Harrybbb tipped me off this afternoon on a news item he saw on his daily Wall Street Journal news feed concerning a company that at times is highly controversial within our industry—Microsoft. Many in our industry always have their own opinions on the tech giant, so I am sure these same groups will have much to say regarding the reports that Microsoft is currently being investigated by federal regulators on its relationships with business partners who allegedly offered bribes to foreign government officials for software contracts.
According to an article posted today on WSJ.com, “Lawyers from the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission are examining kickback allegations made by a former Microsoft representative in China, as well as the company's relationship with certain resellers and consultants in Romania and Italy, these people said.”
The article also mentioned that the investigation is currently in the beginning stages, and that "it is important to keep in mind, that according to sources familiar with the probe, there have been no official accusations of any illegal activities as it relates to Microsoft and its business partners." The article continued that "oftentimes, investigations such as this often conclude with just that of an investigation with no charges ever being filed."
"Like every large company with operations around the world we sometimes receive allegations about potential misconduct by employees or business partners," John Frank, Microsoft's vice president and deputy general counsel was quoted as saying in the article appearing today on WSJ.com. "We cooperate fully in any government inquiries.”
For more information on this probe, the investigation, and for the full story, click here to go to the WSJ Web site.
