Preliminary Investigation Report Sent to MS
Distribution Method Changed but Concerns Remain Unresolved
MS Likely to Discuss Corrective Measures
On the 25th (local time), the European Union (EU) Commission provisionally concluded that Microsoft's (MS) practice of "bundling video conferencing applications" constitutes a violation of antitrust laws.
The EU Commission announced that it sent MS a statement of objections containing the results of this preliminary investigation on the same day.
The Commission judged that MS restricted competition by bundling its video conferencing app Teams with its Software as a Service (SaaS) applications at least since April 2019.
Although MS changed its distribution method last July by supplying some product lines without including Teams, the Commission pointed out that this was insufficient to alleviate its concerns. The Commission also conveyed that additional remedial measures are necessary.
After the statement of objections is issued, MS must submit a response letter that may include rebuttals or additional corrective measures. Subsequently, the Commission will comprehensively review MS’s response and its own investigation results to make a final decision on whether to impose sanctions, including fines. Earlier this month, when it was anticipated that the statement of objections would be issued, MS expressed its intention to prepare additional remedial measures and consult with the Commission.
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