European Commission OKs Microsoft's Proposals to Resolve Teams Antitrust Probe

Core Points - The European Commission has accepted Microsoft's proposals to address competition concerns regarding its Teams platform [1][2] - The decision resolves an antitrust investigation initiated in July 2023, focusing on whether Microsoft violated EU competition rules by tying Teams to its Office 365 and Microsoft 365 suites [2][5] Commitments and Changes - Microsoft's commitments include increasing the price difference between Microsoft 365 and Office 365 suites with and without Teams, ensuring that websites offering a suite with Teams also provide one without Teams, and publishing information on interoperability and data portability [3][4] - The commitments related to interoperability and portability will last for 10 years, while other commitments will be in effect for 7 years [4] Impact on Competition - The European Commission's decision aims to end Microsoft's tying practices that may hinder competition against Teams, thereby promoting a more competitive market for communication and collaboration products [5][6] - The investigation was prompted by a complaint from Slack in 2020, alleging that Microsoft violated competition law by tying Teams to its Office productivity suite [6][7]