Microsoft said Friday that it will soon supply European users of Internet Explorer with a choice screen to select an alternative web browser such as Chrome, Firefox, Opera or Safari. The so-called browser ballot was an essential requirement of the antitrust settlement reached between the software giant and the European Commission in December, and to which Microsoft will be bound for the next five years.
“External testing of the choice screen will begin next week in three countries: The United Kingdom, Belgium and France,” Microsoft Vice President and Deputy General Counsel Dave Heiner wrote in a blog. “We plan to begin a phased rollout of the update across Europe the week of March 1.”
Automatic Download
As part of the settlement, the choice screen will be offered as a download through Windows Update for machines running Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7.
“The software update will be installed automatically, or will prompt you to download or install it, depending on which operating system you are running and your settings for Windows Update,” Heiner wrote. “If you do not have automatic updating enabled, you can get the choice screen by going to Windows Update and clicking on ‘Check for Updates.'”
The design and operation of the screen was worked out in extensive discussions with the commission and is reflected in the commitment that Microsoft made, Heiner wrote. “Users who get the choice screen will be free to choose any browser or stick with the browser they have, as they prefer,” he explained.
To enable users to learn more about what the alternative choices offer — as well as how to install them — the browser list will include links. The EC-mandated ballot also gives European PC users the ability to turn access to Internet Explorer on or off.
What’s more, the software giant will no longer be…