BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE
A story of big tech, antitrust regulation, and dominant firms.
Published in · 8 min read · Nov 20, 2023
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By November 1999, Microsoft had amassed a majority market share in the personal computer operating system industry.
Microsoft controlled over 80% of the market, significantly drowning out competitor products and creating an environment of unfair advantage. Courts typically conclude if a company controls at least 70% of the market within an industry that this designates a monopoly power.
Further, since monopolists are price setters and marginal revenue is always less than price within a monopoly, the consumer is ultimately the one to bear the cost.
Regardless, the allure of a corporate monopoly is a consistent temptation within business that has the potential to cause massive disruption to consumer prices.
Microsoft had been accused of dealing with a wide range of exclusionary practices in order to protect its Windows operating system monopoly.
