BRUSSELS, Oct. 13 ? Microsoft announced Friday that Windows Vista, the next version of its computer operating system, had been altered to satisfy regulatory concerns and would be introduced simultaneously worldwide. Less than a month ago, it had warned that antitrust problems could delay the introduction in Europe and South Korea.
A delay in one country or region would have serious consequences for software developers, computer manufacturers and retailers there. It would also create complications for Microsoft, which has always rolled out previous versions of Windows simultaneously around the world.
Steven A. Ballmer, Microsoft?s chief executive, confirmed the global introduction of Vista in a phone conversation with the European competition commissioner, Neelie Kroes, late Thursday.
The new operating system will go on sale to large computer manufacturers next month and to the public in January.
In the statement issued Friday, Microsoft said it had altered Vista to address the concerns the commission has expressed about the new operating system over the last eight months.
Similarly, the concerns of South Korea?s Fair Trade Commission have also been addressed, Microsoft said.
?We are excited to bring the security enhancements and innovative new features of Windows Vista to our customers and partners around the world, and we are committed to adhering to local law in every region of the world,? Mr. Ballmer said in the statement.
Until now, Microsoft has resisted pressure to change Vista. Last month it accused the European Commission of not giving it clear enough guidance on whether Vista would pass muster under European antitrust law.
It also highlighted research that showed that hundreds of thousands of jobs in the European technology industry were at stake if Vista?s introduction were delayed. Also last month, members of the European Parliament wrote to Ms. Kroes warning her of the harm she would be causing to European companies if she forced a delay.
The commission stood its ground, insisting that it was not up to regulators to approve Vista before its introduction. It repeated this message Friday. ?The commission has not given a green light to Microsoft to deliver Vista,? it said in a statement. ?Microsoft must shoulder its own responsibilities to ensure that Vista is fully compliant with competition rules and in particular with the principles laid down in the March 2004 commission antitrust decision concerning Microsoft.?
In 2004, the commission found that Microsoft had violated antitrust rules by bundling its music and video player, Media Player, into Windows XP and ordered the company to release a second version of Windows with Media Player stripped out.
?We understand that the European commission doesn?t give a green light to a product before it is launched, and that it is a company?s obligation to be in compliance with antitrust law,? Brad Smith, Microsoft?s general counsel, said in a conference call with journalists on Friday.
?Having made the changes we were advised to make, we are confident Vista is in compliance,? he added.
Many of the problems with Vista identified by the commission echo the issues that resulted in the 2004 antitrust ruling. It alerted Microsoft to five potential antitrust problems in March, which were addressed in changes incorporated into the new operating system over the summer.
Last month, the commission pointed to three remaining problems, concerning Microsoft?s plan to bundle into Vista an Internet search engine, security software and a fixed document format similar to the one sold by the software company Adobe.
Symantec, a leader in antivirus software, embarked on a huge public relations offensive, contending that Microsoft was effectively shutting it and other security software specialists out of Vista.
Two weeks ago, Microsoft addressed the main concerns of Symantec by agreeing to allow access to the heart, or kernel, of the Windows operating system to security products made by competitors. In the area of search, Microsoft changed Vista to allow users to choose their own search engine and make it the default Internet search tool on their computers.
In the area of fixed document formats, Microsoft agreed to the commission?s demands that its new fixed-layout document format, called the XML Paper Specification, be scrutinized by an independent standards-setting organization. It also agreed to change the licensing terms to make its format more available to other software developers.
The commission said in a statement that it would ?closely monitor the effects of Vista in the market? and would examine any complaints the new operating system might provoke ?on their own merits.?
