EU business alliance complains that 'Microsoft offers OneDrive bundled with Windows is anti-competitive'



Microsoft offers its own cloud storage service,

OneDrive, and online meeting tools, such as Microsoft Teams , bundled with Windows. The business alliance has complained to the EC that these moves are 'anti-competitive.'

EU tech sector fights for a Level Playing Field with Microsoft
https://antitrust.nextcloud.com/



EU coalition urges EU to push back against gate keeping by Microsoft, files official complaint
(PDF) https://antitrust.nextcloud.com/press-release.pdf

EU companies issue formal complaint against Microsoft OneDrive Windows integration | ZDNet
https://www.zdnet.com/article/eu-companies-sue-microsoft-onedrive-windows-integration/

Microsoft targeted in antitrust complaint to EU over OneDrive – POLITICO
https://www.politico.eu/article/microsoft-targeted-in-eu-antitrust-complaint-over-onedrive/

Several European-based companies, including Nextcloud, have formed a coalition to open a website called 'Coalition for a Level Playing Field' and formally complain about Microsoft's anti-competitive behavior. Nextcloud, the leader of the corporate alliance, will limit users' choices and offer competing services by Microsoft offering its services in bundles on Windows 10 and Windows 11 and encouraging users to sign up for Microsoft accounts. It claims to be trying to create an unfair barrier to other companies.

Specifically, Microsoft has expanded its market share in the EU to 66%, while EU service providers appear to have reduced its market share from 26% to 16%. Microsoft's market share growth wasn't due to its technical and sales benefits, but to its ongoing bundles of Windows and its services, Nextcloud et al. Insist. It is not illegal under EU competition law for Microsoft to prioritize its services over competing services on Windows. However, any act that causes a company to abuse its position in a dominant market can violate the law. And the business alliance claims that Microsoft's actions fall into this category.

Nextcloud says, 'Microsoft is completely blocking other cloud service vendors by abusing its position as a gatekeeper to expand its reach in neighboring markets and push users deep into the ecosystem, thus success. The key to is becoming 'the ability to distort competition and block access to the market' rather than 'good products', and more specialized EU companies are no longer able to compete for their own advantages. ' He said that Microsoft's actions made it impossible to compete soundly.



Nextcloud founder and CEO Frank Karlitschek said, 'Microsoft's current practices are very similar to when the company beat its competitors in the browser market, resulting in more than a decade. By copying the innovator's product and bundling it with its dominant product, Microsoft is killing its competitors and stopping innovation. This kind of thing has helped stop the advancement of almost every browser. This action is bad for consumers, for the market, and for local companies in the EU. Together with other members of the Union of Businesses, we have set up a fair competition for the European antitrust authorities, We want our customers to be free to choose. '

Organizations that participate in the corporate alliance include the

European DIGITAL SME Alliance , The Document Foundation , and Free Software Foundation Europe .

Nextcloud is not only complaining to the EC's Directorate General for Competition, but is also asking German antitrust authority Bundeskartellamt to investigate Microsoft. In addition, it has become clear that partners of the business alliance are preparing to file similar complaints in France.



Nextcloud isn't the only one complaining about Microsoft's bundled offering of its services. Slack has alleged that Microsoft's integration of Microsoft Teams and Office is a violation of antitrust law against the EU.

in Software, Posted by logu_ii