Microsoft attracts scrutiny from rivals and UK over software bundling practices

Once again, the competition is not happy with Microsoft’s family of software.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

What you need to know

Tell us if you’ve heard this one before: Microsoft’s bundling practices are irking rivals and attracting government attention. That should sound familiar, as recently an entire coalition of small companies (relatively speaking) formallyasked the EU to step inand put a stop to Microsoft’s current bundling behaviors. Not to mention, similar complaints have also been made bymajor companies such as Slack.

Though linked with the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) this time around, the gist of concerns is much the same as the other incidents (viaThe Telegraph). There is a worry that OneDrive, Teams, Office, and Windows are all bound too closely together, leaving little room for competing software to have a fair shot.

The CMA is actively listening for complaints and chatting with Microsoft rivals to hear their side of the story, an action that may ultimately precede an investigation or formal review. However, neither avenue of escalation has been announced at this time.

If the UK’s CMA sounds familiar, it’s because it recently made the news regarding itsNVIDIA-Arm merger report, wherein it outlined a multitude of concerns with the deal. Not long after, the U.S.’s FTCupped the anteand sued to have the merger halted.

Get the Windows Central Newsletter

All the latest news, reviews, and guides for Windows and Xbox diehards.

Robert Carnevale is the News Editor for Windows Central. He’s a big fan of Kinect (it lives on in his heart), Sonic the Hedgehog, and the legendary intersection of those two titans, Sonic Free Riders. He is the author ofCold War 2395. Have a useful tip? Send it to robert.carnevale@futurenet.com.