Microsoft Office 2010: Fending off EU antitrust regulators

Microsoft are to offer a file format “ballot” to Office 2010, it is hoped that this will help to fend off and block huge fines from European Union (EU) antitrust regulators. Two weeks ago, Microsoft offered a number of promises related to Office 2010 to the European Commission, this is to help address a number of antitrust concerns that was first picked up by officials back in January 2008.

Back then, the commission had launched probes into the business practices of Microsoft after they had received some complaints. One of those investigations was the way that Microsoft bundled IE into Windows, this probe was triggered by a protest from Opera.

In the past, Microsoft had been accused of favoring its own Office program over its rivals, while doing so hindering developer’s efforts to help get their software to run smoothly with its Office applications, such as Excel, PowerPoint, Word and other Office applications.

Brad Smith, Microsoft’s general counsel announced on July 24, that they would offer two deals, one for Internet Explorer and the other for Office 2010. Microsoft is very confident that its two proposals will work, they have now dropped plans to offer a free browser version of Windows 7 in Europe in the fall.

For more on this story, visit Computer World

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