According to two sources, Microsoft (MSFT.O) has proposed to charge different pricing for its Office package with and without its Teams software to avoid an EU antitrust inquiry and penalties.
After Salesforce-owned (CRM.N) workspace messaging app Slack complained to the European Commission last year, Microsoft has been trying to address the EU competition enforcer’s concerns, Reuters reported in December.
Slack claimed in 2020 that Microsoft improperly incorporated Teams into Office. Teams, launched in 2017, targets the lucrative workplace collaboration sector.
Slack was not the only complainant, the European Commission stated Thursday.
We’ve heard multiple concerns about Microsoft’s Teams platform, notably from Slack. “The assessment is ongoing, so we cannot comment,” a spokeswoman said.
Microsoft said it remained “open to pragmatic solutions that address its concerns and serve customers well” with the Commission. Salesforce declined to comment.
The people claimed the EU antitrust agency is soliciting comments from Microsoft rivals on their suggestion.
The European Commission penalized Microsoft 2.2 billion euros ($2.4 billion) for violating EU competition laws by bundling or linking goods in the previous decade.
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