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By Joey Gardiner, 24 September 2001 17:58

NEWS Microsoft is "surprised and disappointed" by calls over the weekend for it to be investigated by the Office of Fair Trading(OFT) after it made changes to its licensing scheme. Speaking to silicon.com Microsoft's product marketing services manager Duncan Reid admitted there had been a breakdown in communication with The Infrastructure Forum (TIF), which said corporate IT users' licensing costs would double under the new scheme. Reid said he had already been on the phone to TIF's CEO David Roberts: "I am encouraged that, along with Microsoft, David remains committed to a dialogue to resolve the issues TIF's members have." However, Reid was disappointed that Microsoft's message hadn't got through to TIF: "The feedback we have had about the new licensing plans from the users we have spoken to has been good. Most of our users understand what we are trying to do in terms of increasing the simplicity and ease of administration of licenses." But TIF's Roberts said this is untrue: "We know of a number of large corporate customers of Microsoft's who have made their dissatisfaction about this quite clear to Microsoft already. Microsoft is just putting out the company line here." Roberts confirmed he had been contacted by Microsoft today and has agreed to keep lines of communication open. Roberts said TIF's members - all large corporate IT users including the likes of BP, Cadbury Schweppes, Glaxo SmithKline and ICI - said the new licensing terms would increase their licensing cost by 94 per cent on average. TIF members did not find the new scheme would leave prices at the current level or save them money. By contrast Microsoft says 30 per cent of users will save money under the new agreements, while only 20 per cent will face any extra cost. On Friday Roberts wrote an open letter to e-minister Patricia Hewitt asking for Microsoft's licensing practices to be checked for anti-trust infringements. He says it is possible that as many as 40 TIF members are willing to present their evidence of increased cost to the OFT if required. Roberts added: "If Microsoft continues down this path, and our figures turn out to be realistic, then it simply won't be able to put this through. Users just won't stomach it." He urged any corporate users worried about the new scheme to find more information at www.tif.co.uk.