Microsoft tells partners unbundling Teams is a 'compromise' with the EU

Microsoft has told its partner organization that unbundling Teams from its Microsoft 365 and Office 365 suites was a discuss – an alteration to nan connection it utilized erstwhile announcing nan change.

Microsoft decided to unbundle its comms customer aft nan European Commission launched an investigation into whether bundling Teams pinch Microsoft's flagship productivity bundles represented "anticompetitive tying aliases bundling."

The Windows colossus blinked and decided to connection versions of its suites without Teams earlier nan Commission's investigation ended. At nan clip Microsoft's blog stated: "We judge these changes equilibrium nan interests of our competitors pinch those of European business customers, providing them pinch entree to nan champion imaginable solutions astatine competitory prices."

But successful a document [PDF] marked "Partners Only" that The Register was capable to download from Microsoft without entering transmission partner credentials, nan package elephantine offers adifferent explanation: "… these changes are a discuss intended to reside concerns raised pinch nan European Commission while limiting disruption for customers, partners, and sellers."

The archive besides suggests nan existent unbundling whitethorn not beryllium nan extremity of nan matter.

"In our view, customers tin recognize nan top worth by purchasing nan afloat Microsoft 365 suite including Teams," nan archive states, adding "We will proceed to cooperate pinch nan Commission and stay committed to uncovering solutions that will reside its concerns while limiting disruption for customers and partners."

• Microsoft billing 3 cents a infinitesimal to revisit tedious Teams meetings via API
• CEO Zooms done nan bad news connected Q2 net call
• Russia's Cozy Bear is backmost and hitting Microsoft Teams to phish apical targets
• Stolen Microsoft cardinal whitethorn person opened up a batch much than US govt email inboxes

One of nan questions successful nan archive is "If this licensing exemplary is truthful bully for customers, why isn't Microsoft offering it worldwide?"

Microsoft doesn't reply its ain mobility – but Zoom CEO Eric Yuan thinks US regulators should.

Speaking astatine nan Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference connected Tuesday, Yuan was asked astir nan effect of Europe's determination connected Zoom's bottommost line. "You should inquire that mobility to nan FTC arsenic well," he replied, referencing nan US title regulator.

Yuan's reg-walled remarks connected title continued pinch a small homily comparing 2 hoops players, 1 of whom scores an other constituent for each basket. Yuan thinks he's only getting 2 points per shot, and that unfair title intends an unnamed rival gets three.

Yuan besides told nan convention that Zoom has spent nan past fewer years building video collaboration, phone, squad chat, whiteboard, gathering scheduling, email, and almanac functionality into its client. Then he expressed his desire that "Ultimately we would for illustration extremity users to enactment wrong nan Zoom customer and get astir of their activity done."

Which suggests Yuan isn't opposed to each package bundles – conscionable those that make his occupation harder. ®