Microsoft agrees EU rollout for Vista

Software giant Microsoft has agreed to adapt its new operating system Vista to meet EU competition concerns.

EU competition commissioner Neelie Kroes had warned the US corporation that some of the components of Vista could breach European anti-trust rules, and negotiations over functionality had threatened to delay the software’s European launch.

Microsoft confirmed late last week that Vista would be available in the EU as planned, in November, following “constructive dialogue” between Kroes and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

The company said it had received “guidance” from the commission over what would and would not be acceptable, and that it had “made changes to ensure that we’re in compliance with our competition law obligations”.

“We are committed to adhering to local law in every region of the world,” said Ballmer.

But Brussels was keen to stress that this did not mean that Vista would not face future anti-trust investigations.

“The commission has not given a green light to Microsoft to deliver Vista because, as the commission has consistently stated, Microsoft must shoulder its own responsibilities to ensure that Vista is fully compliant with EU competition rules,” the commission said in a statement.

“The commission will closely monitor the effects of Vista in the market and, in particular, examine any complaints concerning Vista on their own merits.”

According to Les Echos, Microsoft has agreed to offer an alternative version of Vista for the European market that would give users the option to deselect bundled software such as Microsoft’s search engine and document viewing programmes.

This is in response to concerns by the commission that such programmes could threaten the development of rivals such as Google or Adobe Acrobat.

Microsoft was forced to produce a version of its Windows operating system without the in-built Media Player software after the commission ruled in 2004 that this could threaten rivals such as Quicktime and Real.

MEPs have welcomed Microsoft’s decision to address the EU’s concerns and keep Vista’s launch on track.

“This outcome has succeeded in balancing the commission’s concerns about Windows Vista with the need for Europe to remain competitive in the global economy,” said British centre-right deputy Chris Heaton-Harris.

But the thorny issue of interoperability still remains unresolved, with the commission’s 2004 ruling obliging the corporation to make its software protocols available to rivals in order to allow Windows to be used on other systems.

The company has appealed against this ruling, arguing that the protocols are confidential business information, and it remains unclear whether Vista will meet the commission’s interoperability requirements.

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