The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced on Thursday the formal launch of an antitrust investigation into the market dominance of US tech giant Microsoft in the business software sector. If the investigation determines that Microsoft holds a 'strategic market status (SMS)' in this area, the regulator may take targeted regulatory action.

This investigation marks the fourth case initiated by the CMA under new regulatory powers granted last year. The focus of the probe will center on whether Microsoft has engaged in practices that weaken market competition by bundling products such as Windows, Word, Excel, Teams, and its AI assistant Copilot. Simultaneously, the regulator will also assess whether competitors in the artificial intelligence field face technical or access barriers when integrating with Microsoft's business software.

In a statement, CMA Chief Executive Sarah Cardell emphasized that business software is a cornerstone of the UK economy, with hundreds of thousands of organizations relying on Microsoft's systems. She noted that this investigation aims to gain a deeper understanding of the market's development trends and Microsoft's market position, and to consider necessary measures to ensure UK organizations can benefit from market choice, technological innovation, and competitive pricing.