Germany’s Alfaview recordsdata EU antitrust grievance in opposition to Microsoft over bundling of Teams into Office

German software program firm alfaview on Thursday filed an EU antitrust grievance in opposition to the US software program big Microsoft over its bundling of video app Teams into its Office product. 

This is the second antitrust grievance to date over bundling each merchandise collectively.

Alfaview, primarily based in Karlsruhe in south-western Germany and with a 500-strong workforce, stated it had filed the same grievance to the European Commission.

The German firm stated that bundling each merchandise collectively offers Teams a novel aggressive benefit that’s not justified by efficiency and which rivals can not match.

Microsoft added Teams to Office 365 in 2017 at no cost, with the app ultimately changing Skype for Business.

Microsoft has been on the EU competitors enforcer’s radar since 2020, when Salesforce-owned workspace messaging app Slack complained concerning the tying of Teams with Office.

“Tying Teams with the other applications in the Microsoft 365 suite creates a multipolar distribution advantage for the U.S. group,” its managing director and founder, Niko Fostiropoulos, stated in an announcement.

This has important and everlasting affect on competitors within the communication software program market, alfaview stated.

The Commission is about to launch an investigation into the transfer after Microsoft’s cures fell brief, a Reuters report stated earlier this month.

Over the previous decade, Microsoft has confronted fines amounting to a complete of two.2 billion euros ($2.5 billion) for practices that violated EU competitors guidelines.

In an try to handle issues, Microsoft has proposed decreasing the worth of its Office product with out Teams.

“We continue to engage cooperatively with the Commission in its investigation and are open to pragmatic solutions that address its concerns and serve customers well,” Microsoft stated.

Alfaview urged the EU antitrust watchdog to open a proper probe, saying cures supplied by its US rival to the Commission had been inadequate.

(With inputs from Reuters)

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Updated: 20 Jul 2023, 06:22 PM IST