MS Withdraws From WC3 Web Services Working Group

slashusrslashbin writes "CNet is reporting that Microsoft has broken with a key Web Services standard effort. Apparently the W3C 'is not the only vehicle in which to impact and evaluate a set of technologies.' Evaluating them in a massive monopoly is probably just as good..."

Comments

surprise?

[den_erpel]

After their withdrawal of the OpenGL consortium or board, this is not a surprise.

Afterall microsoft _is_ the standard, why should you have independent standard committees?? :(

Public Image, Feet to Fire, Etc.

[4of12]

As the article said, it's a real shame that the standards making body loss the contributions of MS, since their emissaries were regarded well by the rest of the members.

Two things are evident, though.

One, that MS joins standards bodies as part of a public relations and marketing ploy. They find there is some value in being able to use standards as a way to sell their product (eg, the latest "Office does XML"), but their commitment to adhering to standards and to releasing full specifications of their products, which have become de facto standards, is monotonously disappointing.

Second, while the anti-trust investigation by the U.S Department of Justice was underway and the outcome was subject to some chance, their behavior was better. Unfortunately, it seems as if they already know or don't fear the outcome of the EU investigation, or they might make a better effort to uphold standards, which are the essential ingredient for a competitive software marketplace.