Google halts Microsoft's work for US government

Search giant claims victory in Microsoft monopoly dispute

Google has won a temporary court order against a US government department accused of overlooking its cloud products in favour of those of Microsoft.

The search giant filed a lawsuit against the US Department of Interior (DoI) last November, after it offered Microsoft $43.9m (£28.3m) to overhaul its email system.

In it, Google claimed its cloud-based email and collaboration tools were unfairly shunned during the tendering process, citing a clause barring any proposal not featuring Microsoft's Business Productivity Online Suite.

Earlier this week, the court ruled in Google's favour by ordering the US government to halt work on the project, which was due to go ahead on 25 January.

According to The Washington Post, US Court of Federal Claims Judge Susan Braden said the injunction was necessary to ensure the procurement process was carried out fairly.

"Without a preliminary injunction, the award will put into motion the final migration of Interior's email system, achieve organizational lock-in for Microsoft, and cost Google the opportunity to compete," she said.