Microsoft announced this Monday (1st) that it will start selling Teams, its chat and video application, separately from its Office suite worldwide. According to information from Reuters, the decision comes after big tech separated the two products in Europe, in an attempt to avoid an antitrust fine from the European Union.
What do you need to know:
- The European Commission has been investigating Microsoft’s linking of Office and Teams since a 2020 complaint by Salesforce;
- Teams was added to Office 365 for free in 2017, replacing Skype for Business. It became very popular during the pandemic due to its video conferencing;
- Rival companies, however, say that offering the products in a combo gives Microsoft an unfair advantage;
- Big tech started selling the two products separately in the EU and Switzerland in August last year;
- The new measure is effective from this Monday (1st).
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To ensure clarity for our customers, we are extending the steps we took last year to separate the M365 and O365 teams in the European Economic Area and Switzerland for customers around the world.
Microsoft spokesperson in a statement.
With the change, a new line of Microsoft 365 and Office 365 commercial packages that do not include Teams will be made available in regions outside the EEA (European Economic Area) and Switzerland. A Teams standalone option for enterprise customers will also be offered.
The measure is valid from today, April 1st. Customers will be able to continue with their current licensing agreement, renew it, upgrade it, or switch to the new offerings.
And the prices?
For new commercial customers, prices for Office without Teams range from US$7.75 (R$38) to US$54.75 (R$273), depending on the product. Numbers may change depending on country and currency. The company did not release further details.
Despite Microsoft’s intention (to get rid of antitrust fines), the separation of products may not be enough. According to sources to Reuters, EU antitrust charges are expected to be sent to the company in the coming months.
It is worth remembering that Microsoft has already accumulated 2.2 billion euros (R$11.8 billion) in antitrust fines in the EU for linking or bundling two or more products. Now, if the company is found guilty, it could receive a further penalty of up to 10% of its global annual turnover.
