Microsoft To Call Allchin, But Not Ballmer, To Testify

Microsoft

On Friday afternoon, Microsoft announced that it would not call Ballmer to testify at the company's antitrust remedy trial as expected. The remaining witnesses are scheduled to appear next week.

Ballmer's name appeared on the original witness list Microsoft submitted to the court this spring. His boss, Microsoft Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates, faced three days of cross-examination on his 156-page written testimony last week.

In addition to Allchin, Microsoft will call to the stand next week Microsoft's Linda Averett, product unit manager of Windows Digital Media; Kenneth Elzinga, professor of economics, University of Virginia; and John K. Bennett, professor of computer science and computer engineering at the University of Colorado.

Ballmer and OEM account manager Gayle Brock,whose name also appeared on Microsoft's witness list,will not be called.

Will Poole, vice president of Microsoft's Windows Media Division, will continue to be on the stand when court resumes on Monday.

With the remedy trial coming to a close, U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly will render a decision on harsher, revised remedies proposed by a group of state attorneys general, who oppose the tentative consent decree between Microsoft and the U.S. Justice Of Department.