Core Viewpoint - More than 70% of UK cloud providers support urgent regulatory intervention in the cloud market to address competition concerns, particularly regarding dominant players like Microsoft and Amazon Web Services (AWS) [1][2]. Group 1: Survey Findings - 71.2% of cloud providers view regulatory action as urgent or extremely urgent, fearing that without intervention, dominant providers will further entrench their market positions [2]. - 82% of cloud providers have faced barriers when competing with larger players, including restrictive software licensing, bundling, interoperability challenges, and committed-spend discounts [3]. - Nearly 65% of cloud customers believe that rapid regulatory measures to enhance competition and reduce vendor lock-in are very important for their organizations [3]. Group 2: Impact of Delayed Regulation - 68% of cloud buyers predict that delayed regulation will lead to increased costs, while nearly two-thirds expect reduced organizational flexibility [4]. - Significant switching costs and limited interoperability are major factors hindering customers from transferring workloads or adopting multi-cloud strategies, reinforcing reliance on AWS and Microsoft [5]. Group 3: Industry Concerns - Industry representatives warn that delays in regulatory intervention by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) may result in greater market concentration, making future regulatory actions less effective and more costly [5]. - The Open Cloud Coalition, which commissioned the survey, advocates for a diverse and competitive cloud industry, emphasizing principles such as openness, competition, security, and reliability [6]. Group 4: Expert Commentary - Nicky Stewart, a senior adviser for the Open Cloud Coalition, stated that the cloud market is not functioning properly and that without urgent intervention, dominant providers will continue to lock customers in, harming competition and innovation [7].