Microsoft changes Vista search, security in EU

Stan Beer
Saturday, 14 October 2006 07:12

Your IT - Home IT

Microsoft has agreed to change search, security and a host of other key functions in order to appease regulators in the EU.

In addition to changing the way users can choose their search engine for the Internet Explorer 7 toolbar, Microsoft has reportedly agreed to make changes to Vista's built-in security offerings. Microsoft has also agreed to offer a version of Vista without a built-in media player and instant messaging software.

Earlier this year Google complained to the European Commission (EC) and the US Department of Justice that Microsoft was pushing antitrust boundaries by making its own search box the default for the Internet Explorer toolbar.

More recently, the two leading security vendors Symantec and McAfee have been up in arms over Microsoft's plans to make its own security center dashboard an integrated feature of Vista and to lock out security vendors from access to the operating system core.

Microsoft says the changes will not prevent the operating system from shipping on time in Europe, suggesting that the company may have already anticipated in advance what they would need to do and already had EU compliant versions of Vista ready.

While Microsoft has agreed to make changes in accordance with talks with the EC, details have not yet been made clear as to their extent.

 For instance, Microsoft has said it will no longer prevent security vendors from accessing the Vista kernel but it is not known when or how it will implement the change.

It is also not known whether Microsoft's changes are far reaching enough to appease regulators in the EU or rival vendors, who may still lodge antitrust suits against the software company.