The technical disclosure began in mid-August and Microsoft
released on Tuesday the full list of 272 Windows Application
Programming Interfaces (APIs), pieces of internal Windows computer
code. The APIs, which were previously kept secret, are available
free of charge.
Microsoft also released 113 proprietary protocols, which
computer server manufacturers will be able to licence and use in
order to make their machines compatible with Windows desktops.
Pricing details for the licensing agreements have not been
disclosed.
The company has further revealed that the upcoming versions of
Windows XP (Service Pack 1) will include mechanisms that allow
manufacturers and consumers to add and remove access to certain
features, such as Internet Explorer and Outlook Express, and set
defaults for rival software.
Microsoft’s settlement agreement is still opposed by an
additional nine states that are seeking stricter anti-trust
sanctions.
