For an extension of the European Commission’s remedy for the domination of Microsoft's Browser, Internet Explorer.

The context:

Even if some challengers have taken a significant share of the browser market (primarily Firefox), Microsoft still has a huge advantage. This advantage is due to the bundling of computers and OS.

Indeed as most computers are sold with Windows (close to 100% in France) IE is included by default. To strengthen this power Microsoft implements IE-specific code to be sure that a website optimized for its browser doesn’t work perfectly with other browsers.

Microsoft maintains a 95% market share in the OS Market; as a consequence developers prioritize compatibility with IE. Moreover, as IE is only available on Windows platforms, consumers must use a Microsoft OS to have IE. It’s a vicious circle that must be broken. We can also add that the problems consumers face with alternate OS & browsers while surfing are due to Microsoft's predominant de facto and closed standards, but in consumers' eyes they sometimes blame competitors' OS and browsers. Yes, we can have and use several browsers, but is it acceptable that consumers use IE not because they like it but because they are obliged?

The European Commission's remedy:

The European Commission understood these problems and proposed a remedy that will begin in March 2010: the ballot screen. The ballot screen is a choice window that will be automatically launched when the system is updated. Before having the opportunity to choose between several browsers (12 will be available, the 5 major ones on the same screen) the consumer will be informed of what is a browser and the specificities of each one proposed.

Our proposal is that consumers from all around the world be able to take advantage of this idea, and to ask its application in each county in the world and not solely in Europe.

Why a ballot screen [1]

Because a lot of consumers still don’t know that there is something else “to go on the web”. Others are not aware that each browser has its specificities and the ability to do different things. There is in this market an asymmetry of information that damages the consumer. The ballot screen in giving this choice obliges the consumer to find this information and fix, in part, this market failure.

This solution is better than to unbundle IE because OEMs and not consumers would choose a browser. We can expect that only those browser developers that can pay would be installed on the computer. Only Microsoft and Google can pay. (Google already has an agreement with Sony for Chrome.)

And last but not least, competition is absolutely necessary. Remember that after Netscape’s death, Microsoft stopped investing in the browser, closed the research centre dedicated to the development of this technology and abandoned the other platforms (Mac). Five years followed with the same product (IE 6), no improvement in the services offered nor in security. A product only available for Windows! It’s because of Firefox’s rise that they invested again in this technology. This is the reason why everything has to be done to ensure competition and real competition is also more than two players on the market.

More information:

http://ec.europa.eu/competition/consumers/web_browsers_choice_en.html

Consumer’s summary:

http://ec.europa.eu/competition/consumers/citizen_summary/en.pdf

[1] The screen shots can be found here :

http://ec.europa.eu/competition/consumers/choice_screen.pdf