- The Slack complaint concerning the grouping of team software since 2019 has finally been settled
- Microsoft must increase the pricing gap, make prices clearer and allow customers to demo
- Interoperability with other M365 software and the options to migrate to alternatives also covered
The European Commission has accepted Microsoft’s efforts to respond to the competition problems concerning the teams, resulting from a self -complaint concerning the grouping of Microsoft teams in its SaaS wrapped from 2019.
Antitrust regulators found that Microsoft occupied a dominant position following the elimination of teams at Office 365 / Microsoft 365 Suites, which gives it an advantage over its competitors, but the company has been working closely with the Commission for several years to rectify this position.
Microsoft and the European Commission have now agreed for legally binding conditions to settle the complaint once and for all, and this means that subscriptions should offer even more value to European customers.
The EU teams / debate finally reach the legally binding regulation
Microsoft’s previous efforts to sell without teams, although recognized, finally ended up being insufficient.
Now Microsoft has agreed to sell Office 365 / Microsoft 365 without a reduced price, increasing the price difference between the bundles with and without teams of an additional 50%. Parallel offers must also be clearly displayed on Microsoft websites.
Customers with long -term licenses must also be allowed to move to unless they wish if they wish.
From a technical point of view, Microsoft will provide interoperability to the rivals of the teams with its Office software, including Word and Excel. This will also allow them to integrate web office applications into their own tools, much like the teams already offer today.
Companies that are now looking to change the platform should have access to data portability tools for easier export.
“Today’s decision therefore opens competition on this crucial market and guarantees that companies can freely choose the communication and collaboration product that best meets their needs,” said Teresa Ribera, clean, just and competitive.
The efforts of European regulators are large, and we can largely thank Slack for its initial complaint, because the changes will not only affect European customers. Microsoft must apply these commitments worldwide, which must be in effect for seven years. Interoperability and portability commitments will last a total of 10 years.
The lack of compliance will land Microsoft in many problems – up to 10% of its global turnover in daily fines or payments.
