Microsoft Answers E-Mail Smear Charge

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August 13, 1999 (1:23 PM EDT)

By Malcolm Maclachlan,

Microsoft said Friday that it did not authorize an employee to send fake e-mail critical of rival AOL.

The company also questioned whether the notorious e-mail even originated inside the company.

The controversy centers around the ongoing instant messaging dispute between the two companies. Microsoft released its MSN Messenger product late last month that includes two features that irked AOL: the ability to interoperate with AOL's Instant Messenger (AIM) program, and the ability to import AIM buddy lists. AOL responded by blocking MSN Messenger. AIM dominates this new market with a reported 25 million users.

Microsoft, in turn, released versions designed to route around the blocks, leading AOL to block the upgrades. This technical battle has passed through numerous generations over the past three weeks.

The companies have also been using the dispute as ground zero for a public relations war. Microsoft has repeatedly said AOL is blocking open standards in this area and inhibiting the user experience. This strategy has even swayed some Microsoft critics; open source advocate Eric Raymond said for once, Microsoft was right.

However, Richard Smith, president of Phar Lap Software, said in The New York Times Friday that he received an e-mail two days before that said it was from Phil Bucking of Bucking Consulting. Bucking said he was developing a messaging product of his own. The e-mail was highly critical of how AOL handled the dispute, saying AOL's blocking of MSN Messenger jeopardized the security of people using that product.

Smith said he traced the e-mail back to a Microsoft proxy server, though not to a specific employee.

"Microsoft has not confirmed that it was anyone inside," said company spokeswoman Tricia Fahey. "If it was, we will take it very seriously."

However, the controversy has in no way made Microsoft step back from its stance that AOL is harming consumers, both by limiting choice and endangering privacy with its technical attacks on Microsoft's products.

"Isn't the real issue here that AOL is putting millions of users at risk?" Fahey said.