EU tells Microsoft to open its Windows
Print storyDon't expect much compensation though
Posted in Operating Systems, 5th April 2007 15:05 GMT
Tune into our application security webcast, click here
Microsoft will be forced to hand over sensitive technical information about the Windows operating system to its rivals but can expect next to no compensation, according to a report in the Financial Times.
In its anti-trust ruling three years ago, the European Commission said Redmond had to licence technical information to competing groups allowing them to design better Windows-compatible server software.
The FT said it had seen a confidential statement of objections document that said Microsoft will receive little or no licence fee payments from its rivals, which include the likes of IBM, Sun, and Oracle.
The commission said last month that Microsoft's demand of up to 5.95 per cent of companies' server revenue for royalties from licences was excessive.
Professor Neil Barrett, technical expert at the commission, said it would take rivals seven years to recoup development costs if hit by Microsoft's suggested fees: "We can only conclude on this basis that the Microsoft-proposed royalties are prohibitively high...and should be reduced in line with this analysis."
Microsoft said it "will respond to the latest statement of objections in full by the deadline of 23 April. We believe we are in compliance with the March 2004 decision and that the terms on which we have made the protocols available are reasonable and non-discriminatory". ®
Solving on-premise email challenges with on-demand services
The business case for application security
Airport insecurity: the case of lost laptops
The best practices guide for application security
Impact of the dramatic increase in devices on the cost to support
Google code cloud punts on-demand embarrassment
Microsoft weighs next-phase in open-source support
iTunes minus the player: hack your Apple beats
Oracle plans cloud strategy