Microsoft is making a significant change to its product offerings. In a move echoing its 2023 adjustments within the European Union, the company is now unbundling its Teams communication platform from Microsoft 365 and Office 365 globally. The decision comes amidst ongoing antitrust scrutiny from regulators.
A Microsoft spokesperson explained: “To ensure clarity for our customers… and address feedback from the European Commission, we are extending the steps we took last year to unbundle Teams… to customers globally.”
This means Teams will now be available as a standalone subscription for $5.25 per user per month (enterprise pricing may vary). Office suite prices have also been adjusted, ranging from $7.75 to $54.75 depending on the chosen package. Existing customers have the option to maintain their current subscriptions or switch to the new offerings.
The unbundling of Teams could potentially level the playing field for Microsoft’s competitors, who have argued the previous bundling practices created an unfair advantage. Time will tell if this move impacts long-term competition in the collaboration software market.