CMA examines Microsoft’s business software ecosystem: firms can respond by 13 November
The UK competition regulator has provisionally found that Microsoft’s business software ecosystem may warrant special oversight. Businesses and other interested parties can submit evidence by 5pm on 13 November. No new licence restrictions or changes have taken effect.
On 16 October 2026, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published a provisional view that Microsoft’s business software ecosystem may meet the criteria for strategic market status (SMS). The investigation concerns the UK market. This is a proposal, not a final designation or a rule already in force.
Why small firms may care
The CMA says more than 1 million UK businesses and public-sector organisations use software in the ecosystem, with around 20 million monthly users. These are different measures: organisations and individual users. The regulator is examining how product bundles, interoperability, cloud licensing and AI integration could affect choice. It has also published a roadmap of possible interventions. These are potential future measures: the announcement does not change subscription prices or confer an immediate right to leave an existing contract.
ONLYWAY NEWSLIVEHousing · 16.10EPC explained: ratings A to G, valid 10 years, and fines for letting below EHousing · 16.10Right to Buy: a discount of up to 70% — but only £16,000 in most of LondonTravel · 16.10Overseas residents made an estimated 40.8 million visits to the UK in 2025, ONS saysHousing · 16.10Building control gets dearer in England: councils move to full cost recovery on 6 NovemberMarkets · 16.10CMA examines Microsoft’s business software ecosystem: firms can respond by 13 NovemberLife · 16.10Ofsted pilots independent complaint reviews that can set aside a school's gradesHousing · 15.10Short on rent: what replaced Discretionary Housing Payments in England on 1 April 2026Money · 15.10Gaps in your National Insurance record: £18.40 a week and only six years backLife · 15.10Free UK GHIC: state healthcare in Europe and 15 working days for deliveryLife · 15.10Great British Railways HQ confirmed for Derby with 600 apprenticeship placesONLYWAY NEWS · appInstall the ONLYWAY NEWS appFresh UK news, classifieds, key dates and exchange rates on your home screen, one tap away. Free.NewsClassifiedsCalendarRatesWhat to do
- If your firm buys Microsoft 365 or other business software, gather specific evidence of licensing terms, product tying, switching costs or compatibility issues that limit your options. Keep contracts, invoices and dates.
- Read the CMA proposed decision and respond through the linked consultation portal or email business.software.sms@cma.gov.uk by 5pm on 13 November 2026, London time. No participation fee is stated.
- Clearly mark commercially confidential material and provide a non-confidential version that the CMA may publish.
The CMA plans to make its final designation decision by 13 February 2027. Even a designation would not itself automatically lower prices: any specific requirements would need separate consideration. Official sources: the CMA announcement, the consultation and response instructions and the investigation page.
- Travel London Tube and TfL closures in October 2026: the Piccadilly line stops entirely at Halloween, and no Tube to Heathrow on 17–18 October
- Life Free English with a native speaker: how Russian speakers can find a language partner
- Life A London concert cancelled back in March is still on sale for 4 October — and the full Russian-language listings for October
- Life Primary school applications close on 15 January: only 85% of Inner London children get their first choice
- Life A hundred students walked into an Edinburgh pub? What the viral Reel really shows
- Tax HMRC visits: how to check an officer's identity under the rules updated on 7 October
- Life Russian-language events in London: verified dates to December 2026