![]() ![]() It said Microsoft pre-installs the workplace chat, it was difficult to un-install and that the U.S. company refused to provide information which would allow rival products to work with Teams and Office. This has prompted the Commission to ask if bundled products give companies access to data that may increase their market power in both markets and at the same time make it harder for rivals, in particular those with only product, to compete. It has also asked about barriers to entry or expansion in the workplace apps market, switching costs for customers and the importance of user data protection. Rivals were asked for a list of customers who have switched to Microsoft Teams or its bundled Office, the percentage of revenue they had lost as a result, as well as the impact of the integrated products on their investments in innovation and the quality and price of their products. The questionnaire asked if the COVID-19 had boosted demand for workplace apps and how this will evolve post-pandemic. ![]() As reported by Spiegel (and coming in the print version), and Politico, Nextcloud has filed a complaint with the EU as well as the German anti-trust authorities over the behavior of Microsoft. Other companies which provide workplace apps include Zoom Video Communications (ZM.O), Alphabet's Google, Facebook (FB.O) and Cisco (CSCO.O). However, the monopoly allegations against Jobs' Mob are a little more obvious, direct and numerous.We are supported in this by a coalition of European businesses and trade organizations. ![]() The Tame Apple Press is making a big thin about this, because it fits the decades old narrative that Microsoft was the evil empire. This includes Abilian, an open-source software publisher DAASI, an open-source identity management company and Mailfence. Numerous businesses are also supporting Nextcloud's legal action. These include the European DIGITAL SME Alliance the Document Foundation, LibreOffice's backing organization and the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE). It has been joined by several open-source, non-profit organizations. The cloudy outfit is not doing it all alone. It has filed a request with the German antitrust authorities, the Bundeskartellamt, for an investigation against Microsoft and might file a similar complaint in France. Nextcloud is asking the European Commission's Directorate-General for Competition to prevent this sort of thing and keep the market competitive and fair for all players. This means that more specialised EU companies can't compete on merit, as the key to success is not a good product but the ability to distort competition and block market access. Nextcloud states that Microsoft has outright blocked other cloud service vendors by using its position as gatekeeper to extend its reach in neighbouring markets, pushing users deeper into its ecosystems. Nextcloud might have a bit of difficulty making this allegation stick as self-preferencing is not illegal under EU competition laws, unless Microsoft can be seen abusing its dominant market position. Microsoft has done this not by any technical advantage or sales benefits, but by heavily favouring its own products and services, self-preferencing over other services. Microsoft has grown its EU market share to 66 percent, while local providers' market share declined from 26 percent to 16 percent. Nextcloud claims that by pushing consumers to sign up and hand over their data to Microsoft, the Vole is limiting consumer choice and creating an unfair barrier for other companies offering competing services. Now European open-source cloud company Nextcloud does has formally complained to the European Commission about Microsoft's anti-competitive behaviour by aggressively bundling its OneDrive cloud, Teams, and other services with Windows 10 and 11. For those with memories who have not been shot by years of alcohol, hookers and blow and computer games, Vole spent the late '90s and early '00s in antitrust trouble forcing Internet Exploder browser on its customers. ![]()
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