Expecting the world's largest software company to comply to legal rulings is a tough job and looking for needles in a digital haystack is much easier. Sometimes you just have to make your non-Windows software work with Windows software. Users rely too much on that buggy OS and clicking on GUIs is much easier than typing cryptic linux commands.
Microsoft Corp. offered today, "free, unlimited technical support'' to rivals interested in making their software work with servers of the software giant and said it was a sign it is seeking full compliance with an EU antitrust ruling.
"We are committed to doing everything in our power to address the (European) Commission's concerns,'' Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith said in a statement.
In an initial reaction, a spokesman for the EU's antitrust office said the offer from Microsoft appeared to be "constructive,'' but insisted more efforts needed to be made by Microsoft to fall into line with the EU's ruling.
On 24 March 2004, the European Commission concluded after a five-year investigation, that Microsoft Corporation broke European Union competition law by leveraging its near monopoly in the market for PC operating systems (OS) onto the markets for work group server operating systems and for media players. In addition, Microsoft was fined € 497 million for abusing its market power in the EU.
Microsoft offers 'unlimited technical support' for rivals interested in Windows software source
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