoft’s share, with market capitalisation briefly crossing the $4-trillion mark, making it the second company after Nvidia to achieve the milestone.
Also Read: Microsoft layoffs: Job cuts weigh heavily on me, says CEO Satya Nadella
In its 2023 annual report, Microsoft listed more than 25 companies as direct competitors. The company has consistently identified its adversaries in public filings since at least 1994. The same goes for other players in the space, like Apple, Facebook parent Meta and Nvidia, who name their rivals in filings.
The Windows and CoPilot maker now describes its competitive landscape with references only to categories like productivity software, PC operating systems, and cloud infrastructure.
The change was intended to reflect the “fast-moving nature” of today’s technology markets, CNBC reported, citing a company spokesperson, with a focus on broader market dynamics rather than individual players.
Despite the omission in official filings, Microsoft executives continue to acknowledge competitors in other forums. CEO Satya Nadella referenced Amazon during the company's recent earnings call. Scott Guthrie, executive vice president of Microsoft’s Cloud and AI group, pointedly noted at a May conference that “some cloud providers, like AWS, still haven’t launched a GB200 offering.” The comment referred to Nvidia’s GB200 NVL72 systems, which integrate 72 high-powered graphics processing units.
While Microsoft is stepping back from naming names, it’s not alone in doing so. Amazon hasn’t listed competitors in its reports since 1999. Tesla last did so in 2020, and Google’s parent company, Alphabet, halted the practice after 2022.
Microsoft recently reported a strong June quarter, posting a 24% jump in net income at $27.2 billion, primarily driven by growth in AI and cloud technology. The stronger-than-expected earnings and bullish guidance propelled Microsoft’s share, with market capitalisation briefly crossing the $4-trillion mark, making it the second company after Nvidia to achieve the milestone.
Also Read: Microsoft layoffs: Job cuts weigh heavily on me, says CEO Satya Nadella
