EU Commission Enforces Fair Market Conditions for All Providers Through Binding Decision
Karlsruhe – The European Commission has made a binding decision today on Microsoft’s proposed commitments in the Teams I (AT.40721) and Teams II (AT.40873) proceedings. This decision is welcomed by alfaview GmbH, the sole European complainant in the proceedings, as it is a significant step towards promoting freedom of choice and innovation in the market for collaboration and video conferencing solutions.
The proceedings were initiated due to the inclusion of Microsoft Teams in the Office suites, which put alfaview’s own video conferencing solution in direct competition with Teams. As a complainant, alfaview provided its technical expertise and market experience to the discussions with the Commission and Microsoft. This contribution has led to a solution that creates more freedom of choice, innovation, and fair conditions for all market participants in Europe. In order to reach this binding agreement, alfaview withdrew its complaint to the EU Commission several weeks ago.
“We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the EU Commission for their commitment to enforcing competition law in the European Union. We are pleased that Microsoft approached the Commission with constructive proposals to resolve the conflict, and we are proud to have contributed to this solution through close dialogue with the EU Commission and numerous intensive discussions with Microsoft. This decision will strengthen Europe’s digital competitiveness and send an important signal for Europe’s digital sovereignty. Fair market conditions not only promote technological diversity but also secure the long-term innovative strength of the European market.” says Niko Fostiropoulos, founder and CEO of alfaview.
The main commitments made by Microsoft include offering versions of Office 365 and Microsoft 365 without Teams in the European Economic Area, providing customers with the option to switch from an Office version with Teams to one without at any time, and allowing competitors access to Microsoft services and APIs for integration into core applications. Additionally, EEA customers will have the ability to export their Teams messaging data in full and reuse it in competing solutions. These commitments will be enforced for 7-10 years, with an independent trustee monitoring their implementation.
“Today’s decision is a milestone in European competition law. It demonstrates how fair competition can be ensured even in highly dynamic and technically complex markets through clear and practical rules. This makes it clear that European competition law is capable of responding effectively to new digital challenges. For alfaview, a change in practice was always more important than a fine.” says Prof. Dr. Thomas Höppner, Legal Counsel at alfaview and Partner at Geradin Partners.
alfaview is confident that the new framework will enable greater product diversity and sustainable innovation in Europe in the long term. Their early and consistent involvement in the process has contributed to the implementation of this solution together with all parties involved. This also presents new opportunities for the European video conferencing platform, alfaview, to position itself globally in the market and demonstrate that GDPR-compliant and secure communication based on fair competitive conditions is achievable.
About alfaview
alfaview is a video conferencing software developed in 2010 by alfatraining Bildungszentrum GmbH (digital training) for training courses and corporate communications. Today, it is operated as a SaaS by alfaview GmbH, a pioneer in the field of GDPR-compliant video conferencing software, based in Karlsruhe. With alfaview, participants can communicate in real-time via video and audio, from team meetings to large virtual and hybrid events. All data is transmitted exclusively through ISO 27001-certified data centers in Germany and the EU. Video and audio streams are encrypted according to BSI recommendations and are not stored. Several data protection authorities have confirmed that the solution is fully compliant with data protection regulations.
alfaview GmbH is part of the alfacube group of companies, which also includes alfatraining Bildungszentrum GmbH, alfaATC Communications GmbH (AI-based speech recognition for air traffic control), EML Speech Technology GmbH (AI-based speech technologies), and Semanux GmbH (AI-based accessible input systems). The founder and managing director of the group is Niko Fostiropoulos. For more information, visit their LinkedIn page.
– Picture available at AP –
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