Microsoft News Tracker

Reuters:

Shares in Dutch navigation systems company TomTom rose as much as 7.2 percent on Tuesday on market rumours that Microsoft was interested in buying the company, though TomTom denied it was in talks.
…
“There is a rumour that Microsoft is interested in TomTom,” said a London-based trader, while another Dutch-based trader said the bid talk and an upbeat note from a brokerage was pushing up the stock.

TomTom, which makes portable navigation devices for cars and mapping software for handheld computers, forecast 2006 sales of 1.1 billion to 1.3 billion euros, targeting an operating margin of 20 percent.
…
Europe is currently the biggest market for these devices, with the United States a distant second. TomTom is European leader with more than half of the market for standalone car navigation devices.

The theory is that Microsoft could use TomTom as another entry point into the automotive systems market

As if Microsoft didn’t already have enough antitrust headaches already, today a South Korean court denied Microsoft’s request for a stay of antitrust penalties there. From the AP:

A court on Tuesday turned down Microsoft Corp.’s request for a stay of sanctions imposed by South Korea’s fair trade regulator, the software company said.

Microsoft had asked the Seoul High Court to allow the stay of penalties while the company lodges a legal challenge to the Korea Fair Trade Commission ruling ordering it to provide two separate versions of Windows from Aug. 24.

“Consistent with the court’s decision, Microsoft will, in a timely manner, comply with the KFTC’s order,” the Redmond, Wash.-based company said.

I guess that puts an end to speculation that Microsoft might pull Windows XP from the Korean market rather than create the versions demanded by the KFTC. Microsoft had earlier lost a separate appeal directly to the KFTC. Next step (aside from complying with the KFTC ruling):

Microsoft is pursuing an appeal to the KFTC’s ruling in the Seoul High Court. That is unaffected by Tuesday’s decision regarding the stay request.

In the statement, Microsoft said that it “will continue to defend its position in the case through the appeal process.”