Microsoft has opted not to name its rivals in its latest annual report, in a significant shift from a nearly 30-year tradition, a report has pointed out. The 101-page document, released this week, contains no direct references to competitors like Apple, Google and IBM, nor newer private challengers such as Anthropic or Databricks. This marks a notable departure for the 50-year-old technology giant, which has listed its competitors in annual reports since at least 1994. Last year’s report, for instance, explicitly designated over 25 companies as rivals.
What is the ‘Big change’ that Microsoft has brought in its annual report
Instead of specific names, Microsoft’s latest report broadly states that it “faces competition in a wide variety of markets,” including productivity software, PC operating systems and cloud infrastructure. A Microsoft spokesperson informed CNBC that this updated format aims to address larger categories.‘The new format reflects the fast-moving nature of the markets in which the company operates’, CNBC cited a company spokesperson as saying.Previously, these specific disclosures offered insights into how companies positioned themselves against the software titan. In a notable shift just last year, Microsoft even began referring to key partner OpenAI as a competitor after the AI startup launched a web search feature.Despite this change in official documentation, Microsoft executives continue to track and comment on rival developments. CEO Satya Nadella referenced Amazon during Microsoft’s earnings call. Similarly, Scott Guthrie, executive vice president of Microsoft’s cloud and AI group, referred to Nvidia’s powerful GB200 NVL72 systems.
Tech giants that name and do not specifiy their competitors
The this practice of not naming isn’t universally followed. For example, according to CNBC, Microsoft’s omission breaks from a common industry practice still observed by peers like Apple, Meta and Nvidia, all of whom continue to name companies they compete against. Meanwhile, Amazon hasn’t identified competitors in its annual reports since 1999, Tesla stopped in 2020, and Alphabet (Google’s parent) ceased after 2022.The new approach to competitive disclosure comes as Microsoft’s shares climbed, pushing the company’s market capitalisation past the $4 trillion mark.