Microsoft Monopoly Abuse

posted by Roy Schestowitz on Jul 29, 2023

• Microsoft Under EU Investigation on Possible Breach of Competition Rules Over Teams After Slack Complaint

  The investigation stems from a 2020 complaint submitted by Slack Technologies, which operates instant messaging program Slack, alleging that Microsoft illegally tied Teams to its dominant productivity suites.

  Microsoft includes Teams in cloud-based productivity suites for business customers – Office 365 and Microsoft 365.

• [Repeat] Europe opens probe into Microsoft bundling of Teams with Office

  "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. This is why we are investigating whether Microsoft’s tying of its productivity suites with Teams may be in breach of EU competition rules."

  The EC statement said: "The commission is concerned that Microsoft may be abusing and defending its market position in productivity software by restricting competition in the European Economic Area for communication and collaboration products," the statement said.

• It's official: EU probing bundling of Teams with Microsoft 365

  Updated The European Commission has officially launched a “formal investigation” into whether Microsoft flouted EU competition rules by bundling Teams with dominant productivity software suite Office 365 and Microsoft 365.

  It’s been a long time in the making: Teams was integrated into the Windows-maker's software line-up in 2017, and Slack complained to the EU in 2020 that the move was anti-competitive as it forced the install on millions of customers, removal was blocked, and the true cost of the collaboration app was hidden.

• Microsoft faces EU antitrust probe for bundling Teams with M365

  Microsoft is facing an antitrust probe in Europe for bundling Teams with Microsoft 365.

  The European Commission — the executive arm of the European Union that governs regulations for its 27 member nations — said it is looking into a complaint that claimed Microsoft’s bundling of Teams with Office 365 was unfair.