Microsoft’s latest announcement is causing quite a stir. Brace yourselves, folks, because the era of Microsoft Teams being bundled within the Office 365 suite is coming to an end. Yes, you heard that right—Microsoft Teams, a staple within the Office 365 suite, will become a standalone product and break away from Office 365.
The Reasoning Behind the Decision
Now, let’s address the elephant in the room—the reasoning behind Microsoft’s announcement. Slack filed antitrust complaints in the EU alleging that Microsoft bundling Teams with Office effectively created a monopoly in the workplace collaboration market.
Microsoft Teams Breaks Away
In response to the antitrust complaint, Microsoft is unbundling Teams from Office 365 for business customers around the world. This isn’t uncharted territory either; they’ve already laid the groundwork for this maneuver in the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland. Now, with global rollout approaching, Microsoft is aiming for clearer skies and more flexible options for enterprises, all while addressing key feedback from the European Commission.
So, what does all this commotion mean for you, the savvy business owner or manager? Let’s break it down.
Impact on Existing and New Customers
For current customers, there’s no need to panic … yet. Your Office 365 and Teams bundle will remain unchanged for now. Given how Microsoft generally operates, I think that it is only a matter of time before However, the plot takes a turn for prospective subscribers.
Coming into effect soon (likely in May), new Office 365 business suites will not bundle Teams as part of their package. Instead, there will be a standalone Teams enterprise offering.
Licensing Changes
What does this mean in terms of licensing? By unbundling the Teams license from the rest of the Office 365 bundle, this should lead to a more transparent selection process. Despite the split, it is believed that the pricing structure will equal the original price of the bundles, but with all things Microsoft, that may change, so stay tuned!
Wrap-up
To those who say that the only two inevitable things in life are death and taxes, all I can say is that they haven’t encountered the third – as soon as you finally understand Microsoft’s licensing, it changes!
Stay tuned for further updates as this story develops, and consider how you might leverage Microsoft’s new policies to your business’s advantage. If you need assistance with this, please reach out to us.
If you’d like to learn more about Microsoft Teams as it breaks away from Office 365, please contact us by calling (502) 240-0404 or emailing info@mirazon.com