[meaty]

I don't think they can just cut off every Microsoft consultancy, every Windows user and throw them out of the EU.

If they did, I'd be heading to Brussels with a pitchfork along with about 100 other people at my company.

[arethuza]

I don't think this has anything to do with companies that offer services around Microsoft products - this will be about the Microsoft subsidiaries and assets located within the EU - there will probably be at least one Microsoft legal entity within each country where they have a direct presence, not to mention significant assets like large data centers.

[meaty]

Which is still an issue for a lot of people who depend on them.

[Retric]

Unpaid fines continue to grow. Eventually it would perfectly within reason to seize (take) Microsoft's copyright on windows making piracy perfectly legal.

[eksith]

I seriously doubt MS will commit seppuku over a fine. Which is really what scoffing at this would get them.

More than likely, they'll roll out changes to their browser preferences now (that they've been caught red-handed) and maybe include a "browser bundle" that has Firefox, Chrome and IE in newer versions and recommend OEMs deploy the same. Naturally it may still default to IE if the user clicks "next". That way, they can maybe negotiate down the overall sum of the fine saying "hey, sorry we're late, but look! We're doing the changes."

[meaty]

They already have been doing that for a long time. They are in compliance now.