09:48 AM ET 08/19/98
Windows developer files suit against Microsoft
NEW YORK, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Bristol Technology Inc. said
on Wednesday it filed an antitrust suit against Microsoft Corp.
alleging that the software giant had stifled its
efforts to develop Windows NT-related software.
Bristol is a Danbury, Conn.-based developer of software
programming tools that run on a variety of popular computer
operating systems used to run workstations, minicomputers and
mainframes. It also was an early partner in the development of
Windows NT -- Microsoft's effort to create a business computer
operating system that would replace other such software systems.
In a statement, Bristol said it had filed suit in U.S.
District Court in Bridgeport, Conn., alleging that Microsoft
injured Bristol and the rest of the software industry through
"predatory manipulation" of access to key programming code. In
the lawsuit, Bristol said it seeks unspecified damages for and
injunctive relief from Microsoft's anti-competitive behavior.
The complaint accuses Microsoft of entangling Bristol "in a
charade to stifle competition from other operating systems
including UNIX, Compaq's OpenVMS and IBM's OS/390."
Bristol maintained that it had helped Microsoft develop
Windows programming interfaces -- the underlying technology for
the screens that viewers use to navigate Windows NT -- dating
back to 1991, the early days of development of Windows NT,
after being approached by the Redmond, Wash.-based company.
However, it said that Microsoft is now seeking to cut off
Bristol's access to current and future Windows source code by
offering unreasonable licensing terms to Bristol. Bristol
alleged that this was an effort to force it and other software
developers, including Sybase Inc. , to use only Windows
operating systems instead of developing software to run on
multiple software systems. Bristol said the injunction it is
seeking would require Microsoft to provide it with access to
programming source code for Windows NT 4 and Windows NT 5.
((-- Eric Auchard, New York newsdesk, 212-859-1840))
#2
07:50 AM ET 08/19/98
Millennium computer bomb seen unstoppable for some
By Neil Winton, Science and Technology Correspondent
LONDON, Aug 19 (Reuters) - With 500 days to go to the Year
2000, experts said on Wednesday that it may already be too late
for many companies to defuse the millennium computer time bomb.
According to the Gartner Group, a U.S. high-technology
consultancy, nearly a quarter of all companies worldwide have
not yet started work on plans to solve Year 2000 programme
problems.
This means most of these organisations will effectively be
unable to fix their systems in time.
The Gartner Group, which said last year that millennium bomb
rehabilitation would cost between $300 billion and $600 billion
worldwide, also said in the report published this month that
only 50 percent of companies that had projects to eliminate the
bomb planned to test their corrected systems.
Experts said this was a dangerous policy, because correcting
computer programmes often introduced new flaws. Testing was
essential.
The millennium computer bomb is a legacy from shortcuts by
software writers, who in the name of economy expressed years
with just the final two digits rather than four.
When clocks tick past midnight on December 31, 1999, many
unrectified computers and chips will interpret the double zero
as 1900.
This will turn many computer programmes to mush. Unchecked,
many public utilities, assembly lines, bank teller machines,
traffic lights and lifts may shut down.
Some experts say the problem has been grossly exaggerated by
software companies seeking to scare customers into buying the
latest, bug-free products.
But Graham Titterington, consultant at London consultancy
Ovum, does not share this optimistic view.
"The situation is pretty critical. Most companies are doing
something, but are they doing enough?" Titterington said in an
interview.
Titterington said for the vast majority of businesses there
was no external check on the effectiveness of remedial work.
Mitul Mehta, senior European research manager at Frost &
Sullivan in London said time was running out for many companies.
Companies now could only pinpoint vital computer systems for
fixing. Less crucial systems would just have to run the risk of
crashing and be fixed later, Mehta said.
"Some crucial areas apart from computers are not getting
enough attention. I don't think networking companies have got
their act together -- manufacturers of routers, switches and
network equipment like Bay (Networks Inc) and Cisco (Systems
Inc), these kinds of companies," Mehta said.
He went on: "Anybody looking at their systems now is
probably too late anyway."
In its report, Gartner Group millennium research director
Lou Marcoccio said that of the 15,000 companies and government
agencies surveyed 23 percent had not started millennium bomb
projects. Of these, 86 percent were small companies which would
not have a chance of correcting systems unless they began
immediately, Marcoccio said.
The Gartner report said most western European companies and
the U.S. had made good progress. Germany was a notable laggard.
"Eastern Europe, Russia, India, Pakistan, Southeast Asia,
Japan, most of South America, most of the Middle East and
Central Africa all lag the United States by more than 12 months."
"Most of Western Europe is six months behind the United
States, except for Germany which is 12 months behind, and
France, which is eight to 10 months behind."
"The U.S. government leads all other country governments by
an even wider margin than the companies in those countries. Most
government agencies are significantly behind the United States
and extremely lagging overall," the report said.
((Neil Winton 44 171 542 7975 [EMAIL PROTECTED]))
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