January 21, 2008 at 15:34Microsoft forces startups to implement MSN Messenger
There was information that the world's largest IT company is forcing Web 2.0 startups and social networks to implement the MSN Messenger IM client on their sites. At least some of the startups that automatically import user contacts from the MSN Messenger program through a web interface receive an official letter from Microsoft informing them of illegal actions, although importing contacts is a standard feature of modern social networks, and Yahoo and Google allow this. do without limits.
The Redmond giant then continues the correspondence and offers startups to officially introduce MSN Messenger on their sites exclusively, threatening financial sanctions otherwise.
Financial fines are also artfully veiled in the official form of the contract. So, if a startup decided to introduce other Internet pagers from Yahoo, Google or AOL on its website, in addition to MSN Messenger, then Microsoft will bill him for a web license for his program in the amount of 25 cents per user per year. If MSN Messenger is used exclusively, then you don’t have to pay anything (as stated in the letter to Microsoft, in this case the company offers a “100% discount”).
The details of this “blackmail” have not yet been found out, because many small companies are afraid of financial sanctions from Microsoft, especially since the lawyers of the corporation are likely to prove that everything is done legally. In addition, contracts are non-disclosed.
It turns out that Microsoft is considering a database of hundreds of millions of registered users in some way as its property. That is, your contact list in the IM pager actually belongs to Microsoft, and it wants to control where this information goes.
The Redmond giant then continues the correspondence and offers startups to officially introduce MSN Messenger on their sites exclusively, threatening financial sanctions otherwise.
Financial fines are also artfully veiled in the official form of the contract. So, if a startup decided to introduce other Internet pagers from Yahoo, Google or AOL on its website, in addition to MSN Messenger, then Microsoft will bill him for a web license for his program in the amount of 25 cents per user per year. If MSN Messenger is used exclusively, then you don’t have to pay anything (as stated in the letter to Microsoft, in this case the company offers a “100% discount”).
The details of this “blackmail” have not yet been found out, because many small companies are afraid of financial sanctions from Microsoft, especially since the lawyers of the corporation are likely to prove that everything is done legally. In addition, contracts are non-disclosed.
It turns out that Microsoft is considering a database of hundreds of millions of registered users in some way as its property. That is, your contact list in the IM pager actually belongs to Microsoft, and it wants to control where this information goes.