EC opens Microsoft investigation
Source: Agencies |
July 18, 2012, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
THE EU's executive body, the European Commission, has opened up an investigation into whether Microsoft has kept the antitrust commitments it made in 2009, and warned that penalties for non-compliance would be "severe."
EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said yesterday the indications are that Microsoft, which makes the Windows operating system, has failed to provide customers with a screen from which they could choose different Internet browsers other than its own Internet Explorer.
Almunia said it appeared that the "choice screen," promised by Microsoft following an antitrust case in 2009, has not been provided since February 2011, meaning 28 million customers may not have seen it.
In a statement, Microsoft conceded it had "fallen short" of its responsibility, while acknowledging it was required to provide the browser choice screen, or BCS.
"Due to a technical error, we missed delivering the BCS software to PCs that came with the service pack 1 update to Windows 7," it said.
The company said that PCs running the original version of Windows 7, as well as Windows XP and Windows Vista, did have the screen.
"While we have taken immediate steps to remedy this problem, we deeply regret that this error occurred and we apologize for it," Microsoft said.
Microsoft submitted a report to the Commission in December saying the browser choice screen was being provided as required.
EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said yesterday the indications are that Microsoft, which makes the Windows operating system, has failed to provide customers with a screen from which they could choose different Internet browsers other than its own Internet Explorer.
Almunia said it appeared that the "choice screen," promised by Microsoft following an antitrust case in 2009, has not been provided since February 2011, meaning 28 million customers may not have seen it.
In a statement, Microsoft conceded it had "fallen short" of its responsibility, while acknowledging it was required to provide the browser choice screen, or BCS.
"Due to a technical error, we missed delivering the BCS software to PCs that came with the service pack 1 update to Windows 7," it said.
The company said that PCs running the original version of Windows 7, as well as Windows XP and Windows Vista, did have the screen.
"While we have taken immediate steps to remedy this problem, we deeply regret that this error occurred and we apologize for it," Microsoft said.
Microsoft submitted a report to the Commission in December saying the browser choice screen was being provided as required.
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