Italy’s budget deficit will match the EU’s 3%-of-output ceiling already this year, sources say https://t.co/kAQszYyA8j ...

Core Viewpoint - Microsoft has successfully avoided a significant antitrust penalty from the European Union by committing to separate its Teams platform from its productivity applications [2][4]. Group 1: EU Decision and Implications - The EU has agreed to Microsoft's commitments to separate its Teams platform from its Office products, which exempts the company from potential antitrust fines [2][4]. - The European Commission had previously alleged that Microsoft was in breach of competition rules due to the "abusive" bundling of Teams with its Office products [2][4]. Group 2: Product Offerings and Customer Options - Microsoft will offer discounted versions of its Office 365 and Microsoft 365 software suites that do not include Teams, providing customers with the option to switch to these suites [3]. - The company will ensure interoperability between Teams and competing platforms, allowing users to export their data from Teams to alternative products [3]. Group 3: Broader Regulatory Context - The antitrust investigation into Microsoft was initiated in July 2023 after a complaint from Salesforce-owned Slack regarding competition in the chat service market [4]. - This move aligns with a broader trend of tech companies adapting to EU regulations, as seen with Apple and Meta's recent compliance actions [5].