Microsoft faces EU probe for bundling Teams with Office
found itself the target of an EU antitrust investigation over the tying of its chat and video app Teams with its Office product, putting it at risk of a hefty fine.
The US tech giant has racked up €2.2-billion in EU antitrust fines in the previous decade for practices in breach of EU competition rules, including tying or bundling two or more products together. It has since then sought adopted a more conciliatory approach with the European Commission. The commission’s investigation followed a complaint by Salesforce-owned workspace messaging app Slack in 2020 and after the US tech giant’s offer of remedies failed to address the EU competition enforcer’s concerns.The EU competition enforcer said it was concerned that Microsoft may be abusing and defending its market position in productivity software by restricting competition in the European communication and collaboration products market.
“Remote communication and collaboration tools like Teams have become indispensable for many businesses in Europe. We must therefore ensure that the markets for these products remain competitive, and companies are free to choose the products that best meet their needs,” EU antitrust chiefA spokesman for Microsoft said the company would continue to co-operate with the European Commission and that it remained committed to finding solutions to address the commission’s concerns.
The European Commission hopes a price differential between Office with Teams and Office without the app will ensure a level playing field with rivals and give consumers more choice, people familiar with the matter have said. —
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Vodacom Business launches Vodacom Operator Connect, powered by Microsoft TeamsVodacom Business is now certified as a Microsoft Teams Operator Connect partner in South Africa.
Read more »
Red ink to stain Ellies' full-year results - TechCentralPerennial underperformer Ellies has warned it will splash more red ink over its income statement.
Read more »
South Africa enlists drones in war on cable thieves - TechCentralSouth Africa is turning to drones and helicopters to fight cable theft that’s disrupting a key export line.
Read more »
EOH CFO resigns - TechCentralEOH Holdings chief financial officer Megan Pydigadu has tendered her resignation.
Read more »
Altron tanks on difficulties at two subsidiaries - TechCentralAltron shares fell sharply on Wednesday after the technology group warned of challenges at two subsidiaries.
Read more »
Vodacom recovers 49 stolen base station batteries - TechCentralVodacom has recovered 49 batteries stolen from its base stations, exposing a potential major criminal operation in the process.
Read more »