According to individuals familiar with the subject, Microsoft has taken an early step toward averting a full investigation into suspected antitrust infractions by European Union (EU) officials.
According to these sources, Microsoft has recommended discontinuing the practice of embedding Teams, its messaging and web conferencing program, in its Office suite. The source goes on to say Microsoft will ultimately allow businesses to purchase the Office suite for productivity, with or without Teams.
Slack, owned by Salesforce, was one of the companies who filed a lawsuit in 2020. Then in 2021, the European Union’s anti-trust officials reviewed the complaint. This move is in reaction to European firms alleging anti-competitive behavior against Microsoft.
According to a Financial Times story, Microsoft is considering splitting Teams from commercial editions of its online office suites such as Microsoft 365 or Office 365. However, the conversations are still ongoing, and no deal is certain. If enacted, this change might provide a more equal competitive climate for European enterprises.
The sources for this piece include an article in TheRegister.