post articles, annotations and your precis
one post each for your two articles,
so...... two posts in total
example below
Microsoft and antitrust
The end, sort of
Dec 16th 2009
From Economist.com
Microsoft settles a long-running antitrust case with Europe's competition commissioner
“TO HECK with Janet Reno”, said Steve Ballmer, now Microsoft’s boss, after America’s attorney-general dared to go after the software firm in 1997 for abusing its Windows monopoly to smother Netscape, a now defunct browser firm. These words marked the beginning of what was to become probably the most spectacular antitrust case in the computer industry so far. The dispute later spread to Europe.
On Wednesday December 16th the case at last came to an end. Neelie Kroes, Europe’s competition commissioner, announced that she had reached a settlement with the software giant. Starting next March, in Europe at least, all versions of Windows will come with a “choice screen” rather than just an already-installed version of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. This will list 12 web browsers, including Microsoft’s and those provided by competitors. Computer users will be able to pick their favourite.
This settlement goes much further than an inconsequential deal that Microsoft struck in America in the early part of this decade. But it still invites questions over whether Europe’s case was worth the trouble.
Predictably, Microsoft executives do not believe it was. Even without antitrust action the browser market would now be competitive, they argue, pointing to the increasing market share of Firefox, an open-source browser. It is also no surprise that Microsoft’s critics are happy, although they argue that the firm still needs close scrutiny to ensure that the settlement is implemented effectively.
Yet the real value of the case does not lie in the specific remedies. Without the legal action, Microsoft may have resorted to dirty tricks to block Firefox’s progress. The firm probably would also have taken longer to ditch its aggressive corporate unilateralism. But the case has firmly established antitrust as a competitive weapon in the “platform wars” between big technology companies. Without extensive lobbying by rivals, the case would never gone as far as it has.
Microsoft, too, has learned to play this game. It is said that it was one of the driving forces behind encouraging the European Commission to look closely at the takeover of Sun, a hardware-maker, by Oracle, another software giant. Despite the antitrust scrutiny the Commission now seems inclined to approve the merger after concessions from Oracle. A decision is expected early next year.
Microsoft will certainly also try to torpedo another merger. In November Google announced that it would buy AdMob, a mobile advertising start-up, for a whopping $750m—apparently outbidding Apple at the last moment. Microsoft wants to stop Google, which already rules much of online advertising, from dominating mobile advertising too. Microsoft, after being on the receiving end of antitrust action for a long time, has now taken up the weapon to use against its rivals.
one post each for your two articles,
so...... two posts in total
example below
Microsoft and antitrust
The end, sort of
Dec 16th 2009
From Economist.com
Microsoft settles a long-running antitrust case with Europe's competition commissioner
“TO HECK with Janet Reno”, said Steve Ballmer, now Microsoft’s boss, after America’s attorney-general dared to go after the software firm in 1997 for abusing its Windows monopoly to smother Netscape, a now defunct browser firm. These words marked the beginning of what was to become probably the most spectacular antitrust case in the computer industry so far. The dispute later spread to Europe.
On Wednesday December 16th the case at last came to an end. Neelie Kroes, Europe’s competition commissioner, announced that she had reached a settlement with the software giant. Starting next March, in Europe at least, all versions of Windows will come with a “choice screen” rather than just an already-installed version of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. This will list 12 web browsers, including Microsoft’s and those provided by competitors. Computer users will be able to pick their favourite.
This settlement goes much further than an inconsequential deal that Microsoft struck in America in the early part of this decade. But it still invites questions over whether Europe’s case was worth the trouble.
Predictably, Microsoft executives do not believe it was. Even without antitrust action the browser market would now be competitive, they argue, pointing to the increasing market share of Firefox, an open-source browser. It is also no surprise that Microsoft’s critics are happy, although they argue that the firm still needs close scrutiny to ensure that the settlement is implemented effectively.
Yet the real value of the case does not lie in the specific remedies. Without the legal action, Microsoft may have resorted to dirty tricks to block Firefox’s progress. The firm probably would also have taken longer to ditch its aggressive corporate unilateralism. But the case has firmly established antitrust as a competitive weapon in the “platform wars” between big technology companies. Without extensive lobbying by rivals, the case would never gone as far as it has.
Microsoft, too, has learned to play this game. It is said that it was one of the driving forces behind encouraging the European Commission to look closely at the takeover of Sun, a hardware-maker, by Oracle, another software giant. Despite the antitrust scrutiny the Commission now seems inclined to approve the merger after concessions from Oracle. A decision is expected early next year.
Microsoft will certainly also try to torpedo another merger. In November Google announced that it would buy AdMob, a mobile advertising start-up, for a whopping $750m—apparently outbidding Apple at the last moment. Microsoft wants to stop Google, which already rules much of online advertising, from dominating mobile advertising too. Microsoft, after being on the receiving end of antitrust action for a long time, has now taken up the weapon to use against its rivals.
The antitrust suit in Europe against Microsoft for bundling it's browser in its office software is finally over. Begun in the US in 1997 because of the impending death of Netscape, it was wrapped up in Europe with Microsoft agreeing to bundle all browsers in its new software packages. The suit seems to have been important for what has changed, not for its specific outcome. Other browsers have flourished, ie. Firefox. Microssft also uses this antitrust approach to try to stop Google, most recently with its proposed purchase of another company which would increase its controlling position of online advertising.
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