The European Commission has accepted Microsoft’s commitments to unbundle Teams from its Office software package, ending a long-running competition probe.
Brussels’ investigation began in July 2023 over concerns that including the video meeting and chat app, Teams, in Microsoft’s Office suite for business productivity, crowded out rival messaging apps.
Microsoft has now agreed to offer its customers in the European Economic Area a version of Microsoft Office 365 and Microsoft suites without its Teams app and at a lower price.
European Competition Commissioner Teresa Ribera said that the decision would “make binding for seven years or more Microsoft’s commitment to put an end to its tying practices that may be preventing rivals from effectively competing with Teams”.
Nanna-Louise Linde, Microsoft’s vice president European government affairs, said in an emailed statement: “We appreciate the dialogue with the Commission that led to this agreement, and we turn now to implementing these new obligations promptly and fully.”
(vc)
