Microsoft Buys Into Taiwanese Broadband ISP

vivekb writes " C|Net reports that Microsoft and Hoshin GigaMedia Centre, Taiwan's cable ISP, will be jointly providing broadband services. The two companies will create a broadband version of MSN, financed by a rumored $31.5 million dollar investment by Microsoft to GigaMedia. The network runs on Microsoft's Commercial Internet Services platform. GigaMedia is part of Taiwan's giant conglomerate, the Koos Group, and [originally] partnered with 3Com to introduce their cable modem service."

Comments

Not a wise move

[Ticker]

With the Findings of Fact, I think this really turns out to be a dumb move on Microsoft's part. One of the things that Judge Jackson stressed the most in the decision (and I've read the entire thing) is that by attempting to control the Internet as a possible middleware platform, Microsoft was illegally protecting what he calls the applications barrier to entry.

This looks like yet another attempt for Microsoft to control the Internet, thus trying to keep as much of it as possible Internet Explorer/Windows-dependant, and thus control the applications barrier to entry in the Operating Systems market.

I found it very interesting that development of content was a part of this deal. I wonder how much of it will use "features" only found in Internet Explorer, like ActiveX. With the deals in the past that MS has made (with Disney, Pointcast, etc), I also wonder if there is actually a legal requirement in this deal for some Internet Explorer dependancy.

I wonder how the DOJ and Judge Jackson will react to this move when it comes time for the final decision in DOJ v. Microsoft. It definately doesn't look good to me. If anything, it seems to me that MS still feels they are invincible and can still do anything they want, even things that Judge Jackson specifically and expressly condemned. If Judge Jackson has any emotions, which with his being human is pretty likely, I wouldn't be surprised if he was pretty pissed off at MS right about now.