Microsoft confident going into the anti-trust home straight

Posted on 7 May 2002 at 11:09

Microsoft halves its list of remaining witness, to defend its case in the long running anti-trust suit.

Read the runes as you will - inspecting the twists and turns of the case for a wider significance - Microsoft is putting a confident spin on events. Citing 'progress made so far' as the reason for not calling half of its remaining witnesses.

'After reviewing the progress made so far in our case,' said a Microsoft spokesperson, 'as well as assessing the states' witnesses and what we believe are shortcomings in the states' case, Microsoft has decided we will not call several individuals who were originally on our witness list'.

Those anxious to see Microsoft punished heavily, would read things differently. These include one Tom Greene who - reports Reuters - believes Microsoft has trimmed its list as a way of 'reducing potential vulnerabilities in their case.'

If the witnesses perform as well for Microsoft as the latest - VP of Qwest Communications, Gregg Sutherland - less may be more. In his testimony, he attempted to rebut the claims of SBC Communications that, without strict sanctions being in place, Microsoft could crush SBC's planned Internet-based messaging service. Under cross-examining from the states' lawyer, however, he admitted little knowledge about Microsoft's past anti-competitive behaviour. Furthermore, reports Reuters, he conceded he had little experience of Web-based messaging - a small group at Qwest was investigating the Web-based messaging market, and this group was formed only months after Microsoft had named him as a witness...

While the states have called 15 witnesses, Microsoft has presented 12. Last week, of course, Bill Gates was among those who took the stand. If Microsoft's opponents in the case were to get their way, he insisted, the very existence of Windows would be threatened. According to his written testimony, the proposed penalties would, 'undermine all three elements of Microsoft's success, causing great damage to Microsoft, other companies that build upon Microsoft's products, and the businesses and consumers that use PC software.'

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer remains as a potential witness.

The case continues...

Author: Alun Williams