Rivals say Microsoft’s .NET and XP are the next monopolies

The Project to Promote Competition and Innovation in the Digital Age, "ProComp," is composed of anonymous companies and organisations seeking to promote consumer choice in the electronic marketplace.

ProComp says that Microsoft's monopoly positions in three markets have actually increased since the beginning of the antitrust case, as it now has a 93% share of PC operating systems, a 96% share of productivity applications suites, and an 88% share of web browsers. Having driven competition from the market, ProComp believes Microsoft is free to raise prices and has now embarked on its most aggressive plans yet to recoup the maximum degree of monopoly profits.

ProComp describes .NET as being Microsoft Windows for the internet which will lead to “a Microsoft proprietary internet which leverages Microsoft's current Windows, Office and browser monopolies to create a Windows-centric web services platform based upon Windows proprietary standards and interfaces.”

It warns that, by adding Windows-centric proprietary hooks to its .NET platform, Microsoft will be able to lock up both the server software and web-based services markets.

Beginning with Windows XP, every new computer will automatically create a Microsoft Passport and enrol the user in Microsoft's instant messaging system. Microsoft Passport will allow Microsoft to jump-start efforts to enable additional web-based collaboration, essentially shutting others out of the process, says ProComp, adding:

"The clear and present danger is that Microsoft's strategy of bolting its Internet-related services to its Windows, Office and browser monopolies will lead to a monopoly in internet services. Microsoft will then be in the position of supplanting the internet as we know it today with an internet proprietary to Microsoft."