" Kroes added that she hoped the latest technical documentation being delivered by Microsoft would finally bring the company into compliance, "and that further penalty payments will not prove necessary.

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It had invested much into putting the requested documentation together: Over 200 Microsoft employees, including senior executives, and 20 outside contractors spent between 35, 000 and 40, 000 working hours producing it, according to " compliance effort report" that is posted on its Web site.

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After myriad reminders, Microsoft was accused by the Commission of dragging its feet in submitting the proper technical documentation, but in February the company finally posted its formal response to the regulator's complaints and said that the case was closed.

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That's why following Smith into the hearing are a cluster of six technology firms to defend the documentation as "useful and helpful" in creating software that can jive with Microsoft's products.

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