An open procedure
Microsoft’s business software ecosystem remains under UK regulatory scrutiny. The CMA proposal published on October 16 is under consultation: strategic market status has not been finally imposed by that announcement. [1]
Why customers are central
The regulator is examining customer choice and barriers to switching, including the way different products work together. A strategic market status designation would not itself be a finding of wrongdoing; any subsequent intervention would require its own legal basis. [1]
The next deadline
The case page invites consultation responses by 5pm on November 13, 2026. It also sets out a roadmap for possible interventions. This article explains that continuing process; it does not present the October 16 proposal as a new decision issued today. [2]
Context: the cost beyond the licence
For an organisation evaluating software, the invoice is only one part of the choice. A useful assessment would also examine training, data export, workflow dependencies and the effort required to change suppliers. That is an editorial framework for reading the case, not a calculation of any particular customer’s costs.
Choice must work in practice
The practical test is whether a business can combine the services it wants and retain a realistic exit route. Compatibility promises are more useful when a customer can test them against an actual migration plan. Neither a regulatory label nor a vendor announcement substitutes for that exercise.
What to watch
The consultation outcome and any final decision matter more than speculation about an immediate penalty. Readers should distinguish the proposed designation, the evidence-gathering stage and any later requirements. They are separate steps with different consequences.
