Saying that it's time to start looking at Microsoft's non-browser business practices, Utah Senator Orin Hatch has scheduled a second hearing to determine whether the Redmond software giant is behaving legally. Hatch's hearing, which is called "Competition in the Digital Age: Beyond the Browser Wars," will take place on July 23rd and focus on Microsoft's other emerging businesses, including electronic commerce, and enterprise computing.
"Every day, we are coming to live and to work in an increasingly networked, technology-driven world," Hatch wrote in a statement. "There is little question that Microsoft, which now controls the PC software market, is seeking to extend its desktop monopoly in effect to control these other technologies and, to a large extent, the network itself."
While no specific technologies or products were mentioned, it is expected that the hearings will focus on Windows NT, the free bundling of its IIS Web server, and Java.
"We respect Senator Hatch and the committee, and we've gone the extra mile over the past year to provide the committee with all of the information it's requested," said Microsoft spokesman Mike Murray, who also noted that no Microsoft executives have yet been invited to the hearings. "Given Hatch's continued attacks against the company, it's not clear that additional testimony from Microsoft will serve any useful purpose.
