Microsoft CEO Ballmer ordered to testify in court

[LinuxMint-4]

Microsoft CEO Ballmer ordered to testify in court
By Mike Ferro

http://tech.blorge.com/Structure:%20/20 ... -in-court/


Microsoft CEO Ballmer ordered to testify in court The “Vista Capable” class-action lawsuit has been a sore subject for Microsoft for some time now. Now the federal judge has ordered the CEO of Microsoft to testify in court. This is extremely embarrassing for the executive of a high profile company like Microsoft to appear in court.

According to Computer World, a federal judge last Friday, ordered Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft to appear in court to testify in the “Vista Capable” lawsuit. The lawsuit came about after it was revealed that Microsoft relaxed the requirements for Vista upon pressure from Intel. This in turn angered HP, as the company had invested in parts determined from the original requirement specification.

Microsoft pleaded that Ballmer had no knowledge of the Vista Capable program and should not have to testify in court. However, the judge rejected the claim and ordered the CEO to appear in court. Federal judge Marsha Peachman indicated that Ballmer must meet with the plaintiff’s lawyers within 30 days.

Apparently, last month Microsoft tried to block the deposition by indicating that Ballmer had no prior knowledge of the program. Ballmer even stated, “I was not involved in establishing the requirements computers must satisfy to qualify for the Windows Vista Capable program. I was not involved in formulating any marketing strategy or any public messaging surrounding the Windows Vista Capable program.”

Microsoft representatives stated that Jim Allchin and Will Poole, two executives that left the company back in 2007, were mostly responsible for the Vista Capable Program. Personally, it sounds like corporate politics at work here. It seems that two expendable executives were designated as the scapegoats.

It is curious how high this decision actually went up. You would think that the requirements discussion for Vista would have gone up all the way to the top. It seems that the world may never know now.

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Other links

http://www.techflash.com/microsoft/Judg ... 11609.html

http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/ ... pable.html

[eddie]

I wish I was an attorney so I could depose (pun intended) him.