Microsoft to unbundle Teams software in Europe in bid to abate EU antitrust concerns

U.S. tech giant Microsoft on Thursday said it will unbundle its chat and videoconference service Teams from its Microsoft 365 and Office 365 products, in a bid to allay European Union antitrust concerns.

Starting Oct. 1 this year, Microsoft will sell these packages without Teams at a discounted price totaling a 24 euro ($26) per year reduction in the EEA (European Economic Area) and Swiss regions.

European Union regulators had in July opened an antitrust investigation into Microsoft’s bundling of Teams with other Office products, citing anti-competitive concerns.

“We appreciate the clarity that has emerged on several of the concerns from extensive and constructive discussions with the European Commission. With the benefit of this clarity, we believe it is important that we start to take meaningful steps to address those concerns,” Nanna-Louise Linde, vice president of Microsoft European Government Affairs, said Thursday in a blogpost.

“We take note of Microsoft’s announcement. We have no further comment to make,” an EU spokesperson told CNBC.

— CNBC’s Silvia Amaro contributed to this report