South Korean President Park Geun-hye (L) shakes hands with Microsoft founder Bill Gates before their meeting at the presidential Blue House in Seoul on April 22, 2013.
Microsoft's chairman Bill Gates, one of world's richest man and high profile aid donors, speaks on efforts to eradication global health challenges in Accra on March 26, 2013. Bill Gates is in Ghana to meet with government and health officials on ways to combat global health problems. Bill Gates Foundation donates at least five percent of its asset each year to fight Polio Myelitis, HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria and other global infectious diseases across the globe.
Microsoft's chairman Bill Gates, one of world's richest man and high profile aid donors, discusses with health officials at Ahentia Health Centre in the Awutu Senya district, central region in Ghana on March 26, 2013. Bill Gates is in Ghana to meet with government and health officials on ways to combat global health problems. Bill Gates Foundation donates at least five percent of its asset each year to fight Polio Myelitis, HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria and other global infectious diseases across the globe.
Microsoft's Bill Gates, one of the world's richest men and highest profile aid donors, (2R) arrives along with director of the human resource division Frank Nyonator (L) and programme manager Antiwi-Agyei (R) at the Ahentia Health Centre, in the Awutu Senya district, in the Central Region of Ghana, on March 26, 2013. Bill Gates is in Ghana to meet with government and health officials on ways to combat global health problems. Bill Gates Foundation donates at least five percent of its asset each year to fight Polio Myelitis, HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria and other global infectious diseases across the globe.
Pip Marlow, managing director at Microsoft Australia, speaks at the Standing Committee on Infrastructure and Communications Committe into IT pricing at Parliament House in Canberra on March 22, 2013. Technology giants including Apple and Microsoft defended their pricing policy in Australia at an official inquiry launched over concerns that they were overcharging customers.
European Union anti-trust regulators are set to hit Microsoft with a hefty fine on Wednesday for breaking a promise to offer consumers using its Windows system a choice of rival Internet browsers, people familiar with the case said.
EU anti-trust chief Joaquin Almunia is expected to use the fine - which could run into hundreds of millions of euros -to set an example after the software giant became the first company to break a promise made to end an anti-trust probe.
Almunia will announce his decision at 6:30 am ET, the sources said. Reuters reported last week that EU regulators would fine Microsoft before the end of March.
EU rules mean the company could be penalised $7.4 billion or 10 percent of its fiscal 2012 revenues although regulators are not expected to levy such a high fine.
The fines relate to an anti-trust battle in Europe more than a decade ago. In order to avoid a penalty then, Microsoft promised to offer European consumers a choice of rival browsers.
