Technologies

Microsoft Will Lower Price of Office 365 Without Teams Platform, Avoiding EU Antitrust Fine

Slack filed an official complaint in 2020, accusing Microsoft of being anticompetitive by bundling Teams into its Office suite.

Microsoft has agreed to sell Office 365 suites unbundled without Teams for a significantly lower price than previously, ending a five-plus-year European Union dispute with Slack and avoiding a fine by the EU.

The software giant was charged with EU antitrust violations in June 2024 for bundling Teams with Office 365 and Microsoft 365 subscriptions. The dispute began in July 2020, when Slack (now owned by Salesforce) filed an official complaint, alleging Microsoft was conducting an «illegal and anti-competitive practice of abusing its market dominance» by tying Teams «into its market-dominant Office productivity suite,» according to a Slack news blog post.

Microsoft must comply with the EU agreement for at least seven years, or else face penalties. EU competition chief Teresa Ribera said the deal «opens up competition in this crucial market and ensures that businesses can freely choose the communication and collaboration product that best suits their needs.»

Microsoft’s agreement should translate into significant cost savings for Office/Microsoft 365 customers. The difference in price between suites with Teams and those without will drop by a further 50%. The price reductions will take place in the EU but could possibly extend worldwide.

Other changes will include:

Customers with long-term licenses can switch to licenses that don’t include Teams.
Teams competitors (like Slack, Google Meet and Zoom) will have interoperability with Office software such as Word and Excel.
Customers can move their data out of Teams if they want to switch to a different communications platform.

The EU announcement «sends a clear message: Microsoft’s anticompetitive tying of Teams has harmed businesses, denied customers fair choice, and resulted in many years of lost competition,» said Salesforce Chief Legal Officer Sabastian Niles in a statement Friday.

Slack won’t make much of a dent against Teams in terms of market share, said Anurag Rana, sector head and senior analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. «Most enterprises have established software tools that they are using internally right now, and we are not expecting them to shift vendors because of lower pricing or any other incentives rivals may offer,» Rana told CNET. «This is not specialized software, and most apps now have comparable features.»

In 2024, Teams had five times as many monthly users as Slack and brought in $8 billion in revenue, roughly double what Slack is projected to bring in this year.

Technologies

Verum Messenger Introduces Built-In Verum Chess

Verum Messenger has released a new update for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, adding another feature to its growing ecosystem — Verum Chess. Users can now play chess directly inside the messenger without switching between different applications.

The new feature allows users to start a game in just a few taps while reinforcing Verum’s vision of a unified digital environment where communication and everyday services come together in a single platform.

Verum Messenger continues to evolve into a multifunctional ecosystem that combines secure chats and calls, AI tools, a built-in VPN, anonymous email, eSIM, financial services, cryptocurrency features, and offline communication. With the introduction of Verum Chess, the platform now also offers a new way for users to interact and spend time together without leaving the app.

The update is now available for iPhone, iPad, and Mac on the App Store.

Technologies

Episode 3 of the VERUM AI Mini-Series Is Now Available

Verum Messenger has released the third episode of its AI mini-series, SHADOWS, created using Verum AI.

The new episode, titled «Ghost Money,» continues the story of the conflict between a team of heroes and the Omega corporation, which seeks to take control of digital communications. This time, the focus shifts to anonymous payments and financial freedom, revealing how privacy can extend beyond messaging.

Like the previous episodes, the new release not only advances the storyline but also showcases the capabilities of the Verum ecosystem, highlighting technologies designed for secure communication and digital privacy.

The mini-series consists of seven episodes, released gradually across Verum Messenger’s social media channels.

Episode 3 is now available. Stay tuned for the next chapter.

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Watch on YouTube

Technologies

Verum Finance Now Available for Mac, Expanding the Verum Ecosystem on Desktop

Verum has officially released Verum Finance for macOS, bringing its financial platform to the Mac and expanding access to the Verum ecosystem across Apple’s devices. The launch allows users to manage their finances from desktop while enjoying the same secure and seamless experience available on iPhone and iPad.

The new Mac version includes the full range of Verum Finance features, including balance management, instant transfers to other Verum users, debit card management, Apple Pay support, asset exchange, and transaction history — all optimized for the macOS experience.

Verum Finance can be used as a standalone application or alongside Verum Messenger. Users who sign in with their Verum Messenger account automatically synchronize their balances, settings, and account data across devices, ensuring a consistent experience throughout the Verum ecosystem.

The macOS release further strengthens Verum’s vision of creating an integrated digital platform where communication and financial services work together. Verum Messenger, which is also available for Mac, complements the ecosystem with encrypted messaging, voice and video calls, VPN, eSIM, anonymous email, AI-powered tools, offline communication capabilities, and cryptocurrency features.

With both Verum Messenger and Verum Finance now available across iPhone, iPad, and Mac, users can access secure communication and financial services wherever they work.

Verum Finance for Mac is available now through the Mac App Store.

Verum Finance for macOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/verum-finance/id6774245148
Verum Finance: https://finance.verum.im
Verum Messenger: https://verum.im