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To: Night Writer who wrote (77800)	2/9/2000 1:09:00 PM
From: John Koligman	Respond to of 97611

Also, from today's WSJ... Regards, John EU Launches Antitrust Investigation Of Microsoft Over Windows 2000 An INTERACTIVE JOURNAL News Roundup BRUSSELS -- The European Union's top antitrust official said Wednesday that the EU Commission has opened an examination of the launch of Microsoft Corp.'s new Windows 2000 operating system. Mario Monti, the EU's competition commissioner, said that users and competitors have complained that Windows 2000, the long-awaited successor to Windows NT and Windows 98, will give Microsoft a dominant position in the server-software market. "Whoever gains dominance in the software server market gains dominance in electronic commerce, too," Mr. Monti said. Mr. Monti said the European Commission, which is the executive body of the EU, sent Microsoft a letter last week asking for more information. Microsoft has four weeks to respond to the commission's request. A comment from Microsoft wasn't immediately available. Microsoft Net Tops Estimates, Boosted by Portfolio Gains (Jan. 19) Windows 2000, the next iteration of Microsoft's dominant operating system, is scheduled for release later this month after lengthy delays. It has consumed an increasing amount of company resources and was held partly responsible for soft sales of its Windows NT operating system, as corporations held fire awaiting the Windows 2000 release. Meanwhile, the Redmond, Wash., software giant remains in court, defending itself against U.S. Justice Department accusations that it illegally "tied" its Internet Explorer Web browser with the Windows operating system in an effort to extend that operating-system dominance into new markets. In the wake of U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson's November "findings of fact" that Microsoft is a predatory monopolist, an EU Commission spokesman confirmed that the oversight body was investigating at least two formal antitrust complaints against Microsoft. But at the time, the spokesman made no mention of Windows 2000. The EU commissioner said the investigation covers different ground from the ongoing U.S. trial. "Microsoft has designed [Windows 2000] in a way which may permit it to leverage its dominant position in PC operating systems into operating markets such as server operating systems and e-commerce," Mr. Monti said. He added that the commission is acting on allegations that Microsoft has bundled its Windows 2000 operating system with other Microsoft products so that only Microsoft products are work together completely smoothly. Mr. Monti said that it would be "hugely premature" to talk about possible sanctions against Microsoft, but did note that under EU rules the commission has the power to fine the company or prohibit certain aspects of the new operating system. The commission has acted against Microsoft at various times in the past, including banning certain restrictive contractual obligations Microsoft had sought to place on European Internet-service providers.