Google challenges cloud rivals by making it free for customers to transfer data when they leave
Summary
Googles latest effort to win cloud deals over larger rivals Amazon and Microsoft involves making it cheaper for clients to leave. While Zavery didnt name any specific vendors, data transfer fees are a profitable source of revenue for tech companies and can serve to reduce churn because they punish clients for going elsewhere. In 2018, Cloudflare announced the Bandwidth Alliance, a group of companies, including some cloud providers, that reduce or eliminate those data transfer, or egress, fees. Under the leadership of Thomas Kurian, Googles cloud business turned profitable last year, adding prominent customers and improving efficiency. "We will continue to be vocal in our efforts to advocate on behalf of our cloud customers — many of whom raise concerns about legacy providers licensing restrictions directly with us," Zavery wrote.