German rival Alfaview launched an EU antitrust complaint on Microsoft Corp MSFT this week, marking the bloc regulator's second over its bundling of video app Teams into its Office product.
Microsoft has been on the EU competition enforcer's radar since 2020 when Salesforce Inc CRM-owned workspace messaging app Slack complained about tying Teams with Office.
Bundling both products together gives Teams a unique competitive advantage that rivals cannot match and significantly and permanently impacts competition in the communication software market, Reuters cites Alfaview.
The bundling creates a multipolar distribution advantage for the U.S. group, Alfaview's managing director and founder, Niko Fostiropoulos, stated.
Microsoft added Teams to Office 365 in 2017 for free, with the app eventually replacing Skype for Business.
The Commission looks to investigate the move after Microsoft's remedies fell short.
Microsoft has faced a penalty of 2.2 billion euros ($2.5 billion) in the previous decade for breach of EU competition rules.
Microsoft is subject to an informal probe.
Alfaview urged the EU antitrust watchdog to open a formal investigation, saying remedies offered by its U.S. rival to the Commission were insufficient.
Price Action: MSFT shares traded higher by 0.53% at $348.70 on the last check Friday.
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