Amazon Web Services (AWS) remains desperate to stop Microsoft from working on the $10 billion JEDI cloud contract the company won late last year. In its latest move, AWS has filed to take a temporary restraining order stopping Microsoft from beginning the project. The company has taken Microsoft to court over the contract.
In October, Microsoft was awarded the controversial $10 billion war cloud project, the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) program. The company was in direct competition with AWS for the contract. Since losing the contract, Amazon has bitterly attempted to stop it.
AWS CEO Andy Jassy was unhappy with the White House getting involved with the bidding process late into the decision making.
President Donald Trump pushed for additional oversight of the project before it was awarded. Trump has a long-standing problem with Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. Many believe the president actively pushed for Microsoft over Amazon. Jassy said in November there was a conflict of interest.
“I think when you have a sitting president who’s willing to publicly show his disdain for a company and the leader of a company, it’s very difficult for government agencies including the DoD to make an objective decision without fear of reprisal.”
Restraining Order
According to Bloomberg, AWS has now to stop the JEDI cloud contract moving forward. During a proposed timeline submitted to the US Court of Federal Claims on Monday, AWS made a request for a restraining order.
Amazon says it “intends to file a motion for temporary restraining order and/or preliminary injunction to prevent the issuance of substantive task orders under the contract, which the United States has previously advised AWS and the Court will begin on February 11″.
As for Microsoft, it will almost certainly request the judge throws out the lawsuit.