🚀 go-pugleaf

Published articles like this makes me wonder why ISVs
have such a devotion to Windows when Microsoft is clealry
anti-competitive.

Source: http://www.pcweek.com

-Kevin


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August 2, 1996 5:20 PM ET


NT integrations worry ISVs
Michael Moeller

The integration of Internet software into Microsoft Corp.'s operating systems, 
which will begin this month with the release of Windows NT 4.0, is drawing 
the wrath of some smaller ISVs.

According to sources, software vendors are discussing the legal implications of 
the Redmond, Wash., developer's integration of IIS (Internet Information Server) 2.0, 
FrontPage 1.1 World Wide Web authoring software and the Tripoli indexing server 
into NT Server 4.0.

Sources also said Microsoft's planned integration of the Internet Explorer browser 
into the Windows 95 and NT Workstation 4.0 desktops this year is being 
examined by ISVs.

"A lot of vendors are walking over to their legal departments 
asking, 'Can they do this?' " said one developer. "I think people are looking at 
all of their options right now."

"Like everyone else, we think that their practices may be anti-competitive," 
said Dave Rosenlund, vice president of marketing at Process Software Inc.,
a Framingham, Mass., developer of NT-based Web server software.

Users are worried that Microsoft's moves could accelerate the continuing 
depletion of alternative Internet browsers and servers, leaving Netscape 
Communications Corp. and Microsoft as the only players.

"There is something to be said for integration," said an IT manager for a
state government. "But with Microsoft cornering the market, we are also concerned 
with the long-term effect."

Quarterdeck Corp., for instance, will not continue research and development 
of its Mosaic browser and is evaluating whether it will continue selling its 
WebStar for NT Web server, officials of the Marina del Rey, Calif., company said.
Also raising the ire of ISVs is Microsoft's licensing agreement for 
NT Workstation 4.0. Microsoft has removed the technical barriers that would 
have limited NT to accepting only 10 concurrent TCP/IP connections, 
but ISVs said the licensing agreement maintains the restrictions.

Microsoft is simply providing what users want, company officials said.

"Vendors have been providing a Band-Aid until we could get 
[Web protocols into the operating system]," said Mike Nash, Microsoft's 
group product manager for NT. "[ISVs] should focus on providing value-added 
technologies for the platform."

"A third-party product would have to be significantly better for me to 
even consider it," said Richard Warren, vice president of information systems 
at Judd's Inc., a magazine and newsletter printer based in Strasburg, 
Va. Warren said Judd's switched from Netscape's Commerce Server to IIS 
because of the better integration with the rest of Microsoft's 
BackOffice applications.