In a groundbreaking move, Google Cloud, under Alphabet, has announced that its customers seeking to transfer data to another cloud provider will no longer incur network fees for the transition. This decision sets Google Cloud apart from competitors like Microsoft’s Azure and Amazon Web Services (AWS), which traditionally charge customers based on the volume of data transferred during vendor switches.
The move comes in response to concerns raised by Britain’s media regulator, Ofcom, in October, highlighting how data transfer fees can act as a deterrent for customers considering a shift to an alternative cloud provider. Ofcom had previously urged the country’s antitrust authority to investigate the dominance of tech giants, including Google, in the UK cloud market.
While the elimination of data transfer fees is a significant step toward making it more convenient for customers to change their cloud provider, Amit Zavery, the head of platform at Google Cloud, emphasized in a blog post that the real challenge lies in overcoming restrictive and unfair licensing practices.
“Making it easier for customers to move from one provider to another does little to improve choice if customers remain locked in with restrictive licences,” Zavery stated.
The cloud computing market is currently led by AWS, with Azure following closely behind, while Google Cloud holds a distant third position. Notably, both Google and Amazon have previously cited challenges in customers switching due to Microsoft’s terms of services.
The removal of data transfer fees is applicable to all Google Cloud customers globally starting from Thursday, aiming to encourage greater flexibility and choice for businesses in selecting their cloud service providers.
