Thursday, February 21,2008 @ 9:00am
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.