Microsoft May Look To Settle EU Antitrust Concerns Over Teams

Microsoft is seeking to address European Union antitrust concerns about its business practices prompted by a complaint from Salesforce.com’s (CRM.N) workspace messaging app Slack, people familiar with the matter said.

The move, which may head off the opening of a formal EU antitrust investigation, underscores once again Microsoft’s new preference for working out issues with regulators rather than jousting with them as it did in the previous decade.

Related: Microsoft May Offer EU Concessions Soon

Microsoft found itself in the European Commission’s crosshairs again last year after Slack alleged the U.S. software giant has unfairly integrated its workplace chat and video app Teams into its Office product.

Microsoft introduced Teams in 2017, aiming for a slice of the fast-growing and lucrative workplace collaboration market.

It has made a preliminary offer of concessions to try to allay the EU competition enforcer’s concerns, one of the people said.