The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) analyzed the software licenses used by the Department of Defense (DoD), focusing in particular on commercial cloud computing offers. GAO officials found several issues within those contracts, despite highlighting the fact that federal agencies are required to move their data and software to the cloud whenever possible.
Software licenses and restrictive practices employed by cloud vendors can “limit or prevent” such migration efforts, GAO said. Some vendors charge extra fees to use their software with third-party cloud providers, the agency exemplifies, and these restrictive practices usually bring the cost of cloud services up or affect the choice of cloud providers.
