In response to EU antitrust concerns, Microsoft will now permit customers globally to purchase Office without Teams

In response to antitrust concerns, Microsoft announced on Monday that it will no longer provide its Teams collaboration software anywhere in the globe as a packaged product with its Office 365 suite.

The decision to worldwide detach Teams from Office builds upon a prior statement made last year that just impacted the European Union. Furthermore, it happens after competitors, including Salesforce’s Slack, claimed in 2020 that Microsoft’s actions amounted to anticompetitive self-dealing.

The European Commission launched an ongoing antitrust inquiry into Microsoft as a result of Slack’s allegation.

With the option to purchase Microsoft Office software without Teams integrated and Teams as a stand-alone offering for corporate clients, Monday’s statement seems to address some of those worries.

A Microsoft representative stated in a statement that the change will «ensure clarity for our customers.»