Overview

• Microsoft will sell its Teams and Office products separately worldwide, expanding on measures taken in Europe to avert EU antitrust fines.
• The decision follows a 2020 complaint by Slack, alleging Microsoft's bundling of Teams with Office gave it an unfair advantage.
• New commercial customers can now choose Office without Teams, with prices ranging from $7.75 to $54.75, and Teams Standalone at $5.25.
• Critics argue the move may not be enough to avoid EU antitrust charges, as concerns over fees and interoperability with Office Web Applications persist.
• Microsoft has faced €2.2 billion in EU antitrust fines over the past decade for product bundling practices.