Amazon seeking to block Microsoft from working on JEDI contract

Jeff Bezos
Jeff Bezos (Image credit: Amazon)

What you need to know

  • Amazon plans to ask a judge for a temporary ban to stop Microsoft from working on a JEDI contract with the Department of Defense.
  • The contract is worth up to $10 billion.
  • Amazon claims that President Trump's bias against Jeff Bezos affected the decision for the Pentagon to go with Microsoft's cloud.
  • The U.S. government states the decision was made freely and without bias.

The Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) contract is worth up to $10 billion, and the Department of Defense (DoD) chose Microsoft's cloud over Amazon's last October. Amazon claimed President Trump's bias against Amazon's owner Jeff Bezos affected the government's decision last December. The Department of Defense claims the decision was made without bias. Reuters reports that Department of Defense Secretary Mark Esper rejects the suggestion of bias and states the decision was made freely and fairly, without any outside influence.

Amazon plans to file a motion on January 24, 2020 for a temporary restraining order. A federal court will share its decision on the request on February 11, 2020, according to Monday's filing.

The JEDI contract provides cloud services, artificial intelligence processing, machine learning, and other technologies powered by the cloud.

Sean Endicott
News Writer and apps editor

Sean Endicott is a news writer and apps editor for Windows Central with 11+ years of experience. A Nottingham Trent journalism graduate, Sean has covered the industry’s arc from the Lumia era to the launch of Windows 11 and generative AI. Having started at Thrifter, he uses his expertise in price tracking to help readers find genuine hardware value.

Beyond tech news, Sean is a UK sports media pioneer. In 2017, he became one of the first to stream via smartphone and is an expert in AP Capture systems. A tech-forward coach, he was named 2024 BAFA Youth Coach of the Year. He is focused on using technology—from AI to Clipchamp—to gain a practical edge.