Microsoft joins Visa to propose a standard for on-line paying
Article Abstract:
Visa International and Microsoft have announced the Secure Transaction Technology (STT), which is targeted at securing commercial transactions across the Internet. However, the two companies have met resistance from major electronic commerce companies. The Visa/Microsoft standard uses public key encryption to scramble data passed between customers and merchants. Both buyer and seller would need to have copies of any software that uses the proposed standard. The standard meets resistance because competitors claim that by not making the code public, Visa and Microsoft are forcing other companies to license the code from them. A group led by Mastercard International proposes an alternate standard called Secure Courier and plans to make all the code available to all comers, thereby promoting an open standard. Both sides agree that competing standards would confuse consumers and slow the growth of electronic commerce.
Publication Name: The New York Times
Subject: Business, general
ISSN: 0362-4331
Year: 1995
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U.S. won't challenge Microsoft Network before its debut
Article Abstract:
The Justice Department announces that it will not move on antitrust issues alleged against Microsoft before the introduction of the Microsoft Network (MSN). The Department says that it will continue its investigation. Justice's news came after Microsoft's same-day announcement that it will accept no more than 500,000 subscribers at first. Justice claims that its decision was not influenced by Microsoft's announcement. Microsoft wants to poll the initial customers on satisfaction before reaching for its goal of one million subscribers in the 12 months following the MSN launch. Analysts had predicted that MSN could have up to nine million subscribers in its first year. Observers believe that Justice's decision makes sense tactically, because the imminent release would force a Federal judge to make a hasty decision to issue the restraining order and preliminary injunction.
Publication Name: The New York Times
Subject: Business, general
ISSN: 0362-4331
Year: 1995
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Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
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