We link to the original sources below. Sections labelled “Sandycroft analysis” contain our interpretation and practical suggestions. Product and service links are commercial suggestions from Sandycroft, separate from the source reporting.
SOURCED NEWS SUMMARY
The news
On 16 October 2026, the Competition and Markets Authority proposed designating Microsoft with strategic market status in its business software ecosystem. The findings are provisional and subject to consultation, rather than a final designation. An indicative roadmap identifies areas for possible future work, including software bundling and interoperability.
The CMA also reported progress in its separate engagement with Microsoft and Amazon Web Services on cloud choice, while saying barriers remain. This does not mean that every small-business software contract has changed, that all switching costs have disappeared, or that a cheaper replacement is automatically suitable.
SANDYCROFT ANALYSIS
Know what you are actually renewing
Before accepting the next renewal, list each subscription, the task it supports, its owner and its notice deadline. Include add-ons and seats that may have been bought for a past project. Ask whether the people assigned to them still use them. Compare the complete working cost rather than a promotional monthly figure that omits an essential feature.
Write down what would stop working if the service were unavailable tomorrow. Email, shared documents, accounting records and production information can have different dependencies. A low-use subscription may still perform an important task; a popular tool may duplicate something already paid for. The purpose of the review is to understand the arrangement before deciding whether to keep it.
SANDYCROFT ANALYSIS
Try an export before you plan a move
Choose a harmless sample record and test the available export process. Can you open the result, understand its fields and keep the attachments connected to the right job? Record any missing history or formatting. Do not cancel the existing service or move live customer data until you understand the retention, access and migration implications.
A trial of another tool should follow one ordinary job from enquiry to completion. Include the awkward parts: an amended quantity, a revised artwork proof or a customer who reorders an older design. Check staff permissions and how you would recover from an error. A successful demonstration is useful, but it is not evidence that every historical record will transfer correctly.
SANDYCROFT ANALYSIS
Keep production knowledge usable
For a printing or embroidery business, the important record is more than a customer’s name. A repeat order may depend on garment reference, size breakdown, decoration position, artwork version and approval. Agree how those details will remain linked and readable independently of whichever screen currently displays them. Restrict access to people who need it and keep appropriate backups.
The same brief helps customers ordering branded workwear. Sandycroft’s embroidery service can discuss repeatable decoration specifications, while Flintshire Printing is relevant for checked physical job information or customer materials. These are separate services, not software migration products. Better records support clearer conversations; they do not remove the need to check a proof or confirm current options before ordering.
CHECK THE ORIGINAL REPORTING
Sources & dates
- Competition and Markets Authority — CMA takes first steps to ensure choice in business software Published 16 October 2026