Microsoft keeps its options open
Yahoo | at | by Mike
Steve Ballmer, chief executive of Microsoft, warned at the weekend that "rough" business conditions in Europe were likely to weigh on the technology industry for the foreseeable future. His comments follow signs from other big US technology companies in recent days that Europe has become one of the weakest markets for IT products and services, adding to the industry's broader problems. Mr Ballmer, who arrived in Europe for his biannual visit, said troubles facing the telecoms and financial services industries in Europe, which are particularly big technology buyers, will continue to burden the struggling IT industry.