Microsoft’s new Vista operating system could be delayed
if its battle against a European Commission anti-trust ruling goes
badly, an industry analyst has warned.
The software giant begins its appeal today against the
commission’s 2004 ruling and the demand that it release
documentation for its workgroup server protocols in an acceptable
format. The company faces a daily fine of £1.4m for failing to
comply.
But investment analyst Kim Caughey of Fort Pitt Capital Group
warned that if Microsoft’s appeal before the European Court of
First Instance is unsuccessful, there could be a knock-on effect on
the release of the company’s new Vista operating system.
European competition commissioner Neelie Kroes is understood to
have already raised concerns about Vista to Microsoft chief
executive Steve Ballmer. The commission is concerned that the new
operating system may integrate internet search functions, digital
rights management tools or software to create fixed document
formats, similar to Adobe’s pdf.
“There could be additional antitrust [legal] filings as
Microsoft expands the capabilities of its operating system. In a
worst case, it might give Microsoft pause to release [Vista] if its
EU battle is going badly,” Caughey said.
Additional antitrust actions against Microsoft would be
triggered by the software giant’s attempts to “roll new tools into
its operating system”, she said. “They are going to move into
established vendors. I’d hate to be a company in Microsoft’s
intended direction [of travel].”
The Court of First Instance is set to hear evidence from the
European Committee for Interoperable Systems – which includes IT
firms IBM, Oracle, Sun Microsystems and Red Hat – in support of the
European Commission’s ruling.
The Software and Information Industries Association, multimedia
software provider VideoBanner.com, and the Free Software Foundation
Europe are also expected to intervene in support of the
commission.
The hearings start today, Monday 24 April, and are expected to
last all week.