Too closely interlinked: Microsoft faces billions in fines in the EU over Teams
The EU believes that Microsoft has gained an unlawful sales advantage - by linking the Teams platform too closely to its Microsoft365 subscription.
The EU concludes that Microsoft holds a dominant position in the market for business productivity software with its cloud-based Microsoft365 subscription. With the inclusion of Teams in its package-centred business model, the communication tool also benefited. Customers with a Microsoft 365 subscription would not have been able to freely decide whether they also wanted to use Teams or not.
Microsoft removed the communication app from the package last year. Due to the close functional integration with the Office suite (e.g. Outlook for scheduling or OneDrive for file storage), the EU nevertheless fears an unjustified advantage over competitors. It slows down the innovation of other companies.
"First steps towards interoperability" are not enough
It could be expensive for Microsoft
I've been tinkering with digital networks ever since I found out how to activate both telephone channels on the ISDN card for greater bandwidth. As for the analogue variety, I've been doing that since I learned to talk. Though Winterthur is my adoptive home city, my heart still bleeds red and blue.
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