Economy · Business & trade · 18 October 2026
CMA proposes Microsoft strategic market status
The Competition and Markets Authority has proposed designating Microsoft with strategic market status in its business software ecosystem. An indicative roadmap for potential future interventions was also published. The CMA will consult before making a final decision on the designation.
The Competition and Markets Authority has proposed to designate Microsoft with strategic market status within its business software ecosystem. Alongside this proposal, the regulator published an indicative roadmap outlining areas for possible future interventions aimed at improving outcomes for UK businesses and public sector organisations.
Microsoft’s business software is used by over a million businesses and public sector organisations across the UK, with 20 million monthly users. The CMA identified that Microsoft holds a strong position across each of the 5 areas of digital activity it investigated. The authority noted that commercial practices and integration advantages create barriers that other software developers cannot easily overcome, limiting customer choice.
The roadmap highlights how Microsoft bundles its software and the need to make it easier for developers to integrate their products with the ecosystem. The CMA will consult before making a final decision on the designation, meaning the current proposal is not yet a final order. No specific timeline for the consultation period or final decision was provided in the announcement.
Written by StreetOwl from Competition and Markets Authority’s own announcement. It was drafted by StreetOwl’s own model, every figure and quotation was checked by code against the announcement, and it was read and approved by Michael Rossi before it went up. It says what was announced, not what anyone should do about it.
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