Google sues Interior Department

Google is suing the U.S. Government saying the Interior Department favored competitor Microsoft when considering bids for a new web-based email system.

On Friday, in an action filed with the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, the Internet giant asked the court to stop the Interior Department's bidding process. The bidding process is designed in a way that guarantees Microsoft would win the contract, Google asserts.

A spokeswoman for the Interior Department declined to comment on whether the procedure is unfairly favoring Microsoft over its competitors.

"Notwithstanding Google's efforts and DOI's assurances to Google representatives that DOI would conduct a full and open competition for its messaging requirements," the bid request "specified that only the Microsoft Business Productivity Online Suite-Federal could be proposed," Google wrote in the complaint filed Oct. 29.

"Google is a proponent of open competition on the Internet and in the technology sector in general," a Google spokesperson said. "Here, a fair and open process could save US taxpayers tens of millions of dollars and result in better services. We're asking the Department of Interior to allow for a true competition when selecting its technology providers."

A spokesperson for Microsoft did not respond to an immediate request for comment.

According to the suit, the Interior Department's contract aims to create one standard computing platform for roughly 88,000 agency employees who currently use 13 different e-mail systems.

Interior Department officials told the Internet firm that Google Apps for Government did not meet security requirements. The contract in question is worth nearly $60 million dollars.