Microsoft has declared its decision to sell its chat and video application, Teams, separately from its Office suite worldwide.
This move comes after a six-month period of separating the products in Europe to sidestep possible antitrust penalties from the European Union (EU).
The decision to unbundle Teams from Office was prompted by an investigation by the European Commission following a complaint lodged by Slack in 2020.
Initially integrated into Office 365 for free in 2017, Teams gained significant traction during the pandemic due to its robust video conferencing features.
The separation of Teams from Office 365 aims to address concerns raised by competitors about unfair competition practices.
Microsoft aims to offer clarity and flexibility to its customers globally through this move.
Under the new arrangement, a revised lineup of commercial Microsoft 365 and Office 365 suites will exclude Teams outside the European Economic Area and Switzerland.
However, a standalone offering of Teams for Enterprise customers will be made available in those regions.
Customers will have the option to maintain their current licensing agreements or transition to new offerings starting April 1.
Prices for Office suites without Teams will range from $7.75 to $54.75, while the standalone Teams offering will be priced at $5.25, with variations based on country and currency.
Despite Microsoft’s efforts, concerns persist among rivals regarding fees and compatibility issues with their messaging services, potentially leading to further antitrust charges from the EU.
