October 11, 2004

Microsoft still hopes to settle with EC, exec says

Microsoft's CEO for EMEA says sanctions will affect the companies' ability to innovate

CANNES, FRANCE -- Microsoft Corp. still hopes to settle with the European Commission over the sanctions ordered against it to correct its anticompetitive behavior, even as its appeal of the case winds its way through the legal channels, a senior company executive said Monday.

"We definitely want to settle. We just said it in court and I'll say it again," Jean-Philippe Courtois, Microsoft's chief executive officer (CEO) for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), said at the Etre technology conference in Cannes.

The Commission ruled last March that Microsoft had abused its dominance in the PC operating systems market to gain an advantage in related markets, such as that for media players. It ordered the company to pay a fine of €497 million, or more than $600 million, and offer a version of its operating system without the Windows Media Player (WMP). It also ordered it to reveal enough Windows code to allow rivals to build competing server software that works well with Windows.

The Redmond, Washington, software maker is trying to get those behavioral remedies suspended pending its appeal. The request for a suspension is being considered by the European Union's Court of First Instance, which held a two-day hearing on the matter Sept. 30 and Oct. 1.

"We agreed on a settlement initially, but the Commission felt that it had to set a precedent," Courtois said. The sanctions set a worrisome precedent because they will affect companies' ability to innovate, he argued.

"At the core of the issue is innovation. We want to be able to innovate, to make a plan and to act on it," said Courtois, who oversees Microsoft's business in some 60 countries.

The record fine, which Microsoft has paid and is being held in a special account until the case concludes, and the unbundling of WMP, were not of real concern for the company, he said.

White Paper

D2D Virtual Tape Library Replication Primer

This whitepaper explains the terminology and concepts behind Data Replication technologies and establishes some sizing rules through worked examples. Learn the new paradigm in disaster tolerance—protect data anywhere.

Download now »

White Paper

An Alternative to Virtualization for Datacenter Cost Savings

Server virtualization is a popular option for dealing with mounting datacenter costs. Another equally promising approach is the use of an Application Delivery Controller. Citrix NetScaler provides a low-cost way for organizations to reduce their server count and accrue cost savings from a reduction in space, cooling, power and personnel.

Download now »

White Paper

Why Your Firewall, VPN, and IEEE 802.11i Aren't Enough to Protect Your Network

The emergence of WLANs has created a new breed of security threats to enterprise networks.

Included in HP ProCurve WLAN solutions is security technology that alleviates threats from WLANs through:
* Monitoring wireless activity inside and out of the enterprise
* Classifying WLAN transmissions into harmful and harmless
* Preventing transmissions that pose a security threat to the enterprise network
* Locating participating devices for physical remediation

Download now »

White Paper

Bringing the Edge to the Data Center

Effectively address data protection challenges, implementing solutions that help store and protect business–critical data while cutting costs and improving efficiency and reliability.

Download now »

Sign up to receive InfoWorld Resource Alerts

Subscribe to the Today's Headlines: First Look Newsletter

Find out what will be news for the day, with our first-thing-in-the-morning briefing.

©1994-2009 Infoworld, Inc.