Subj : Microsoft could soon be facing a major EU antitrust investigation
To   : All
From : TechnologyDaily
Date : Wed Jul 05 2023 15:45:03

Microsoft could soon be facing a major EU antitrust investigation

Date:
Wed, 05 Jul 2023 14:32:08 +0000

Description:
One case is settled, but another inches closer to a full-blown investigation 
that could be worth 10% of Microsofts turnover.

FULL STORY
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A full-blown probe into Microsoft could be just around the corner as a major 
antitrust investigation into the company continues in Europe. 

A report from Reuters citing anonymous people familiar with the matter, say 
negotiations between Redmond and the EU watchdog have so far been 
unsuccessful. 

Finally, an end could be in sight as the three-year-old case inches closer to 
official action. The case stems from complaints by Slack in 2020 about 
Microsofts bundling of Teams in with the rest of its office software , which 
Slack said gave it an unfair advantage over the competition. Microsoft 
antitrust case may end in an investigation 

Microsofts video conferencing app has been included in Office 365 (now 
Microsoft 365) subscriptions since it was launched in 2017 - a setup that 
still stands today despite the ongoing case. Read more 

 > These are the best online collaboration tools around 


 > Microsoft is close to settling its big cloud antitrust case 


 > Microsoft is willing to sacrifice Teams in Windows 11  and Im OK with that 

It is believed that Microsoft has suggested a discount for versions of Office 
without the Teams app, which has been disregarded by the EU for being too 
insubstantial. 

Should an investigation go ahead, its unclear how other companies like Google 
will be affected when it comes to bundling services together, as is the case 
with Google Meet. Nevertheless, the potential introduction of pricing to 
access the Teams app will level the playing field to other video conferencing 
providers beyond Slack. 

Should Microsoft be found to be in breach of EU antitrust rules, it risks a 
fine worth up to 10% of its global turnover (via Reuters ). 

Already, Microsoft has coughed up an estimated $2.4 billion in fines in the 
previous 10 years just to settle EU antitrust and anticompetitive cases. 
Earlier this year, Microsoft settled another case with numerous cloud 
providers, though the value remains undisclosed. 

Both parties have been reluctant to comment as the case remains open, but 
Microsoft has previously said that it continue[s] to engage cooperatively 
with the Commission in its investigation and [is] open to pragmatic solutions 
that address its concerns and serve customers well. These are the best 
productivity apps to get the job done 

Via Reuters



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Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/pro/microsoft-could-soon-be-facing-a-major-eu-antitr
ust-investigation


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