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Microsoft offers Outlook 'concessions' to EU

Maybe Microsoft thinks that all ‘foreigners’ are stupid or don’t understand technology?  Their Outlook ‘concessions’ to the EU regarding the LinkedIn buyout are laughable.

LinkedIn, the large social media site, is being bought by Microsoft for $26 billion but faces opposition from rivals.  Salesforce, in particular, is fighting the merge on competition grounds.

The EU anti-trust regulator has yet to approve the takeover of LinkedIn and Microsoft is offering some ‘concessions’ to keep the regulator happy.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Microsoft is offering to allow rival social media companies access to Microsoft Outlook so that add-ins can work within Outlook and use the Outlook API.

That’s no concession at all.  Anyone can write an Outlook add-in and make use of the existing Outlook API.  People and companies have been doing it for years.

Maybe Microsoft could reopen the ‘Social Connectors’ system that was introduced with Outlook 2010 and gradually died.  LinkedIn originally had a Social Connector but it was gradually dropped.  Eventually the vital Facebook Social Connector was cutoff with no notice and a feeble excuse.

Presumably the EU commissioners aren’t as clueless as Microsoft seems to think they are.  The commissioners might even think such a non-existent ‘concession’ is a deliberate insult to the EU, and they might be right.

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