Microsoft Its business software ecosystem has come under fresh scrutiny by the British competition regulator.
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority announced on Tuesday that it is launching a “strategic market position (SMS) investigation” into the tech giant’s enterprise software suite from May.
Thousands of UK businesses and public sector organizations use Microsoft’s business software every day, including Windows, Word, Excel, Teams and AI platform Copilot, the regulator said in a statement.
“An SMS designation will enable us to address remaining concerns about Microsoft’s licensing practices in the cloud and will also enable us to ensure a level playing field as AI becomes increasingly embedded in everyday business software tools,” CMA CEO Sarah Cardell said in a statement.
Company president Brad Smith said Microsoft is committed to working “quickly and constructively” to resolve the issues identified by the CMA.
“We believe the CMA will continue to review and evaluate additional issues related to our products and services, including the business software market,” Smith said in a statement.
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