“Sun alleges that the launch of Windows 2000 on February 17, 2000
was a final step in Microsoft’s strategy to strengthen the effects
of its refusal to supply interface information with the intention
of driving all serious competitors out of the server software
market,” the Commission said in a statement.”
“The Commission said Microsoft had about 95 percent of the
market for personal computer operating systems. It said PCs using
Microsoft software could only communicate with server systems if
Microsoft made available certain technical information to
competitors producing those servers. Without such information,
computers running on Windows operating systems would have to use
Windows server software too.”
“A Commission spokeswoman said the substance of the
latest case was the same as the investigation launched into Windows
2000 at the Commission’s own initiative in February. … The
spokeswoman said the Commission “cannot exclude that the two cases
may be combined in the future,” adding the sending of a
statement of objections indicated the Commission had “good evidence
of misconduct.”