The EU's Investigation Into Microsoft Teams: A Preliminary Assessment

Abstract

EU has opened an antitrust investigation into Microsoft's policy of including the communication software Teams in its Office 365 packages. Very little is known about the case and the alleged grievances, as only a short press statement is available. This identifies Office 365 as dominant, and the integration of Teams as directed at monopolizing the market for communication software and shielding Office 365 from competition. The first comports badly with market data, and the latter points to a case that has less to do with Teams and more with Office 365 and a ring-fencing strategy, shielding Microsofts core business.