Microsoft avoids EU fine by answering Teams antitrust concerns

Core Points - The European Union has accepted Microsoft's commitments to separate its Teams app from its Office products to avoid an antitrust fine [1][2] - The commitments address concerns raised in a 2023 antitrust probe initiated by a complaint from Slack, allowing for increased competition in the market [2][3] - Microsoft will offer Office 365 and Microsoft 365 suites without Teams at a lower price and allow customers to switch to these packages [4][5] Group 1 - The EU's decision opens up competition in the communication and collaboration market, ensuring businesses can choose products that best suit their needs [2] - The antitrust probe was triggered by a 2020 complaint from Slack, concluding that Microsoft abused its dominant position by bundling Teams with other products [3] - Microsoft's initial proposal to offer Office suites without Teams was deemed insufficient, leading to further commitments [3] Group 2 - Microsoft has pledged to improve interoperability of rival applications with its products, making these commitments legally binding for at least seven years [5] - If Microsoft fails to honor these commitments, it could face a fine of up to 10% of its worldwide annual turnover [5]