This didn’t occur by accident. Here’s how the onetime biggest shark in technology, an organization that was set on its heels by an FTC suit a long time ago, has managed to remain on the appropriate side of the feds — at the very least thus far.
Becoming the tech world’s choirboy
Back in 1998, Microsoft faced its own existential crisis: The DOJ sued it for illegally using its Windows monopoly to kill its competition. The corporate lost the lawsuit, and a judge ordered the corporate be broken up. After an appeal, in 2001 Microsoft and the DOJ reached an agreement through which Microsoft needed to share code with other firms and had to permit non-Microsoft browsers access to Windows.
It was little greater than a slap on the wrist. Despite that, the corporate went right into a tailspin since it was so focused on defending itself somewhat than aggressively going after the mobile market, expanding into web search, specializing in social media, or jumping into online retail.
