Microsoft Expands Unbundling of Teams from Office Suite Globally

Microsoft announces the global expansion of its policy to unbundle its Teams platform from its widely-used Office suite, a move initially implemented in Europe to address EU antitrust concerns.

Last year, the European Commission investigated Microsoft’s bundling practices, questioning whether the tech giant was leveraging its market position unfairly by integrating software components.

Unbundling in Europe and Expansion Worldwide:

In response to the concerns raised, Microsoft unbundled Teams from its Microsoft 365 and Office 365 suites in the European Economic Area and Switzerland, starting on October 1. Now, this approach is being extended globally to provide clarity and flexibility to customers.

By unbundling Teams from Microsoft 365 and Office 365 suites worldwide, Microsoft aims to address feedback from the European Commission and offer multinational companies greater flexibility in standardizing their purchasing across regions.

Microsoft’s Bundling Strategy:

Microsoft traditionally bundled Teams with its cloud-based Office 365 and Microsoft 365 suites, encompassing popular productivity devices such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Teams is a comprehensive platform that facilitates communication through messages, video calls, and file sharing. Its popularity surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, catering to remote collaboration needs.

Trigger for Commission’s Probe: 

The European Commission’s investigation stemmed from a complaint filed by Slack, a US-based competitor to Teams. Worries regarding potential limitations on interoperability with rival products further compounded the concern.