The EU said Friday it had accepted Microsoft's commitment to more clearly separate the Teams communications app from its Office products -- sparing the US tech giant a hefty antitrust fine.

The European Commission said the redress proposed by Microsoft answered the concerns at the heart of an antitrust probe launched in 2023, ending practices that prevented rivals from competing "effectively".

"Today's decision therefore opens up competition in this crucial market, and ensures that businesses can freely choose the communication and collaboration product that best suits their needs," said EU competition chief Teresa Ribera.

The decision follows preliminary findings in a probe triggered by a 2020 complaint from Slack, a Teams competitor.

The commission -- the EU's antitrust regulator --

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