The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has announced the launch of a procedure that could result in Microsoft being designated with "strategic market status" (SMS) in the business software segment. This is a preliminary stage of a broader investigation aimed at assessing the corporation's impact on competition in this field. Strategic market status is applied to companies that hold dominant positions in specific digital markets and allows for the introduction of special behavioral requirements to ensure fair competition. In Microsoft's case, the regulator intends to examine how the company manages its business product ecosystem, including office applications, cloud services, and collaboration tools. The CMA emphasizes that the goal of this initiative is to guarantee consumers and businesses genuine choice between different software providers, rather than forced reliance on a single manufacturer's products. The regulator also intends to investigate whether Microsoft's practices create artificial barriers for competitors, including through licensing terms, service integration, and pricing policies. The investigation aligns with the CMA's broader strategy to strengthen oversight of major technology companies under the UK's new digital regulation framework. Similar measures have already been discussed regarding other technology giants, including Google and Apple. A final decision on designating Microsoft with SMS status will be made after completing consultations and analyzing the gathered data. If the status is confirmed, the company could face new obligations aimed at increasing transparency and facilitating user switching between competing products.