Last week's European Commission's decision to fine
Microsoft and force it to alter some of its products was done
ostensibly with users' needs in mind. On the whole, reaction from
European users has been favourable.
The EC has told Microsoft it will have to create a version of
its Windows operating system with no media player software
included, and will also have to provide information to competitors
to help them develop server software to run well on its products
and interface properly with other Microsoft systems.
"In all fairness, I think it's probably a good thing," said
Chris Champion, network and communications manager for Mencap.
"It'll make the market more competitive and make prices more
attractive, and give a little more flexibility in terms of
interoperability. The biggest frustration in the past has been
getting Novell and Microsoft software to work together smoothly,
you're always looking for fixes. This could iron out a lot of the
problems."
Mencap's network runs on Novell's NetWare server software,
except for some Windows 2000 application servers.
Graham Snudden, the vice president of Cambridge-based startup
BlueGnome, considered installing Microsoft server software on its
single "homemade" server, but that was going to cost about
£10,000.
Instead, BlueGnome hired a Linux specialist who set up a Linux
server to work with the company's Windows PCs. "It is tricky,"
Snudden said. The company would have installed the software itself
but getting Linux to work with Microsoft Windows was too complex.
Instead, BlueGnome hired a local specialist to come and install
Linux server software for £1,500.
"If the EC is saying that Microsoft is using its position to
drive sales, then I can see what they're trying to do," he
said.
Mencap's Champion agreed. "Microsoft has been unfair and some of
their competitors have suffered as a result. On the Media Player
side, they've done exactly what they did to Netscape. Microsoft
threw a free browser into their operating system and Netscape was
pushed to one side. That's what's happening to RealPlayer now."
However, a London webmaster was not so happy. "This decision
isn't fair, because it's [about] Microsoft's intellectual
property.
"They've spent millions developing software only for third
parties to piggyback off their success. It's like if you wanted to
become a car manufacturer you couldn't walk into Ferrari and ask
for their engine."
He added that consumers do not care what products they use so
long as they can use the full functionality.
"Although, admittedly, Microsoft has a complete monopoly - it's
everywhere," he said.
At Numerica Business Services Group, infrastructure manager Kit
Constable said the decision will not affect his company much.
"We're a Microsoft house, almost entirely, we're a big Microsoft
fan. The Microsoft platform has always offered everything we need,"
he added.
Numerica has acquired a number of smaller businesses over the
past year or so, but always immediately replaces their server and
e-mail systems with Microsoft products, he said. " We transfer
rather than integrate. So the decision won't have any effect on
us," he said.
Olivier Beauvillain, an analyst with Jupiter Research in Paris,
said that in the longer term the media player decision will help
companies such as Google as well as media player companies, because
it will give them a better chance to have a presence on the desktop
with products like the Google toolbar.
On the negative side, the decision will cause problems for
companies that have entered into cross-marketing agreements with
Microsoft based around Windows Media Player. It will be harder for
Microsoft to market those products once Media Player is not on
every desktop, he said.
Gillian Law writes for IDG News Service. Additional
reporting by Scarlet Pruitt