In something of an eleventh hour decision, Microsoft has decided to restore Internet Explorer to European copies of Windows 7. The move will allow Microsoft to offer the same SKUs to both sides of the pond, including upgrade licenses, which had been postponed in the region until at least December 31.
Microsoft revealed late this evening that it does not intend to ship the browser-free Windows 7 E editions even though the EU has yet to approve its revised plan. The revised plan for Windows 7 in Europe calls for a “ballot screen” which gives users the option to select the browser of their choice.
“In the wake of last week’s developments, as well as continuing feedback on Windows 7 E that we have received from computer manufacturers and other business partners, I’m pleased to report that we will ship the same version of Windows 7 in Europe in October that we will ship in the rest of the world,” Deputy General Counsel David Heiner said in a prepared statement.
“One reason we decided not to ship Windows 7 ‘E’ is concerns raised by computer manufacturers and partners,” Heiner said. “Several worried about the complexity of changing the version of Windows that we ship in Europe if our ballot screen proposal is ultimately accepted by the Commission and we stop selling Windows 7 ‘E’. Computer manufacturers and our partners also warned that introducing Windows 7 ‘E’, only to later replace it with a version of Windows 7 that includes IE, could confuse consumers about what version of Windows to buy with their PCs.”
Meanwhile, the EU has not officially accepted Microsoft’s ballot screen proposal, but it was receptive to the idea in a statement released last Friday.
“Under the proposal, Windows 7 would include Internet Explorer, but the proposal recognises the principle that consumers should be given a free and effective choice of web browser, and sets out a means–the ballot screen–by which Microsoft believes that can be achieved,” the statement reads. “The Commission welcomes this proposal, and will now investigate its practical effectiveness in terms of ensuring genuine consumer choice.”
Analysts are confident that Microsoft’s decision to drop Windows 7 E signals a favorable outcome and an end to the Internet Explorer issue.
European Windows 7 users will be presented their choice of browser upon first logon.
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