Microsoft fails to mollify EU

A MOVE last night by Microsoft to make some of its software easier to operate with its rivals products failed to convince the European Union which is investigating the company under anti-competition rules.

The European Commission said Microsoft's announcement that it was boosting "interoperability" – operating its software using other companies' technology – failed to resolve allegations that it forces people to use only its products.

Last night the commission said it would study the pledges by the company that it was going to be less restrictive in the terms it applied to its software. The EU reaction came after Microsoft said it would make key technology elements of some of its best-selling software products more widely available.

Last year the commission started two formal anti-competition investigations against Microsoft – one on interoperability, the other on tying software products to the company's systems.

An EU statement said: "This announcement does not relate to the question of whether or not Microsoft has been complying with EU antitrust rules ."

It added that the commission would welcome "any move towards genuine interoperability".

But it said that it noted that the announcement "follows at least four similar statements by Microsoft."