Microsoft will separate Teams from Office 365 worldwide

Microsoft will begin selling its Teams video conferencing app separately from the Microsoft 365 suite globally starting Monday 1st. The change follows a decision by the major European technology company, where the two services have been offered separately for several months.

In the statement sent ReutersMicrosoft confirmed the new product rollout model, stating that the measure “meets feedback from the European Commission.” Teams integrated into legacy Office for free in 2017It replaced Skype for Business and gained popularity during the pandemic.

However, opponents opposed the integration, claiming: combination of offers gives Windows owner an unfair advantage. Slack, one of the main competitors of Microsoft’s communication and collaboration platform, is also among those complaining.

Complaint to Salesforce application concluded Investigation opened by the European Commission in 2020 regarding the connection of Teams to the Office. According to the company, the competitor concealed the true cost of its video conferencing app, forcing customers to install the enterprise communications service while integrating it into its productivity suite.

How do Teams and Microsoft 365 prices differ?

With the change, corporate users will be able to subscribe to Microsoft 365 without Teams. Prices range from $7.75 to $54.75 per month, equivalent values ​​between R$ 39.05 and R$ 275.85 at the daily rate, depending on the version and region. Messaging and video app now costs money for companies $5.25 per month (R$ 26.45) when purchased separately.

According to the company, the updated values ​​are valid for new subscribers. Against this, Existing subscribers can continue with the same license agreementAlthough there is an option to upgrade to the plan with products sold separately.

Despite the separation between Teams and Microsoft 365, It is possible for the technology giant not to escape new antitrust investigations opened in the European Union. Sources consulted by the news agency said the company should be the target of new accusations in the coming months.