11-19-2002, 07:08 PM
|
|
Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
|
|
New Antitrust Charges Brew
When I first heard about this, I thought it was a joke - but it seems it's not.
"The European Commission is considering a new antitrust case against Microsoft, suspecting the software giant is trying to leverage its dominance of PC operating systems into the market for mobile phone software, say sources familiar with the regulator...The EU competition regulator is concerned that Microsoft might take over the market for mobile phone software, according to a senior advisor to the European Commission. "Mobile phones are a very important market in Europe. The Commission is worried that Microsoft might take advantage of the strength of Windows in order to dominate in mobile phones," he said. By leveraging its might into mobile telephony, Microsoft might reduce the role of mobile phones to mere conduits for its software, just as computer makers complain it has done with PCs."
Sure, Microsoft has done some un-ethical things in the past, but how can this Commission take action before Microsoft has done anything? In the mobile phone market, they're just a blip right now - they've just launched the first Smartphone 2002 with Orange, and it will be at least a few quarters before we can see how they're doing. How can you lay charges against a company before they do anything in a market? Who's next, Amiga? This statement is the most telling however:
"When mobile phones become Internet-compatible, the phone operators want to become the Internet gatekeepers for their customers. The .Net initiative would undermine their role in the relationship with those customers, the lawyer said."
So it boils down to this: the mobile carriers feel threatened that they'll be reduced to being bit pipes, and they're pushing the European Commission to protect them from something that hasn't happened yet. There's self confidence! :roll: Perhaps instead of hiding behind bureaucracy they should try adding services and solutions that will benefit their customers...
|
| |
|
|
|
11-19-2002, 07:18 PM
|
|
Intellectual
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 136
|
|
Re: New Antitrust Charges Brew
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Jason Dunn
So it boils down to this: the mobile carriers feel threatened that they'll be reduced to being bit pipes.
|
they already are bit-pipes
|
| |
|
|
|
11-19-2002, 07:23 PM
|
|
Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
|
|
Re: New Antitrust Charges Brew
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Wuss912
they already are bit-pipes
|
Yes, but they also have WAP portals, control SMS gateways, etc - they're struggling to find revenues from every source possible. If cell phones were truly first-class citizens on the 'Net, carriers would ONLY be bit pipes, and that's what scares them...
|
| |
|
|
|
11-19-2002, 07:31 PM
|
|
Sage
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 717
|
|
Most Telcos around the world are in pretty bad shape - European Telcos are worse off. Last year one of them was trying to raise $10B for infrastructure and upgrades and offered 9.9% return on the money. After 11 months they managed to get $1B. I guess no one is interested in pumping money into Telcos and getting nothing in return. G3 was an expansive proposition that has not even put a dent on the cost of deployment so I surprises me very little that they are grasping for straws to stay alive. I bet in 5 years we will have 4-6 world wide Telcos that will control the globe. Don�t believe me look at MCI WC, Telus and the like. Weasels � it is 21st century and we still don�t have ADSL everywhere, or reliable 1x so much for being connected.
|
| |
|
|
|
11-19-2002, 07:40 PM
|
|
Neophyte
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 4
|
|
Re: New Antitrust Charges Brew
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Jason Dunn
So it boils down to this: the mobile carriers feel threatened that they'll be reduced to being bit pipes, and they're pushing the European Commission to protect them from something that hasn't happened yet.
|
These are not only the mobile carriers but Nokia, Ericsson, Symbian - they are European companies. There is a huge lobby against Microsoft on the mobile market in Europe and they are going to pull all government strings to keep US companies out. I bet Sendo dumped Smartphone for political rather than technical reasons.
|
| |
|
|
|
11-19-2002, 07:41 PM
|
|
Theorist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 307
|
|
As with the Sun/Oracle/AOL gang, it's litigation in the place of competition.
And in this case bizarrely enough, using bogus spectres of unfair market domination to protect monopolies (or oligopolies?).
|
| |
|
|
|
11-19-2002, 07:52 PM
|
|
Pontificator
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,177
|
|
Give me a "B"
Give me an "I"
Give me a "T"
Give me a "P"
Give me an "I"
Give me a "P"
Give me an "E"
What do I get?
BITPIPE! :lol:
|
| |
|
|
|
11-19-2002, 07:53 PM
|
|
Theorist
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 300
|
|
evenhanded...
While I'm certainly not jumping to the defense of the European Commission, I would like to point out that, while you say they are complaining about things that haven't happened yet:
1. In the instances where antitrust suits were sucessfully brought against Microsoft (the big anti-trust case just settled, for example, where Microsoft was found guilty of violating U.S. anti-trust statutes), by the time the "punishment" was meeted out, it was essentially already game-over for any competitors who were hurt. So, perhaps, if you don't "pre-emptively" sue, then you might as well not bother to sue at all. (and, lest we forget, Microsoft's guilty verdict was upheld by an appellate court - only the punishment (breakup) was overturned).
2. We may not know everything that's happened. Innocent until proven guilty, yes, but we just have no idea what happened yet.
I'm leaning towards thinking the EC is jumping from paranoia, since it wouldn't seem MSFT would have a lot of bullying power in the mobile-phone market, but I'm not willing to say that filing a suit is completely unjustified, given some of their (Microsoft's) past behavior.
That said, I still love Pocket PC, and think it's a way better platform for PDAs than anything else I've seen (just thought I better try to flame-proof myself by making my loyalties clear!!!)
__________________
Casio Z7000 >> Ipaq 3650 >> Viewsonic V36 >> Ipaq 1915
Dumb phones >> Axia A108 >> HTC StrTrk >> Touch Diamond
blog.HackingBangkok.com |
| |
|
|
|
11-19-2002, 08:02 PM
|
|
Sage
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 718
|
|
Filing a suit would be completely unjustified. This isn't "Minority Report" where we are stomping on people or companies before the fact.
Besides, I don't know how European mobile companies are, but if they have the customer service of our US companies, then they deserve to be only bitpipes.
|
| |
|
|
|
11-19-2002, 08:12 PM
|
|
Ponderer
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 61
|
|
Re: New Antitrust Charges Brew
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by dr_skinner
There is a huge lobby against Microsoft on the mobile market in Europe and they are going to pull all government strings to keep US companies out. I bet Sendo dumped Smartphone for political rather than technical reasons.
|
We *could* label them an outlaw regime, get U.N. backing for a resolution, and send in inspectors under the threat of force. That would get them to play nice...
*It is meant to be sarcasm, I am not advocating the invasion of Europe over Smartphone.*
__________________
JornadaJ: Sharp Wizard/Palm V/Palm Vx/Palm IIIc/Jornada 548/Jornada 568/hp 2200/Treo 700wx/Samsung Omnia
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Linear Mode
