©Reuters. Alfaview files antitrust complaint against Microsoft
Benzinga – Germany’s Alfaview filed an EU antitrust complaint this week against Microsoft Corp (: NASDAQ:), the second by the blocking regulator to integrate the Teams video application into the Office product.
Microsoft has been in the crosshairs of the EU’s competition watchdog since 2020, when messaging app Slack, owned by Salesforce Inc (NYSE:CRM), complained that it tied Teams to Office.
Combining both products gives Teams a unique competitive advantage that rivals cannot match and significantly and permanently affects competition in the communications software market, Reuters quotes.
The bundling creates a multi-polar distribution advantage for the US group, said Niko Fostiropoulos, CEO and founder of Alfaview.
Microsoft added Teams to Office 365 in 2017 for free, with the app eventually replacing Skype for Business.
The Commission is investigating this initiative after Microsoft’s remedies were insufficient.
Microsoft faced a fine of 2.2 billion euros ($2.5 billion) in the previous decade for violating EU competition rules.
Microsoft is under an informal investigation.
Alfaview urged the EU antitrust regulator to open a formal investigation, saying the remedies offered by the US rival to the Commission were insufficient.
Price movement
MSFT shares rose 0.53% to $348.70 in last check on Friday.
Photo by Wikimedia Commons
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