Forced by pressure from the European Union's anti-monopoly, the global software giant Microsoft said recently that the United States, will be sold in the European market with its own Web browser is not IE's latest version of the Windows operating system (Windows).Microsoft is once again "soft services", but it is with the EU anti-trust battle between the residual sound is outstanding.
And then force Windows "thin"
At a recent computer manufacturer sent a confidential memorandum, Microsoft informed that he would launch a European version of Windows7 separate operating system, which will not include IE.Microsoft admitted that the move was to ensure compliance with European law.
This year in January, the European Commission accused Microsoft will bundle IE and Windows is a violation of the EU antitrust rules, endanger the normal market competition.Seeing the European Commission recently made the decision soon, Microsoft is at this point take the initiative to make concessions in order to escape unharmed.
That year, Microsoft is through their IE browser to "free" embedded Windows system, successfully pedigree web browser Netscape Communications Corporation United States out of the market.Today, the EU forced Microsoft, the second anti-trust pressure on sales of Windows in Europe to "downsizing."
Earlier, the European Commission for Microsoft to bundle Windows Media Player and refused to open to the server compatible with competitors technical information industry, launched its long-running antitrust battle.In this process, Microsoft has been the European Commission imposed a fine of nearly 1.7 billion euros, and was forced to agree with their sale is not the European version of media player Windows.
Barbed secret concessions
From the reaction of the last few days, Microsoft's concessions to win European Union and its competitors is clearly not a good impression.
In a statement issued later, the European Commission expressed the dissatisfaction with Microsoft's good faith, believe that Microsoft is "dead carry" to the last, but also playing a "trick", it is simply the European version of Windows, without anyweb browser.
Microsoft said it to computer manufacturers to provide a free IE extra software, the computer maker to decide in the European market pre-installed on the machine which web browser.
For this approach, the European Commission said it had hoped that Microsoft will offer consumers the opportunity to select the web browser, not a browser without any Windows.
EU antitrust policy is to safeguard the interests of consumers the ultimate goal.It seems the European Commission, Microsoft has done is eliminate bundling, but in effect, depriving consumers of choice, so that the European Commission's anti-monopoly efforts counterproductive.
Another Web browser developer Opera company accused Microsoft "late" concession is not enough.Opera Company, has claimed that Microsoft should be allowed to open when Windows first starts, a window for consumers to choose to install a different web browser.
Battle is far from over
Analysts pointed out that Microsoft is forced to take the initiative to make concessions in addition to anti-trust pressure, there is a consideration is in October this year in order to ensure simultaneous release around the world the latest version of Windows7 operating system.
But Microsoft and the EU anti-trust battle between the concession and have not put a full stop.
The European Commission said it took note of Microsoft's move, and soon will make a ruling on the case of bundled IE, but the European Commission's dissatisfaction means that Microsoft has been showing this trouble in order to be no easy task.
Pointed out that the legal profession, even if the European Commission to accept Microsoft's concessions, Microsoft could still act as the previous bundling was a huge European Commission antitrust fine imposed, which together with the former already in the Microsoft antitrust case precedent.
In recent years, Microsoft and the EU can be described as anti-trust between the friction.In 2007, the number of competitors a joint complaint to the European Commission, accusing Microsoft Windows Vista system, "bundling" its own security software, network and desktop search tools, and their computers trying to replace the existing HTML language format as the Internetdocumentation standards, and further expansion of the site on the Internet market.
Early last year, the European Commission began investigating the case when bundled IE, but also for products such as Microsoft Office-compatible office software, information disclosure issues of anti-monopoly investigation.
From this, disputes between the EU and Microsoft have not yet settled.