
BRUSSELS – Competing platforms like Slack and alfaview have raised concerns about being disadvantaged due to the automatic inclusion of Teams in Microsoft’s widely used Office 365 and Microsoft 365 software suites. Recently, Microsoft announced it would offer these packages without the meeting tool. The European Commission deems this move adequate.
Last year, the European Commission determined that Microsoft had misused its dominant position in the office software sector since April 2019 by bundling Teams with other software, thereby giving Teams an unfair competitive edge over rival cloud solutions, according to regulators.
Microsoft is now required to offer versions of Office 365 and Microsoft 365 that exclude Teams, with these versions priced distinctly lower than those that include the meeting software. There will be no additional discounts on packages that contain Teams. These conditions will remain in effect for the next seven years. The European Commission has noted that Microsoft plans to implement similar pricing structures outside the EU as well.
Additionally, the company must provide EU customers with adequate options to transition to Office 365 and Microsoft 365 without Teams, and ensure that rival products are compatible with specific Microsoft services.
“Today’s decision opens this important market to competitors and guarantees that companies can freely choose which communication and collaboration product suits them best,” stated EU Commissioner Teresa Ribera (Competition).
(September 12, 2025)













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