“We are moving towards a satisfactory solution”, said Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes. They hope to settle the dispute by the end of the year.

Microsoft has, inter alia, with a view to better customer information, the browser functions as well as a later review The Commission recently made concessions announced by the competition authority. These are a further improvement over the proposals last July. “I guess they would” resolve our concerns, “said Kroes. This Friday, the Commission intends to invite comments from market participants that can be made within a month.

If the Commission accepts the offer, they are legally binding for Microsoft for five years. The EU Commission insists in an ongoing competition cases that there should be more choice in browsers on Windows. The current pairing of Internet Explorer with the Microsoft Windows operating system could hinder free competition.

“Consumers need an effective choice for web” browsers, “said Kroes. The Brussels-based institution is the highest competition authority of the EU. In July, the software giant had proposed from Seattle, all Windows users will automatically offer to install a competing browser to Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. Browsers are programs that you need to navigate the Internet.

Following informal market testing during the summer, the Commission called on Microsoft to improve Web site with the twelve on offer browsers. That Microsoft has “done,” said Kroes. The latest offers were “a direct impact on the market. So new entrants have sufficient room for competition. ”

Microsoft builds the proposal on the condition that it is possible penalties from the table. So far, threatening a heavy fine and other penalties. Earlier fines from Brussels against Microsoft already account for around 1.7 billion euros.

The EU procedures, after a complaint from the Norwegian browser maker Opera has been initiated. A few years ago Microsoft had a monopoly on virtually browsers. Meanwhile, the market share is significantly decreased. Above all, the rival Firefox and Apple’s Safari could dazugewinnen modified.

Now, after Microsoft’s proposal is to be installed by default, although a new PC with Windows 7 of Internet Explorer, get the user but also automatically offer other browsers. As the users are also able to turn off the computer farm of Internet Explorer and other browsers. The proposal will only apply to computers in Europe.