Pentagon awaits possible Amazon challenge over cloud deal

Amazon must decide soon if it will protest the Pentagon’s awarding of a $10 billion cloud computing contract to rival Microsoft. One possible grievance: the unusual attention given the project by President Donald Trump.

Amazon was long thought to be the front-runner in the competition for the huge military contract. Its Amazon Web Services division is far ahead of second-place Microsoft in the market for cloud computing and has experience handling highly classified government data.

Amazon and its CEO Jeff Bezos, who also owns the Washington Post, have been frequent targets of Trump’s criticism. Trump publicly waded into the fray in July when he asked the Defense Department to take a closer look at the bidding process.

An appeal, however, might be a long shot for Amazon.