World vs. Microsoft

By | April 16, 2009 | 23 Comments

ComputerWeekly reports that European Committee for Interoperable Systems (ECIS) group has joined EU and MS case (as complainant).

ECIS group includes large and small companies, such as:
Adobe Systems, Corel Corporation, IBM, Linspire, Nokia, Opera Software, Oracle Corporation, RealNetworks, Red Hat, and Sun Microsystems

Still no sign of Apple which is developing Safari web browser.

As previously reported, other participants are Google and Mozilla.

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About (Author Profile)


Vygantas is a former web designer whose projects are used by companies such as AMD, NVIDIA and departed Westood Studios. Being passionate about software, Vygantas began his journalism carrier back in 2007 when he founded FavBrowser.com. Having said that, he is also an adrenaline junkie who enjoys good books, fitness activities and Forex trading.

  • http://www.fandombg.org Dimitar Panov

    Huh, what possible business have these guys with the browser market?

    Even Adobe shouldn’t care much about which browser has the highest market share, as long as they keep their flash player installed on 99% of the internet connected machines.

  • http://www.favbrowser.com Vygantas Lipskas

    Agree, the whole situation is getting more and more ridiculous.

  • werwolf

    Microsoft,
    rest in peace :D

  • abcnet

    Vygantas Lipskas
    ——————
    I agree

  • Mancho

    @Dimitar

    You’re kidding right? All of these companies (particularly Adobe, RealNetworks, and Sun), are dependent on the web. Microsoft’s abuse of their monopoly has a direct effect on how these companies products work.

    From the article, “ECIS said that by tying IE to Windows and making internet applications and content dependent on other proprietary technologies, Microsoft is seeking to become the gatekeeper to the internet.” As it is now, companies have to play nice with IE (see ActiveX) just to have access to the market.

  • Lettlurt

    That’s true Mancho

    Here are they’re common statement about the web:

    “This case is about the future of the Web and maintaining an open and dynamic internet. Key
    business, e-commerce, public service and social networking applications are moving to the internet, which is rapidly becoming the backbone of economic life and social interaction. By tying IE to the Windows desktop monopoly, by using proprietary IE standards and making internet applications and content dependent on other Microsoft proprietary technologies, such as Silverlight and .NET, Microsoft seeks to establish itself as gatekeeper to the internet.”

  • soooo

    @Vygantas Lipskas: how is the situation getting “ridiculous”? You are clearly extremely ignorant on the subject. Do you even know about all the things Microsoft has done through the years?

    This is why all those companies joined: http://www.ecis.eu/news/documents/ECISanIntervenorinEUMicrosoftbrowsercaseApril2009..pdf

    This is to educate you and other ignorant people who do nothing but shout and whine without even knowing the basics of the situation: http://www.ecis.eu/documents/Finalversion_Consumerchoicepaper.pdf

  • http://www.favbrowser.com Vygantas Lipskas

    Okay, I will check that/

    2c

    As per my personal belief: Opera did that because they failed to gain marketshare. After all those years, I mean… It’s not like MS started to do that yesterday or so… So why now?

  • http://www.favbrowser.com Vygantas Lipskas

    Okay, I have checked that.

    First .PDF got some wrong statements.

    “Other browsers that are rated superior to IE cannot compete on their merits.”

    Google Chrome doing well, Firefox doing very well, Safari is also doing well.

    “This is an important case to ensure that browsers can compete on the merits and that consumers have a true choice in the software they use to access the World Wide Web.”

    They do have a choice. Microsoft doesn’t forbit you to install any other web browser.

    Anyway, since you know more than I do, how MS IE bundling affected Red Hat for instance?

  • Golden Boy

    Vygantas,

    Its called free advertisement (for Opera)

    IE supports standards now, my laptop was with firefox pre-installed btw.

    Other browsers aren’t doing bad because of Microsoft but because they make utter crap software. It’s simply as that.

  • soooo

    @Vygantas Lipskas, you continue to spread your ignorance, I see.

    As per my personal belief: Opera did that because they failed to gain marketshare.

    Are you drunk or something?

    http://gs.statcounter.com/#browser-eu-daily-20080701-20090420-bar

    Failed?

    http://gs.statcounter.com/#browser-RU-daily-20080701-20090420-bar

    FAILED??

    Give me a break. You are clearly completely ignorant.

    Remember, global market share is IMPOSSIBLE to measure. All we know is that Opera is reporting huge growth, doubling its desktop user base in less than 2 years, and has, what 40 million desktop users now? Revenues also increased more than 100% last quarter.

    So don’t give me that crap about Opera doing poorly, you ignorant Microsoft bigot.

    Google Chrome doing well, Firefox doing very well, Safari is also doing well.

    Google Chrome is not doing well:

    http://gs.statcounter.com/#browser-ww-daily-20080701-20090420-bar

    Firefox is irrelevant:

    “When the only real competition comes from a not for profit open source organization that depends on volunteers for almost half of its work product and nearly all of its marketing and distribution, while more than half a dozen other “traditional” browser vendors with better than I.E. products have had near-zero success encroaching on Microsoft I.E.’s dominance, there’s a demonstrable tilt to the playing field. That tilt comes with the distribution channel – default status for the OS bundled Web browser.” -Mozilla

    Safari is not doing well, but it’s also bundled with Mac and therefore irrelevant anyway.

    They do have a choice. Microsoft doesn’t forbit you to install any other web browser.

    That’s besides the point, ignorant one.

  • soooo

    @Golden Boy, claming that Opera, Safari and Chrome are “utter crap software” just proves how retarded you are.

  • http://www.favbrowser.com Vygantas Lipskas

    soooo,

    You know that most of the advertising dollars comes from the US users, right? And that US market is the most important one? And according to hitslink, Opera has less than 1% marketshare. Still, haven’t answered on why they did that now and not 5-6y ago…

    http://gs.statcounter.com/#browser-na-daily-20080701-20090420-bar = failed

    As for doubling users growth, well, yeah. If there are 1 million users and you get 1 million extra = doubled.

    But if there are 50 millions and you get 10 millions more… You got the point.

    And basically your point on how Opera doing well confirms the following argument as bad “Other browsers that are rated superior to IE cannot compete on their merits”

    P.S. Yes, I am an ignorant fool, sorry :-)

  • Grrblt

    US market is the most important one? http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm

  • http://www.favbrowser.com Vygantas Lipskas

    Um… Yes. The following link just shows internet users count.

  • Grrblt

    Aren’t we talking browsers here? Internet users use browsers.

  • soooo

    @Vygantas Lipskas

    The US market is not the most important one. The US market has stagnated. The real growth is in other markets, yes, like the ones where Opera has a large market share.

    Hitslink is useless, as you should know by now:

    http://tinyurl.com/netappllies

    I don’t understand your “5-6y” comment. Is it just another lame ass trolling attempt from the ignorant guy who runs a site and can’t even get basic facts right?

    Opera doesn’t have 1 million users. It has nearly 40 million users by now. Again your complete and utter ignorance shines through.

    Even if Opera has achieved a high market share in some countries that does not change the fact that Microsoft broke the law. They broke the law in the US and they broke the law in the EU. That is a simple fact that even a troll can’t get away from.

  • Foo

    Looks like my earlier post disappeared… too many links I guess :-/

    http://gs.statcounter.com/#browser_version-NO-daily-20080701-20090420
    They still fail on their “home-turf”…

    Anyone have any theories on why the graph for China looks like it does? Does it have something to do with the Great Wall?
    http://gs.statcounter.com/#browser_version-CN-daily-20080701-20090420

    or the strange waveform pattern for IE6 in Sweden?
    http://gs.statcounter.com/#browser_version-SE-daily-20080701-20090420

  • http://www.favbrowser.com Vygantas Lipskas

    Grrblt,

    Yes, but that’s why companies make browsers, to make profit. And browser users do that.

    soooo,

    http://www.warc.com/LandingPages/Data/Adspend/AdspendByCountry.asp

    too bad there are no 2008 data for this. Therefore, if user clicks on search ads while searching via Google, web browser maker receveives commision.

    Now, if US market is huge, there are many competitors for same niche, let’s say: auto insurance.

    So, if guy from US searches for auto insurance in Google, top ad spots could be worth 5-20 USD or even more (depends on how well those keywords convert).

    Okay, so let’s say that commision is 10%, that means 50 cents per one US user.

    Now, if guy from Germany searches for auto insurance, the rates will be like 50 cents per click, which is 5 cents to Opera pocket.

    That means:

    1 US User = 50 cents
    10 GR Users = 50 cents

    Also, the fact that most of the affilaite programs are for english speaking customers (and specific stuff like insurance, loans etc US, CAN only), amazon/ebay doesn’t offer worldwide affiliate programs yet, us are the biggest spenders in the industry proves my point that us market share is the most important one and converts the best.

    As for 5-6 year comment: why Opera reported that only now when MS was doing that for many years?

    I never said Opera had 1 million users, it was an example to illustrate my point.

  • http://microsoftworld limz

    i need microsoft world

  • soooo

    @Foo, “home turf” is irrelevant. Not everyone is a jingoist who uses something just because it was produced in the same country.

    .

    @Vyggie, your ignorance is astounding. You are basically avoiding everything I’m writing. There is more to the world than the US, and the page you linked to is irrelevant because I’m talking about market growth, and the US is peaking. Other countries have far bigger populations that will get online.

    Opera reported it now because there was a window of opportunity with the existing Windows Media investigation.

    But you obviously don’t care about facts. Pearls before swine and all that.

  • http://www.favbrowser.com Vygantas Lipskas

    I am not talking about population, it says nothing at all. I am talking about ad spend. You completely missed the point.

    Not really sure how to explain everything to you, as examples I gave are not being understood. If you could read about advertising, marketing, affiliates, etc.. that would be the best way to go.

  • soooo

    I am NOT talking about ad spending. I’m talking about future markets and growth.

    I am pointing out that the US is PEAKING and that future growth will take place elsewhere (developing markets).

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