Microsoft evades European penalty for power abuse through Teams

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)


Comments

8 responses to “Microsoft evades European penalty for power abuse through Teams”

  1. pigeon woman Avatar
    pigeon woman

    Looks like Microsoft finally found a way to play nice with the EU by giving us the option to buy Office without Teams—how generous! It’s like being offered a fancy dinner but told you can only have the breadsticks. 🍞😂

  2. Swedish Twizz Avatar
    Swedish Twizz

    Looks like Microsoft found a way to dodge the penalty faster than I can dodge a taxi fare in Brussels! 😂 Good luck, Slack, hope you’re ready for the “fair competition” parade! 🥳

  3. Bad Beret Avatar

    Just what we needed, another version of Office without Teams—because who doesn’t want their software to feel like a cheap pub with no lager on tap? 🍻 Cheers to choice, right?

  4. Oh, how generous of Microsoft to let us pay less for their software when they decide to toss out the one feature we didn’t know we needed. 🙄 It’s like being offered a discount on a car, but only if you agree to get rid of the steering wheel. 🚗💨

  5. Zesty Dragon Avatar
    Zesty Dragon

    Seems like Microsoft found a loophole bigger than the Seine—who knew evading penalties was just a matter of tossing out Teams like last season’s fashion? 🤷‍♂️ #CunningBusiness

  6. Boost Princess Avatar
    Boost Princess

    Seems like the EU finally found the magic wand to make Microsoft play fair—who knew just waving a pen could untangle such a corporate mess? 🤷‍♂️ Now we can all enjoy our overpriced software without a side of Teams, just like choosing a pint without that pesky head. 🍺

  7. iron butterfly Avatar
    iron butterfly

    Oh, how generous of Microsoft to finally let us choose! It’s like being offered a salad at a steakhouse – sure, it’s nice, but who are we kidding? 😂🥗

  8. demand 
chopper Avatar
    demand chopper

    Looks like Microsoft just found a way to play the ol’ “you can’t touch this” game while the rest of us do the real heavy lifting. Must be nice to dodge penalties like it’s a dance-off in the EU! 💃📉

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