I was prepared to get my pitchfork out, but after reading I'm struggling to connect the dots. This article is scant on details of what illegal or favorable behavior Microsoft is expecting in exchange for money. The only concrete mention is a previous SEC filing that has nothing to do with this whistleblower. The first example about $40k doesn't seem to explain what Microsoft was actually thinking it would get for that money, let alone whether that money was illegal. At worst, it seemed to violate corporate policy, which I can understand if that got missed in an initial review. The other examples don't sound like bribery on Microsoft's part so much as resellers squeezing as much out of a deal as they can get away with. I call that a problem with the reseller model.
I imagine Microsoft looks the other way while resellers make lots of money because, realistically, being in some of the markets mentioned is impossible unless you're connected with the right person. While not necessarily efficient, I wouldn't call that illegal or even unethical without a lot more detail than this article provides.
But maybe I'm missing something. This article reads as poorly researched, and the whistleblower comes off as disgruntled more than ethical.
Edit: It's worth noting that the whistleblower's original words are a little more well-written than this article [1]. However, it makes the contrast clearer between what is factual vs what is only insinuated.
1: https://www.lioness.co/post/microsoft-is-using-illegal-bribe...
I imagine Microsoft looks the other way while resellers make lots of money because, realistically, being in some of the markets mentioned is impossible unless you're connected with the right person. While not necessarily efficient, I wouldn't call that illegal or even unethical without a lot more detail than this article provides.
But maybe I'm missing something. This article reads as poorly researched, and the whistleblower comes off as disgruntled more than ethical.
Edit: It's worth noting that the whistleblower's original words are a little more well-written than this article [1]. However, it makes the contrast clearer between what is factual vs what is only insinuated.
1: https://www.lioness.co/post/microsoft-is-using-illegal-bribe...