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Opera mounts challenge to Microsoft browser dominance
Microsoft has a fight on its hands to retain its dominance in the software market, which could have significant knock-on effects for Internet Advertising.Bill Gates' firm was recently forced to pay a £356 million fine regarding anti-competitive practices, and now a small Norwegian web browser company, Opera, has filed a complaint against Microsoft with the European Commission, the Times reports.
It says that people effectively don't have a choice when it comes to which web browser they use, since Microsoft builds its Internet Explorer programme into the Windows operating system that is used on nine out of ten computers.
"Microsoft deprives consumers of real choice in internet browsers," said Thomas Vinje of the European Committee for Interoperable Systems, which is backing Opera's complaint. "Browsers are the gateway to the internet. Microsoft seeks to control this gateway."
IBM, Nokia and Sun Microsystems are also members of the committee.
Microsoft has denied the charge, saying that users are free to use any browser they wish, and manufacturers can pre-install Opera if they wish.
Should the European Commission decide that Microsoft operates unfairly, it could have a massive impact on the company's returns from internet advertising. Microsoft Live Search has a significant market share, along with the accompanying ad revenue - if fewer people use IE browsers, Microsoft's ad returns will decline.
Microsoft News posted on 20 December 2007
