The European Commission opened an investigation on Thursday into whether Microsoft breached EU competition rules by linking its Teams video conferencing app with its Microsoft 365 software suite.
Referring to the integration of Teams by Microsoft in its suites for professional customers, the Commission said in a press release that the American giant “might abuse its position in the software market” to favor its messaging and videoconferencing service. to the detriment of competitors.
The case started in July 2020 with a complaint from the American start-up Slack, which has since been acquired by Salesforce.
Faced with losing market share in the business messaging market, Slack had filed a complaint against Microsoft for unfair competition with the European executive.
By associating Teams, at no extra cost, with its famous Word, Excel, Powerpoint or Outlook software, Microsoft is suspected of having abused its dominant position.
If these suspicions are proven, the American tech giant, already sanctioned several times by Brussels, could be imposed a heavy fine.
“Remote communication and collaboration tools such as Teams have become indispensable for many businesses in Europe. We therefore need to ensure that the markets for these products remain competitive and that businesses are free to choose the products that meet the to their needs,” said EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager.
Microsoft reacted immediately by promising to cooperate with Brussels.
“We respect the work of the European Commission in this matter and take our own responsibilities very seriously. We will continue to cooperate with the Commission and are committed to finding solutions that address its concerns,” a spokesperson for the company.
27/07/2023 12:04:47 – Bruxelles (AFP) – © 2023 AFP
