Microsoft Expands Teams Unbundling Strategy Globally
In a strategic move to promote transparency for its clientele, the tech titan has announced a global expansion of its approach that saw the decoupling of Teams from the Office suite in Europe. This development was initially a reaction to the scrutiny of EU competition authorities, following a 2020 grievance lodged by Slack. The workplace messaging competitor contended that Microsoft’s ability to package Teams with Office presented an uneven playing field.
Microsoft has assured that the recent changes will not affect European customers who have been operating under the new structure since its implementation in the European Economic Area and Switzerland in October of the previous year. The company has expressed that the adjustments were made to soothe the concerns presented to the European Commission.
History echoes a similar scenario from 1998 when Microsoft faced a significant antitrust lawsuit by the US Justice Department. The outcome of this case compelled Microsoft to ease restrictions on the software that could be included on its products, which subsequently led to an increased popularity of alternative internet browsers.
Competitors in the workplace messaging domain are now hopeful that this shift might spark a comparable increase in their market share. In light of Microsoft’s decision to offer Teams as a separate entity from Office, other apps are anticipating a chance to thrive.
Detailing the specifics of the unbundling, Microsoft revealed in a blog post that the new, standalone version of Microsoft Teams for enterprise users will be available at a price of 5.25 US dollars, equivalent to 4.18 pounds. This move is indicative of Microsoft’s continued efforts to adapt to the evolving market dynamics and regulatory expectations.
