In October, Microsoft unbundled Teams from Microsoft 365 and Office 365 suites in the European Union and Switzerland to avoid potential fines. Now, the company is expanding this offering, selling Microsoft Teams separately from Microsoft 365 and Office 365 worldwide, Reuters reports. "Doing so also addresses feedback from the European Commission by providing multinational companies more flexibility when they want to standardise their purchasing across geographies," a Microsoft spokesperson told the publication.
Current users can now choose to keep their current deal or switch to one of the separate offerings — especially helpful for anyone who uses the Office suite but prefers another communication service like Zoom or Google Meet. Commercial customers new to Microsoft's offerings can pick up Teams on its own for $5.25, while Office sans Teams is going for anywhere from $7.75 to $54.75.
Microsoft's journey to unbundling Teams and Office started in 2020 when Slack filed an antitrust complaint with the EU. The now Salesforce-owned company alleged that it was illegal to include Teams in the Office suite and that Microsoft was blocking customers from removing the chat platform. The European Commission has subsequently been investigating this matter, with Microsoft announcing in April 2023 that it would separate Teams from Microsoft 35 and Office 365. Though the move went into effect last fall, Microsoft is still at risk of owing the EU a hefty fine if found to have broken antitrust laws.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-unbundles-teams-and-office-365-for-customers-worldwide-111031996.html?src=rss
Fabian Mohr
This move by Microsoft to unbundle Teams and Office worldwide is definitely an interesting development. I wonder how this will impact the user experience for those who prefer different communication services like Zoom or Google Meet. It’s great to see companies adapting to feedback and providing more flexibility for their customers. What are your thoughts on this change, especially in terms of its potential impact on productivity and collaboration within multinational companies?
Abel Glover
Microsoft’s decision to unbundle Teams and Office globally shows a commitment to customer feedback and flexibility. This move has the potential to greatly impact productivity and collaboration for multinational companies. By allowing users to choose their preferred communication service, like Zoom or Google Meet, Microsoft is empowering them to customize their software stack to fit their unique needs.
This shift presents new opportunities for companies to explore different tools and enhance workflow efficiency. It will be intriguing to see how this change unfolds and if it sparks increased innovation and creativity within organizations. Just as strategic decision-making in gaming can lead to success, strategic software choices can drive competitiveness in the business world. Exciting times lie ahead for Microsoft and its customers!