INDUSTRY

The following statement is attributable to Lee Patch, vice president, legal affairs, Sun Microsystems. "Sun applauds the European Commission's decision in the Microsoft case -- this important, precedent-setting decision comes after more than four years of an exhaustive investigation with detailed and comprehensive submissions from both industry vendors and consumer groups, and a hearing held late last year in Brussels. This decision is important for consumers not only in Europe, but also for increased innovation and competition worldwide. "The Commission found that Microsoft has abused its dominant position in desktop operating systems to create an unlawful advantage for itself in the work group server market. In particular the Commission found that Microsoft has not been competing on the merits, but instead used interoperability between its desktops and servers to override other factors of server performance offered by its competitors. "By requiring Microsoft to make disclosures that will allow other servers to comparably interoperate with Microsoft desktops and servers, the Commission's decision seeks to create a level playing field in the work group server market place, enabling competitors to deliver work group servers that can fully interoperate and therefore compete on the merits. This is enormously significant for consumers and for the industry. For the first time in many years, IT managers will be able to choose from a variety of work group servers, confident that they will interoperate with Microsoft desktops. Because the decision is forward looking and covers future product releases, consumers can be confident that other work group server suppliers will be able to meet their needs even as Microsoft introduces new products. "This decision is an important precedent for defining the principles of open competition not just for today, but for the future of a vibrant and vital worldwide IT industry. We look forward to participating in an exciting period of innovation that will deliver the tangible consumer benefits that derive from competition on the merits."