Microsoft Threatens Startups Over Account Info

HangingChad writes "According to Fortune, there are reports that Microsoft is trying to strong arm startups to give preferential treatment to MSN Messenger and are using account information as leverage. 'If the company wants to offer other IM services (from Yahoo, Google or AOL, say), Messenger must get top billing. And if the startup wants to offer any other IM service, it must pay Microsoft 25 cents a user per year for a site license.' Of course, if the company is willing to use Messenger exclusively 'fee will be discounted 100 percent.' Getting detailed information is difficult as many of the companies being approached are afraid of reprisals."

Comments

Evil is Microsoft's most important product?

[Futurepower(R)]

Quote from the Fortune article: "This is a great example of why Google is the leader ... and Microsoft is not..."

Microsoft: Do evil if evil makes money? Or, Microsoft: Evil is our most important product, making money is secondary?

It's security, stupid

[nbauman]

From TFA:

Hall said that Microsoft's main concern, and the reason it sent out Big Foot letters in the first place, was security. Well, of course. Think of the children.

Re:Heavy Foot

[Mateo_LeFou]

"Drop Microsoft! Just drop them"

You're actually suggesting there are viable substitutes for Hotmail?!@!?

Anal ogy

[fulldecent]

A piece of software without MSN integration is like a dog without bricks tied around its neck.

Re:Why isn't IM distributed?

[Stradenko]

Thanks for describing XMPP.