According to two sources familiar with the matter, Microsoft has offered to charge different prices for its Office product depending on whether it includes its Teams app or not, in an effort to prevent a potential EU antitrust investigation and fine.
This move comes after the European Commission received complaints from several parties, including Slack, alleging that Microsoft had unfairly integrated its Teams app into its Office product. Microsoft introduced Teams in 2017 to compete in the growing and lucrative workplace collaboration market.
The EU antitrust watchdog is currently seeking feedback from Microsoft’s rivals on its proposal. Microsoft has stated that it is committed to finding practical solutions that address the Commission’s concerns and serve customers well. Salesforce, the current owner of Slack, declined to comment. The European Commission has fined Microsoft 2.2 billion euros ($3.62 billion) in the past decade for violations of EU competition regulations, including the bundling of multiple products together.