Microsoft's Web Search kickback program has a Windows precedent
,----[ Quote ]
| As Microsoft historians may recall, Microsoft was forced by the
| U.S. Department of Justice to end its preferrential pricing scheme
| for Windows. Microsoft now charges its top 20 OEMs the same price
| per copy for Windows. At least as of 2004, the MDA incentive
| program still existed in some form, however.
|
| The Web Search program is more of an opt-in program than was the
| MDA program. With more than 95 percent share of the desktop
| operating system market in its control, Microsoft used the MDA
| program to tighten already tight screws on its OEM "partners."
|
| The case is quite different in the Web search arena, where
| Microsoft is No. 3, trailing behind Google and Yahoo. One could argu
| -- and I'm sure some already have -- that Microsoft will use illegally
| its OS monopoly to try to better its search position. Others will
| point to the Microsoft Web search kickback program as evidence of
| the desperation among Microsoft execs to improve its search share.
`----
http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=329
Related:
Office 2007 Referral Payment Pilot Irks Some Partners
,----[ Quote ]
| The Referral Payment Pilot Program for Office Ready, which begins Jan.
| 30, is open to large system builders that pre-install the Microsoft
| Office Ready image on PCs sold to resellers.
`----
http://www.crn.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleId=196902966
Windows Live to Get First OEM Bundle
,----[ Quote ]
| The initial bundling would be for the Live homepage and Windows Live
| Toolbar, according to sources. Live search also is expected to be
| included in the deal. Other products or services could come in the
| future.
`----
http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/web_services_browser/live_side.html?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535
http://tinyurl.com/2jjymp
Connecting the dots on Windows 7
,----[ Quote ]
| I would have asked one more follow up: Was Gates hinting that
| Microsoft will build more of its currently standalone Windows
| Live services right into the operating system?
`----
http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=241
Where Should Vendors Stick Their Services?
,----[ Quote ]
| Wondering if you noticed the news over at Microsoft Watch this week
| that Microsoft has done what many considered inevitable: Started
| using Windows as a way to hawk Windows Live Services?
|
| It's not too surprising to me that Microsoft is splashing all over
| its Welcome to Vista screen (at least in one of the latest Vista test
| builds, No. 5506) promotional links, inviting users to download Windows
| Live Messenger, Windows Live OneCare, Windows Live Mail Desktop, and more.
| But I was surprised the Redmondians would be so bold as to actually
| embed Windows Live Messenger into Vista. After all the antitrust
| lawsuits Microsoft has been slapped with here, there and everywhere ?
| many of which have focused on its "innovative integration" (a k a,
| bundling) strategies, you'd think they'd be a little more cautious.
|
| With the actual Windows Live Messenger code (not just a download link)
| being integrated right into Vista, I think Microsoft might be really
| going out on a limb. When backed into a corner before about its
| integration strategy, Microsoft's defense was that removing any of
| the integrated components (Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player,
| etc.) would break the OS. But if Vista test builds have been working
| just fine (well, middling, maybe, based on some not-so-happy tester
| comments) without Windows Live Messenger, how can Microsoft make a
| case for it being part of Windows?
`----
http://www.microsoft-watch.com/article2/0,1995,2005413,00.asp?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535
Welcome to college, here's your Windows Live account
http://arstechnica.com/journals/microsoft.ars/2006/4/23/3719
Software rivals say Microsoft's Vista illegal in Europe
,----[ Excerpt ]
| Software manufacturers, citing 2004 European Commission finding,
| contend the operating system violates server laws in Europe.
`----
http://money.cnn.com/2007/01/26/news/international/bc.vista.microsoft.eu.reut/index.htm?source=yahoo_quote
'Microsoft broke anti-trust agreement,' prosecutors claim
,----[ Quote ]
| It's claimed Microsoft's engineers used at least 500 undocumented APIs
| to ensure Microsoft's applications worked better with Windows than
| those of competitors.
`----
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01/18/microsoft_breached_antitrust/
Microsoft rivals file second European complaint
,----[ Quote ]
| ...Microsoft was preventing access to Vista's programming interfaces
| and hindering the development of compatible products, thus repeating
| anti-competitive violations the commission had identified three
| years ago in a previous operating system.
`----
http://www.marketwatch.com/News/Story/Story.aspx?guid=%7bAF5B8FB2-488F-4468-80B8-21F6EEE223E3%7d&siteid=yhoo&dist=yhoo
http://tinyurl.com/2ybdot
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