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Office equipment industry

The Microsoft Witch Hunt: A Costly and Pointless Enterprise

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The federal government's attack on Microsoft is a pricey and misguided endeavor, with estimates suggesting a cost of $30 million to $60 million, dwarfed only by the $40 million spent by Ken Starr during his investigation of President Clinton. This pursuit is further highlighted by the government's failure to produce evidence of any wrongdoing by Microsoft, much like the infamous IBM case, which was dropped after 13 years of attempting to prove monopolistic practices. Meanwhile, the government is still receiving benefits from Microsoft's products, such as the use of its Flight Simulator game to train naval pilots, saving millions of dollars in the process.

Key Takeaways:

  • The government's attack on Microsoft is estimated to cost between $30 million and $60 million, with Ken Starr's investigation of President Clinton costing $40 million.
  • The government's case against Microsoft lacks evidence of wrongdoing, similar to the IBM case, which was dropped after 13 years.
  • Microsoft's products, such as its Flight Simulator game, are being used by the government to train naval pilots, saving millions of dollars.
  • Programmers cannot please everyone, and customized software is often highly desired by users, making minor irritations from Microsoft's quirks insufficient to elicit customer dissatisfaction.
  • Government lawyers in 19 states are also pursuing cases against Microsoft, including requests for the company to publish its source code and provide ongoing access to its documents.
  • The costs of this investigation could rival that of the IBM case, which ended in a five-year decline for the company, only to see it make a comeback.

Statistics:

  • Estimated cost of the government's attack on Microsoft: $30 million to $60 million
  • Cost of Ken Starr's investigation of President Clinton: $40 million
  • Number of years the government pursued the IBM case: 13
  • Number of states where government lawyers are pursuing cases against Microsoft: 19
  • Number of T-34C simulators that will be replaced by Microsoft's Flight Simulator game: 6
  • Cost of each T-34C simulator: $6,000
  • Cost of Microsoft's Flight Simulator game: $50 per copy

Sources:

  • Citizens Against Government Waste
  • Department of Justice (DOJ)
  • IBM
  • Microsoft
  • Pensacola Naval Air Station
  • Naval Education and Training Command
  • The Washington Times (no explicit mention of date or publication date)

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