Interoperability

Microsoft has reached an agreement with the EU to unbundle Teams from its Office 365 and Microsoft 365 suites, averting antitrust fines. The move follows a European Commission investigation prompted by a complaint from Slack regarding anti-competitive bundling. Microsoft will offer suites without Teams at a reduced price and facilitate interoperability with rival platforms. The agreement aims to ensure fair market access and prevent hindering competition. Microsoft has increased the price differential and will more prominently advertise suites without Teams. The EU’s decision signals increased scrutiny of tech bundling practices.

Tencent’s QQ is testing a new feature enabling seamless transfers between QQ Wallet and WeChat Pay accounts, found in the QQ 9.2.5 beta. Users can transfer funds between the two platforms with real-time transfers and no fees. Transfers from WeChat Pay to QQ have been possible since 2020. QQ is also integrating WeChat Pay into social payment scenarios and streamlining its user experience, focusing on core functionality and leveraging existing strengths like WeChat mini-programs.

PayPal unveils “PayPal World,” a platform connecting global payment systems and digital wallets, starting with PayPal and Venmo interoperability, linking nearly two billion users. Launch partners include Mercado Pago, NPCI, Tenpay Global. It allows users to pay international businesses with their local wallet and currency, and businesses to reach a broader audience with existing infrastructure. The tech-agnostic platform supports future wallet expansion and agentic shopping with AI.