08 September 2006
Microsoft Playing Victim
Microsoft is at it again, using the same tactics they used during the anti-trust case in the US when Windows 98 was threatened to be delayed.
Their argument then was that any delay of Windows would have wide, negative effects on the personal computer industry.
This time around it's in Europe and not the US, but the tactics are similar with Microsoft trying to make themselves the victim saying that the European Commission will not respond to them and will not tell them what they need to do to have Vista released in Europe on time. Along with this a letter recently has been sent to the Commission stating how a delay will prevent European businesses from competing.
The European Commission has already stated that Microsoft has to be compliant with EU competition rules and once their software matches those requirements they will be allowed to release Vista. Microsoft has already been fined twice for a total of $998 million because of their inactivity in fulfilling those requirements and they haven't responded at all to the Commission until recently.
The lack of companies being able to receive Windows Vista in the EU will do nothing to prevent them from competing. Thousands of businesses around the world will not be updating their systems for many years yet. There are still businesses using Windows versions as old as Windows 98 and 95 without having any trouble competing. Not to mention the companies using Macs and Linux. The only company who will have trouble competing will be Microsoft due to their inability to release Vista on time. It will hurt their market share a bit, but it is their responsibility to provide software that does not try to promote a Microsoft Empire that forces people to use their computers within Microsoft guidelines and within their opinion of how a computer should be used.
If you want more information on the issue you can read here.
Their argument then was that any delay of Windows would have wide, negative effects on the personal computer industry.
This time around it's in Europe and not the US, but the tactics are similar with Microsoft trying to make themselves the victim saying that the European Commission will not respond to them and will not tell them what they need to do to have Vista released in Europe on time. Along with this a letter recently has been sent to the Commission stating how a delay will prevent European businesses from competing.
The European Commission has already stated that Microsoft has to be compliant with EU competition rules and once their software matches those requirements they will be allowed to release Vista. Microsoft has already been fined twice for a total of $998 million because of their inactivity in fulfilling those requirements and they haven't responded at all to the Commission until recently.
The lack of companies being able to receive Windows Vista in the EU will do nothing to prevent them from competing. Thousands of businesses around the world will not be updating their systems for many years yet. There are still businesses using Windows versions as old as Windows 98 and 95 without having any trouble competing. Not to mention the companies using Macs and Linux. The only company who will have trouble competing will be Microsoft due to their inability to release Vista on time. It will hurt their market share a bit, but it is their responsibility to provide software that does not try to promote a Microsoft Empire that forces people to use their computers within Microsoft guidelines and within their opinion of how a computer should be used.
If you want more information on the issue you can read here.
