EC plans move against Microsoft

ALTHOUGH Microsoft has explained why it was charging an arm and a leg for information about how to integrate products with Windows, it is clear that the European Commission is not finished with Le Vole.

The EC gave Vole until last night to explain why it set unreasonably high prices for access to its Windows Server protocol information in order to keep the competition at bay.

Microsoft did explain itself, and the EC is thinking about the excuse it gave. However according to Arstechnica, the EC has had a gutsful of Volish pussyfooting around on this.

Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes told the American Bar Association that never in European history has a single company refused to do what it was told before.

She said that it was clear that fining Vole had proved ineffective and a structural remedy was needed. It is not exactly clear what she meant, but it could lead to a demand that Microsoft be broken up.

More here.

Brussels is a smoking zone.