Microsoft has officially discontinued its longstanding practice of naming competitors in its annual regulatory filings, marking a notable shift in transparency for the tech giant.
In its latest 101-page annual report released on Wednesday, Microsoft made no mention of historic rivals such as Apple and IBM, nor did it reference newer challengers like Anthropic or Databricks. This is a sharp contrast to the previous year’s report, which identified more than 25 companies as direct competitors across various business segments.
The omission ends a tradition dating back to at least 1994, where Microsoft consistently named competing firms in its disclosures, a practice aligned with industry norms and seen as a way to provide clarity on competitive dynamics in key markets.
While tech peers such as Apple, Meta, and Nvidia continue to name their competitors in filings, Microsoft is now aligning more closely with companies like Amazon, which stopped listing rivals in 1999, Tesla, which last did so in 2020, and Alphabet, which ceased the practice in 2022.
Instead of naming specific companies, Microsoft now states broadly that it faces competition across a wide range of markets, including productivity software, PC operating systems, and cloud infrastructure.
The change comes amid evolving relationships in the AI space. In 2024, Microsoft notably began referring to OpenAI, its major partner, as a competitor, following the AI firm’s introduction of a web search feature that could rival Microsoft’s Bing.
Though subtle, Microsoft’s decision could make it harder for analysts and investors to track how the company views its competitive landscape, especially as the tech sector becomes more fragmented and AI-focused.
