02/21/2008, 9:00am, EST

Thursday, February 21st

Microsoft preps mystery "significant" news

Microsoft will make a "significant company announcement" within hours, the firm announced today. Without providing details, the software developer notes that it will hold a mid-day conference and makes clear that the news is unrelated to its attempted acquisition of Yahoo. However, the presentation will include both Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer, chief software architect Ray Ozzie, and legal counsel Brad Smith, suggesting that the news will involve legal issues relating to the company's core Windows or Office businesses. Servers and Tools senior VP Bob Muglia is also said to be involved.

The company has lately been the target of a new EU investigation that may relate to the impending announcement. European officials accuse Microsoft of failing to provide enough source code to competitors for Excel and Word as well as the .NET framework and some server products, preventing rivals from developing Windows-based software that works as closely with Windows as Microsoft's own.

Filed under: industry
Other story tags: Microsoft, Windows, Office

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itguy05

Closing up?

02/21, 9:24am, EST

or OSS'ing Windows?

We could only dream of MS closing up. :)

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MiMiC

Baller Stepping Down

02/21, 9:26am, EST

That would actually help the company!!

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jpellino

rebranding the zune

02/21, 9:28am, EST

they're going to call it the zPod.

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ShadowKatana

GDC 08

02/21, 9:29am, EST

Probably just opening up the Zune and Xbox 360 for third-party games, in addition to the new PC gaming Alliance with companies like Dell and Alienware.

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PBG4 User

Re: baller[sic]

02/21, 9:52am, EST

They really should dump Ballmer. MS has really gone downhill since he became CEO.

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ClevelandAdv

02/21, 9:57am, EST

They are going to announce they are halting support of Vista and going back to XP.

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gskibum3

02/21, 10:04am, EST

Bet Balmer's going to announce that they're staying with HD on the XBox. :)

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Bermy

Annoucement...

02/21, 10:06am, EST

Steve Ballmar: "We have located the planet of the rebel base and are moving the death star into position now..."

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UnCal

Steve Baalmer

02/21, 10:13am, EST

(had to be done because nobody else could spell his name right) should really have kept this even lower-profile... it's great that this announcement of a pending announcement comes after this Guardian article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/21/apple.marketingandpr?gusrc=rss&feed=technology

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LordJohnWhorfin

I know...

02/21, 10:24am, EST

Ballmer has signed up on "Dancing with the stars".

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