Microsoft breaks from 30-year tradition of naming rivals in filings

Tech giant Microsoft has ceased naming its competitors in its annual report in a notable shift away from a common corporate disclosure strategy it had followed for 30 years. The company’s 2024 annual filing, released earlier this week, does not mention longtime rivals such as Apple and IBM, nor does it cite emerging AI players like Anthropic or Databricks as competitors.

In its 2023 annual report, Microsoft listed more than 25 companies as direct competitors. The company has consistently identified its adversaries in public filings since at least…