In a move to close a decade-long chapter of competition concerns, Microsoft  on Wednesday agreed to provide a choice of browsers in the European Union. The software giant usually configures Internet Explorer as the default browser for its Windows operating system, but agreed to test-market measures to give consumers an option to download and install competing browsers like Google Chrome and Mozilla's Firefox.
"We welcome today's announcement by the European Commission to move forward with formal market testing of Microsoft's proposal relating to web browser choice in Europe," said Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith. "We also welcome the opportunity to take the next step in the process regarding our proposal to promote interoperability with a broad range of our products."
The Ballot Screen
Microsoft will offer consumer choice through what it is calling a ballot screen. As Smith described it, the ballot screen will be displayed automatically and PC users can make any browser the default.
Users can even turn Internet Explorer off, although Smith said there's no need to turn it off to make another browser the default. If the market testing is positive, the EC said it plans to make the ballot screen legally binding for the next five years.
"The commission's concern has been that PC users should have an effective and unbiased choice between Internet Explorer and competing web browsers to ensure competition on the merits and to allow consumers to benefit from technical developments and innovation both on the web browser market and on related markets, such as web-based applications," EU officials said.
A 'Silly' Plan
The ballot screen seems a reasonable compromise to Michael Gartenberg, a vice president at Interpret. Microsoft's plan to ship an operating system without a Web browser was silly, he said, because if consumers don't have a web browser, they can't go online to get another one to replace it.
"Shipping the OS without a web browser just to comply with the EU would be punishing customers and making it far more difficult for them to get a browser," Gartenberg said. "The idea of shipping a phone without a web browser is almost ridiculous, and certainly no one is telling Apple that it needs to not include Safari or include Firefox or Chrome with every Mac it ships. But from Microsoft's perspective this is a reasonable compromise so Microsoft can ship the product when they want to ship the product and let IE compete in the marketplace with other browsers." (continued...)
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