Occasions
Divisions
Programs
Occasions
Divisions
Programs
EU could potentially fine Microsoft $2.4bn, as the company plans to separate Teams and Office due to an existing antitrust lawsuit
Microsoft, currently dealing with several antitrust lawsuits and already burdened with a $2.4 billion penalty, may incur additional fines. To prevent this, the corporation has chosen to offer its Teams applications independently from its Office suite.
Microsoft has declared its plans to globally sell its chat and video application, Teams, independently from its Office product. This decision comes half a year after it detached the two products in Europe in response to possible EU antitrust issues.
The European Commission has been probing into Microsoft's packaging of Office and Teams since 2020 after Slack, a competitor workspace communication application owned by Salesforce, lodged a complaint.
The feature Teams, which was first introduced to Office 365 at no extra cost in 2017, has seen a surge in popularity, especially during the pandemic. This is due to its video conferencing functionality, which took over from Skype for Business.
Opponents contended that Microsoft's strategy of packaging their products gave them an undue edge. As a result, Microsoft began offering Office and Teams as individual products in the European Union and Switzerland from August 31 of the previous year.
Microsoft has chosen to globally expand the unbundling, as per a company representative, to address customer opinions and offer more buying flexibility to international corporations.
Microsoft is rolling out changes that include launching new global commercial versions of Microsoft 365 and Office 365 that do not feature Teams. Furthermore, a separate Teams package for Enterprise clients will be accessible in areas beyond the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland.
Starting from April 1, clients have the choice to either stick with their existing license agreements or transition to the new options.
The cost for new business clients for Office excluding Teams will range from $7.75 to $54.75. On the other hand, Teams as a separate service will be priced at $5.25. The pricing could differ by nation and currency.
Even though Microsoft has tried to tackle antitrust issues, their actions may not be enough to evade possible accusations from the EU. Competitors have raised complaints about the costs and the interoperability of their messaging services with Office Web Applications.
Microsoft, which has already paid 2.2 billion Euros in EU antitrust penalties over the last ten years for package deals, might be slapped with penalties amounting to 10% of its worldwide yearly revenue if it's found guilty of breaking antitrust laws.
(Sourced from various agencies)
Search for us on YouTube
Headlining Programs
Associated Articles
Microsoft is constructing a $100 billion supercomputer named 'Stargate' to ensure AI's future, exclusively for OpenAI.
The US Government has doubts about Microsoft's AI, hence, barring Copilot from computers issued by the government.
Microsoft and OpenAI are collaborating on a $100 billion project, the Stargate AI supercomputer.
A Russian intelligence operation intended to undermine Poland's stance has been taken down.
Microsoft is working on a $100 billion 'Stargate' supercomputer, dedicated to making AI future-proof, specifically for OpenAI.
The US Government has raised concerns about Microsoft's AI, thereby preventing Copilot from being used on government-issued computers.
A joint venture between Microsoft and OpenAI, the $100 billion Stargate AI supercomputer project is underway.
An operation by a Russian spy network, aimed at destabilizing Poland's position, has been dismantled.
Connect with us on YouTube.
Featured Programs
Associated Reports
Microsoft is developing a AI-resistant supercomputer named 'Stargate', exclusively for OpenAI, with a budget of $100 billion.
The US government has reservations about Microsoft's AI, hence barring Copilot from its official computers.
In a joint venture, Microsoft and OpenAI are investing $100 billion in the Stargate AI supercomputer project.
A Russian espionage operation, aimed at undermining Poland, has been successfully taken down.
Microsoft is constructing an AI-resistant supercomputer named 'Stargate', exclusively for OpenAI, with a funding of $100 billion.
The US government has doubts over the reliability of Microsoft's AI, consequently banning Copilot from its state-owned PCs.
Microsoft and OpenAI have joined hands to fund the $100 billion Stargate AI supercomputer project.
An operation by Russian spies, meant to destabilize Poland, has been effectively neutralized.
Available on YouTube.
Firstpost holds all rights reserved, copyrighted © 2024.
+ There are no comments
Add yours