Microsoft: Difference between revisions
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| Website = https://www.microsoft.com/ | | Website = https://www.microsoft.com/ | ||
| Description = Microsoft is one of the "Big Five" tech giants who has had issues ranging from antitrust issues to monopolies | | Description = Microsoft is one of the "Big Five" tech giants who has had issues ranging from antitrust issues to monopolies | ||
}}[[Wikipedia:Microsoft|'''''Microsoft Corporation''''']] was founded in 1975 by ''Bill Gates'' and ''Paul Allen'' in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is one of the "Big Five" tech giants, well known for licensing ''Q-DOS'' from ''Seattle Computer Product''s as ''MS-DOS'' prior to purchasing it in 1980, as well as ''Windows'', the graphical extension to ''MS-DO''S. They are also known for developing the ''Microsoft'' ''Office Suite; Access,'' ''Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, and'' ''Word''. Additionally, they developed the Xbox under ''the Microsoft'' ''Gaming'' division and the ''Surface'' line of laptop devices and the cloud platform ''Azure''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zachary |first=Gregg Pascal |last2=Hall |first2=Mark |last3=Montevirgen |first3=Karl |title=Microsoft-Corporation |url=https://www.britannica.com/money/Microsoft-Corporation |website=britannica.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=Michael |date=August 12, 2021 |title=The Rise of DOS: How Microsoft Got the IBM PC OS Contract |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/the-rise-of-dos-how-microsoft-got-the-ibm-pc-os-contract |website=PCmag}}</ref> | }}[[Wikipedia:Microsoft|'''''Microsoft Corporation''''']] was founded in 1975 by ''Bill Gates'' and ''Paul Allen'' in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is one of the "Big Five" tech giants, well known for licensing ''Q-DOS'' from ''Seattle Computer Product''s as ''MS-DOS'' prior to purchasing it in 1980, as well as ''Windows'', the graphical extension to ''MS-DO''S. They are also known for developing the ''Microsoft'' ''Office Suite; Access,'' ''Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, and'' ''Word''. Additionally, they developed the Xbox under ''the Microsoft'' ''Gaming'' division and the ''Surface'' line of laptop devices and the cloud platform ''Azure''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zachary |first=Gregg Pascal |last2=Hall |first2=Mark |last3=Montevirgen |first3=Karl |title=Microsoft-Corporation |url=https://www.britannica.com/money/Microsoft-Corporation |url-status=live |website=britannica.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=Michael |date=August 12, 2021 |title=The Rise of DOS: How Microsoft Got the IBM PC OS Contract |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/the-rise-of-dos-how-microsoft-got-the-ibm-pc-os-contract |url-status=live |website=PCmag}}</ref> | ||
Through business acquisitions they own numerous other tech-related businesses. They invest heavily in artificial intelligence enterprises, ''OpenAI'' (best known for creating ''ChatGPT''). | Through business acquisitions they own numerous other tech-related businesses. They invest heavily in artificial intelligence enterprises, ''OpenAI'' (best known for creating ''ChatGPT''). | ||
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===Anti-competitive practices=== | ===Anti-competitive practices=== | ||
*'''Monopolistic bundling''' | *'''Monopolistic bundling''' | ||
:Forcing OEMs to preinstall Microsoft software such as Internet Explorer (IE) with Windows, making it difficult for competitors like Netscape to compete.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=January 25, 2002 |title=Competitive Processes, Anticompetitive Practices And Consumer Harm In The Software Industry: An Analysis Of The Inadequacies Of The Microsoft-Department Of Justice Proposed Final Judgment |url=https://www.justice.gov/atr/competitive-processes-anticompetitive-practices-and-consumer-harm-software-industry-analysis |website= | :Forcing OEMs to preinstall Microsoft software such as Internet Explorer (IE) with Windows, making it difficult for competitors like Netscape to compete.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=January 25, 2002 |title=Competitive Processes, Anticompetitive Practices And Consumer Harm In The Software Industry: An Analysis Of The Inadequacies Of The Microsoft-Department Of Justice Proposed Final Judgment |url=https://www.justice.gov/atr/competitive-processes-anticompetitive-practices-and-consumer-harm-software-industry-analysis |url-status=live |website=justice.gov |publisher=Department Of Justice}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last= |first= |date= |title=Microsoft Antitrust Case |url=https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/management/microsoft-antitrust-case/ |url-status=live |website=corporatefinanceinstitute.com}}</ref> | ||
*'''Exclusionary contracts''' | *'''Exclusionary contracts''' | ||
:Blocking rivals' distribution channels by signing exclusive deals with PC manufacturers and ISPs. <ref name=":0"></ref> | :Blocking rivals' distribution channels by signing exclusive deals with PC manufacturers and ISPs. <ref name=":0"></ref> | ||
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===Cloud computing monopoly abuse=== | ===Cloud computing monopoly abuse=== | ||
*'''Discriminatory licensing''' | *'''Discriminatory licensing''' | ||
:Charging higher fees for running Windows Server on rival clouds versus Azure, stifling competition.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Browne |first=Ryan |date=December 3, 2024 |title=Microsoft faces £1 billion lawsuit in UK for allegedly overcharging rival cloud firms’ customers |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2024/12/03/microsoft-overcharging-rival-cloud-firms-customers-uk-lawsuit-says.html |website=cnbc.com }}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Godoy |first=Jody |date=November 28, 2024 |title=Microsoft faces wide-ranging US antitrust probe |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/microsoft-faces-wide-ranging-us-antitrust-probe-2024-11-27/ |website=reuters.com }}</ref> | :Charging higher fees for running Windows Server on rival clouds versus Azure, stifling competition.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Browne |first=Ryan |date=December 3, 2024 |title=Microsoft faces £1 billion lawsuit in UK for allegedly overcharging rival cloud firms’ customers |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2024/12/03/microsoft-overcharging-rival-cloud-firms-customers-uk-lawsuit-says.html |url-status=live |website=cnbc.com}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Godoy |first=Jody |date=November 28, 2024 |title=Microsoft faces wide-ranging US antitrust probe |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/microsoft-faces-wide-ranging-us-antitrust-probe-2024-11-27/ |website=reuters.com }}</ref> | ||
*'''Lock-in tactics''' | *'''Lock-in tactics''' | ||
:Making it costly or technically difficult for customers to migrate data from Azure to other platforms.<ref name=":3"></ref> | :Making it costly or technically difficult for customers to migrate data from Azure to other platforms.<ref name=":3"></ref> | ||
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:Xbox Series X/S games demand online verification for disc-based installations, rendering offline play difficult.<ref name=":4"></ref> | :Xbox Series X/S games demand online verification for disc-based installations, rendering offline play difficult.<ref name=":4"></ref> | ||
*'''Recurring billing traps''' | *'''Recurring billing traps''' | ||
:Defaulting users into subscription auto-renewals while making cancellation processes opaque.<ref>{{Cite web | :Defaulting users into subscription auto-renewals while making cancellation processes opaque.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-18 |title=Why is MS Software So Predatory? |url=https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/3869973/why-is-ms-software-so-predatory?forum=windows-all&referrer=answers |url-status=live |access-date=2025-08-18 |website=learn.microsoft.com}}</ref> | ||
===Privacy and data exploitation=== | ===Privacy and data exploitation=== | ||