Pentagon aerial shot

Following Court Decision, Amazon and Microsoft Set to Compete Over Military’s Cloud Computing Contract

The $10 billion JEDI project has been rife with controversy, but the Pentagon still hopes to seal the deal with either company next month.

A federal court ruling on Friday cleared the path for Amazon and Microsoft to battle for a massive contract to build the Department of Defense’s first-ever “war cloud” computing system.

Oracle, which had originally bid on the $10 billion contract, was eliminated from contention by the Pentagon after officials said only Amazon and Microsoft had the capacity to carry out the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure plan, known as JEDI. The company went on to accuse the military of giving unfair preference to Amazon through arbitrary requirements for the contract and conflicts of interest involving former department employees, the Federal News Network reported.

On Friday, a judge ruled in favor of the military, arguing that its criteria for the contract was “enforceable” and dismissing Oracle’s allegations that department employees’ ties to Amazon influenced the process, according to a filing published by Federal News Network.

JEDI is meant to replace the military’s current clunky information systems with a cloud that will “empower the warfighter with data and is critical to maintaining our military’s technological advantage,” the Department of Defense wrote in a recent strategy document.

The Pentagon is expected to award the contract as soon as next month despite facing backlash from senators and cybersecurity experts about the contract process. Those same critics, which included former bidder IBM, have also complained about the military’s decision to hire a single cloud provider when large organizations usually hire multiple companies to do the job.

“This type of fiscal and time commitment should demand a procurement steeped in competition and conducted without bias toward any one vendor,” Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) wrote in a July 11 letter to National Security Advisor John Bolton urging him to delay awarding the contract. “However, DoD has used arbitrary criteria and standards for bidders.”

Rubio added: “And in the end, DoD plans to award this massive contract to a single vendor, even though multiple vendors would ensure continuing price competition and access to the latest innovations.”

Rubio was not alone in his request to delay the contract. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) also asked for the Pentagon to hold off due to multiple inquiries into potential ethics violations during the contract process, the Federal News Network reported.

“If the investigation [by the inspector general] confirms the allegations of impropriety after the contract has already been awarded, it could significantly erode public trust in the fairness of the government procurement process and, if appropriate, may be very difficult to unwind a project that is already underway,” Johnson wrote.

It was not immediately clear whether Oracle would appeal the decision and take the case to the U.S. Court of Appeals. If the company accepts the ruling, it’s likely the competition between Amazon and Microsoft will come to a close in August. While Amazon Web Services seemed like the clear frontrunner just a year ago, the contract “now seems just as likely to go to Microsoft,” which has been steadily improving its Azure cloud platform, the Associated Press reported.

About the Author

Haley Samsel is an Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • AI Is Now the Leading Cybersecurity Concern for Security, IT Leaders

    Arctic Wolf recently published findings from its State of Cybersecurity: 2025 Trends Report, offering insights from a global survey of more than 1,200 senior IT and cybersecurity decision-makers across 15 countries. Conducted by Sapio Research, the report captures the realities, risks, and readiness strategies shaping the modern security landscape. Read Now

  • Analysis of AI Tools Shows 85 Percent Have Been Breached

    AI tools are becoming essential to modern work, but their fast, unmonitored adoption is creating a new kind of security risk. Recent surveys reveal a clear trend – employees are rapidly adopting consumer-facing AI tools without employer approval, IT oversight, or any clear security policies. According to Cybernews Business Digital Index, nearly 90% of analyzed AI tools have been exposed to data breaches, putting businesses at severe risk. Read Now

  • Software Vulnerabilities Surged 61 Percent in 2024, According to New Report

    Action1, a provider of autonomous endpoint management (AEM) solutions, today released its 2025 Software Vulnerability Ratings Report, revealing a 61% year-over-year surge in discovered software vulnerabilities and a 96% spike in exploited vulnerabilities throughout 2024, amid an increasingly aggressive threat landscape. Read Now

  • Motorola Solutions Named Official Safety Technology Supplier of the Ryder Cup through 2027

    Motorola Solutions has today been named the Official Safety Technology Supplier of the 2025 and 2027 Ryder Cup, professional golf’s renowned biennial team competition between the United States and Europe. Read Now

  • Evolving Cybersecurity Strategies

    Organizations are increasingly turning their attention to human-focused security approaches, as two out of three (68%) cybersecurity incidents involve people. Threat actors are shifting from targeting networks and systems to hacking humans via social engineering methods, living off human errors as their most prevalent attack vector. Whether manipulated or not, human cyber behavior is leveraged to gain backdoor access into systems. This mainly results from a lack of employee training and awareness about evolving attack techniques employed by malign actors. Read Now

New Products

  • Mobile Safe Shield

    Mobile Safe Shield

    SafeWood Designs, Inc., a manufacturer of patented bullet resistant products, is excited to announce the launch of the Mobile Safe Shield. The Mobile Safe Shield is a moveable bullet resistant shield that provides protection in the event of an assailant and supplies cover in the event of an active shooter. With a heavy-duty steel frame, quality castor wheels, and bullet resistant core, the Mobile Safe Shield is a perfect addition to any guard station, security desks, courthouses, police stations, schools, office spaces and more. The Mobile Safe Shield is incredibly customizable. Bullet resistant materials are available in UL 752 Levels 1 through 8 and include glass, white board, tack board, veneer, and plastic laminate. Flexibility in bullet resistant materials allows for the Mobile Safe Shield to blend more with current interior décor for a seamless design aesthetic. Optional custom paint colors are also available for the steel frame.

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.

  • 4K Video Decoder

    3xLOGIC’s VH-DECODER-4K is perfect for use in organizations of all sizes in diverse vertical sectors such as retail, leisure and hospitality, education and commercial premises.