Users may not be able to combine Microsoft software with competitors’ products effectively, the CMA has been told.
The UK’s competition watchdog has launched an investigation into Microsoft’s enterprise software ecosystem over interoperability concerns.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) probe will consider whether Microsoft should be given a ‘strategic market status’ (SMS) designation reserved for companies that dominate the UK market in a particular digital activity.
Apple and Google received this status last year over their dominance of mobile platforms.
The investigation will also assess whether Microsoft’s product bundling, limits in interoperability for users, and default settings prevent customers from switching to competing services. This will include probing how Microsoft’s AI competitors are able to integrate with its business software.
