Microsoft Ends 35-Year Legacy of Oldest Office App
Microsoft has discontinued one of its oldest Office applications after 35 years, marking the end of an era for the long-standing software.
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Microsoft Enhances Windows 11 with AI-Powered Productivity and Integration Features
Microsoft has rolled out a Windows 11 update for Copilot, introducing Connectors for linking various personal and third-party accounts like Google Drive and Gmail, and enabling content creation and export into multiple formats, enhancing productivity and integration across services.
Microsoft avoids EU fines by unbundling Teams and Office
The European Union accepted commitments from Microsoft to unbundle Teams from its Office products, effectively avoiding a potential hefty fine by making Teams optional and improving interoperability, following an antitrust investigation prompted by Slack's complaint.
Microsoft resolves EU antitrust concerns over Teams bundling
Microsoft has avoided a fine from the European Commission by committing to measures that address competition concerns related to its Teams app being bundled with Office 365 and Microsoft 365, following a complaint from Slack. The commitments include offering versions of Office without Teams, allowing data portability, and ensuring interoperability, with most obligations enforced for seven years and some for ten years, to promote competition in the collaboration tools market.
Microsoft to End New Office Features for Windows 10 in 2026
Microsoft will stop adding new features to Office apps for Windows 10 users starting August 2026, with security updates continuing until October 2028, prompting users to upgrade to Windows 11 for the latest features.
Microsoft Unbundles Office and Teams Globally in Response to Antitrust Pressure
Microsoft has globally introduced new versions of Microsoft 365 and Office 365 subscription services that exclude its business collaboration chat offering Teams, following criticism and complaints from the European Union and rival Slack. The move aims to address concerns about unfair bundling and market dominance, with Microsoft now offering standalone pricing for Teams at $5.25 per user per month and Office packages without Teams at prices ranging from $7.75 to $54.75. Existing customers have the flexibility to maintain their current bundled package or choose new offers, while new standalone offerings are available for enterprise customers outside the EU and Switzerland.
Microsoft to Unbundle Teams from Office Worldwide in Response to Antitrust Pressure
Microsoft is separating Teams from Office 365 globally in response to ongoing antitrust pressure, allowing existing customers to maintain their current bundles while offering new pricing options. The move follows an EU investigation into whether the bundling violated competition rules, prompted by a complaint from Slack. Despite this change, Microsoft still faces the possibility of antitrust charges and potential fines of up to 10 percent of its global annual turnover.
"Microsoft Unbundles Teams from Office 365 Worldwide Amid Antitrust Scrutiny"
Microsoft is now offering Microsoft Teams separately from Microsoft 365 and Office 365 worldwide, following its initial unbundling in the European Union and Switzerland to avoid potential fines. This move comes after feedback from the European Commission and addresses concerns raised by multinational companies seeking more flexibility in their purchasing. Users can now choose to keep their current deal or switch to the separate offerings, with new commercial customers able to purchase Teams on its own for $5.25, and Office without Teams available for $7.75 to $54.75. This decision stems from an antitrust complaint filed by Slack in 2020, and while the unbundling has already taken effect, Microsoft still faces potential fines if found to have violated antitrust laws.
"Microsoft's CoPilot: AI-Powered Office Features Now Available to All Businesses"
Microsoft is making its AI-powered Copilot available to all businesses, removing the previous 300-seat minimum requirement and extending access to Office 365 E3 and E5 customers. Priced at $30 per user, per month, Copilot for Microsoft 365 integrates AI features into Office apps, promising to revolutionize document creation and editing. The AI assistant, powered by GPT-4 from OpenAI, can generate text, create presentations, summarize meetings, and draft email responses, offering a premium subscription with enhanced features for both consumers and businesses.
EU Launches Antitrust Probe into Microsoft's Office Suite Following Remedies Failure
Microsoft is likely to face an antitrust investigation by the European Union (EU) after discussions with the EU watchdog to resolve the issue have stalled. The investigation stems from a complaint by Slack, alleging that Microsoft unfairly integrated its workplace chat and video app, Teams, into its Office product. Microsoft had offered to cut the price of its Office product without Teams, but the EU Commission is seeking a deeper price reduction. If found in breach of EU antitrust rules, Microsoft could face a fine of up to 10% of its global turnover.
Microsoft Increases Prices for Office 365 AI Features and New Software
Microsoft is charging at least 100 of its largest customers a flat fee of $100,000 for up to 1,000 users for one year to test the AI features in its Microsoft Office 365 productivity apps. This means that companies with 1,000-seat subscriptions are paying at least 40% more versus the classic version for productivity software that automates tasks such as writing text in Word documents and creating PowerPoint slides.
Microsoft's AI Ethics Team Faces Cuts and Rationed Access to Hardware.
Microsoft is facing an internal shortage of server hardware needed to run GPT-4, the new AI software made by OpenAI, which is set to power a suite of Office 365 tools. The company is rationing access to the hardware for some internal teams building other AI tools to ensure it has enough capacity to handle both Bing's new GPT-4 powered chatbot and the upcoming new Office tools. The shortage of hardware may also be affecting Microsoft customers who are experiencing long wait times to use the OpenAI software available through its Azure cloud service.