The technical disclosure began in mid-August and Microsoft released on Tuesday the full list of 272 Windows Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), pieces of internal Windows computer code. The APIs, which were previously kept secret, are available free of charge.
Microsoft also released 113 proprietary protocols, which computer server manufacturers will be able to licence and use in order to make their machines compatible with Windows desktops. Pricing details for the licensing agreements have not been disclosed.
The company has further revealed that the upcoming versions of Windows XP (Service Pack 1) will include mechanisms that allow manufacturers and consumers to add and remove access to certain features, such as Internet Explorer and Outlook Express, and set defaults for rival software.
Microsoft’s settlement agreement is still opposed by an additional nine states that are seeking stricter anti-trust sanctions.