Friday, October 13, 2006

Microsoft to Launch Vista in Europe After Talks With EU

After talks with the European Commission (EC), Microsoft announced that it will launch its new Windows Vista operating system at the same time as it launches in the rest of the world. Microsoft made changes to Vista after talks with the EC in three major areas: search, security and the new file format XPS.

 Brad Smith, Microsoft senior vice president and general counsel had the following to say this morning:

We recognize that the European Commission does not give ‘green lights’ for new products, and we have not asked for one. We appreciate the constructive dialogue we have had with the Commission and the guidance the Commission has provided.
Based on guidance from the European Commission we have made changes to Windows Vista to ensure that we’re in compliance with our competition law obligations, and we are moving forward to make Windows Vista available on a worldwide basis.
We are excited to bring the security enhancements and innovative new features of Windows Vista to our customers and partners around the world, and we are committed to adhering to local law in every region of the world where we do business.
We welcome the constructive discussions we have had with regulatory authorities around the world, and we are committed to continuing this type of dialogue in the future.

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