Microsoft has ended a decades-long practice of explicitly naming its rivals in regulatory filings. Its latest annual report, released Wednesday, contains no mentions of longtime competitors such as Apple or IBM, nor does it reference newer challengers like Anthropic or Databricks.
A Shift from Naming Rivals to Broad Categories
In previous years, Microsoft’s reports routinely identified over 25 companies as competitors—a practice dating back to at least 1994. The move marks a break from the industry norm where companies like Apple, Meta, and Nvidia continue to list their competitors by name.
However, this approach is not universal. Amazon has omitted competitor names from annual reports since 1999, Tesla stopped doing so in 2020, and Alphabet ceased after 2022.
Now, Microsoft opts to describe competition broadly, citing sectors such as productivity software, PC operating systems, and cloud infrastructure without naming specific rivals.
Tracking Competitors Beyond the Annual Report
While the annual report no longer names competitors, Microsoft’s leadership remains keenly aware of rival developments. CEO Satya Nadella referenced Amazon during the company’s recent earnings call.
In May, Scott Guthrie, Microsoft’s cloud and AI executive vice president, commented on cloud competition, noting that providers like AWS had yet to launch Nvidia’s GB200-grade hardware.
Following the company’s quarterly earnings report—marked by better-than-expected results—Microsoft’s shares rose, pushing its market capitalization past $4 trillion.
Author’s Opinion
Microsoft’s choice to remove competitor names from official reports might be a strategic move to focus on broader market narratives rather than individual rivals, reflecting the fast-evolving technology landscape. However, this silence could also be seen as missed opportunity for transparency, which investors often value when assessing competitive positioning. Naming competitors helps clarify Microsoft’s challenges and market threats, while broad statements risk diluting this insight. Balancing clarity with discretion will be key as competition intensifies across AI, cloud, and software sectors.
Featured image credit: Pierre Lecourt via Flickr
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