The European Union (EU) said Friday it has accepted Microsoft’s proposed changes to its Teams platform, sparing the tech giant from an antitrust fine.
Microsoft will unbundle the messaging and conferencing app from Microsoft 365 and Office 365, after the bloc’s executive arm issued a preliminary finding last year that the company had violated antitrust laws by tying the products together.
The firm will offer its suite of business software products, such as Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint, separately from Teams for a reduced price and allow existing customers to switch to this option.
It will also make some Microsoft products interoperable with Teams competitors, while allowing customers to transfer their data out of the app.
“Organisations big and small across Europe and around the world rely heavily on videoconferencing, chat and collaboration tools, especially since the coronavirus pandemic,” said Teresa Ribera, the EU’s antitrust chief, in a statement.
“Today’s decision therefore opens up competition in this crucial market, and ensures that businesses can freely choose the communication and collaboration product that best suits their needs,” she added.
The EU launched an investigation into Teams in July 2023, following complaints about Microsoft’s bundling practices from the communications platform Slack and the German conferencing platform Alfaview.
It determined in June 2024 that Microsoft had restricted competition and given Teams an “undue competitive advantage” by tying its products together.
