EC appoints anti-trust trustee
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British computer scientist to keep tabs on Microsoft.
6 October 2005 The European Commission (EC) has finally hired an external technology consultant to help it monitor Microsoft's compliance with its anti-trust ruling.
The EC confirmed that Professor Neil Barrett, a British IT security consultant, computing lecturer and industry commentator, has been appointed as an advisor.
As part of its anti-trust ruling against Microsoft, the EC insisted that the software giant disclose interface documents that would enable its rivals to improve the interoperability of their software. Barrett has been charged with assessing whether Microsoft's disclosures are both accurate and complete.
In its March 2004 ruling against Microsoft, the EC mandated the appointment of an external 'monitoring trustee', to oversee Microsoft's efforts to comply with the ruling. But the EC and Microsoft had to agree on the appointee, as Microsoft is paying for the trustee's fees -- something they have only just managed.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Barrett was nominated by Microsoft. While this does not invalidate Barrett's ability to be impartial -- he has been a staunch critic of the software giant in the past -- it is indicative of a softening of the EC's stance towards Microsoft.
In September 2005, Neelie Kroes, who recently succeeded Mario Monti as the European competition commissioner, told New York lawyers that her position on monopolies would look at whether the consumer was harmed, rather than the market -- a distinct change from Monti's thinking.
"I like aggressive competition, including by dominant companies," she said. "I don't care it if may hurt competitors as long as it ultimately benefits consumers."
