News

Ballmer Talks to European Commission

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer cancelled a planned keynote this week at the Microsoft Management Summit to go to Europe and negotiate with the European Commission as the antitrust case there reaches a critical stage.

"Steve is in Europe today working and talking to the European Commission so he's unfortunately not able to come here," said Bob Muglia, senior vice president at Microsoft, told an MMS audience in Las Vegas.

Ballmer, who had been scheduled to give the MMS keynote on Wednesday, backed out of the appearance on Tuesday in order to travel to Brussels.

Earlier this week, the European Union's antitrust chief won approval from representatives of the 15 European Union governments for a ruling against Microsoft. Sources familiar with the ruling have told media outlets that the ruling finds Microsoft abused its Windows monopoly to gain share for its own digital media player and low-end server software.

The sources also say the European Commission is demanding concessions from Microsoft that include delivering a version of Windows that does not include Windows Media Player and the giving of Windows code to server competitors.

The draft ruling is set to be tentatively adopted next week unless Ballmer can reach some kind of settlement with European officials first.

About the Author

Scott Bekker is editor in chief of Redmond Channel Partner magazine.

Featured

  • Report: Cost, Sustainability Drive DaaS Adoption Beyond Remote Work

    Gartner's 2025 Magic Quadrant for Desktop as a Service reveals that while secure remote access remains a key driver of DaaS adoption, a growing number of deployments now focus on broader efficiency goals.

  • Windows 365 Reserve, Microsoft's Cloud PC Rental Service, Hits Preview

    Microsoft has launched a limited public preview of its new "Windows 365 Reserve" service, which lets organizations rent cloud PC instances in the event their Windows devices are stolen, lost or damaged.

  • Hands-On AI Skills Now Outshine Certs in Salary Stakes

    For AI-related roles, employers are prioritizing verifiable, hands-on abilities over framed certificates -- and they're paying a premium for it.

  • Roadblocks in Enterprise AI: Data and Skills Shortfalls Could Cost Millions

    Businesses risk losing up to $87 million a year if they fail to catch up with AI innovation, according to the Couchbase FY 2026 CIO AI Survey released this month.