The UK Competition and Markets Authority has proposed designating Microsoft’s business software ecosystem with strategic market status. The 16 October proposal opens a consultation, with a final decision still to come. For organisations buying software, the issue is how freely they can choose, combine and switch services. [1]
What has actually changed
The authority has published a roadmap of possible interventions and is seeking responses by 13 November. Its case page gives February 2027 as the statutory deadline for a designation decision. These are procedural milestones, not an order requiring customers to stop using Microsoft products. [1]
Designation is not a verdict
The CMA explicitly says designation would not itself establish wrongdoing. It could enable targeted conduct requirements or other competition measures, subject to the applicable tests. The distinction matters: identifying market power and finding a breach are different regulatory questions, with different evidence and consequences. [2]
The buyer’s problem
Nove.news context: an organisation comparing software must consider more than the monthly subscription. Data migration, staff training, access controls and compatibility can determine whether an alternative is usable. A nominal choice of supplier has limited practical value if moving essential work would be excessively disruptive. That is the useful lens for evaluating any eventual remedy.
What comes next
Watch the consultation responses and the final designation decision. No specific new customer entitlement should be assumed before the relevant measures are adopted.
