The new strategy involves move personal computing from the
desktop PC to large servers hosting software applications that can
be accessed on-line from mobile phones, personal digital assistants
(PDAs) and the PC. Analysts have called this a “mega-operating
system for the web.”
The plans have raised concern from those wanting to see how
Microsoft uses its dominance of the Windows operating system and
Office applications into a range of internet services, without
repeating its practices that led to the original antitrust
case.
However, Mark Murray, a spokesman for Microsoft said the
initiative “will be an open platform that will work with products
from any company and provide lots of opportunities to other
companies to innovate and build great businesses.”
It is expected that the antitrust case will continue for another
two to three years or more, in which time Microsoft will,
presumably, be hoping to complete development of its new
application, before any court sanctions take effect.
