While AOL's testing of browser-switching technology, code-named Komodo, seems to be a direct slap at Microsoft's, sources say that AOL is merely trying to force Microsoft's hand in rewriting its contract with the software juggernaut.
"This is an AOL threat," said a source claiming familiarity with the AOL-Microsoft contract negotiations, who requested anonymity. "You keep AOL in Windows, or we'll launch Komodo."
Komodo, according to the Betanews.com site, which first reported its existence, is technology being tested by America Online and its CompuServe subsidiary that would let either AOL or online users embed any third-party browser in an AOL client.
AOL's consumer browsers currently are based on Microsoft's Internet Explorer technology. In January of this year, Microsoft's contract with AOL expired, Microsoft officials acknowledged. Until that time, AOL had agreed to base its consumer browser on IE in exchange for Microsoft's promotion of the AOL Internet service in Windows, as part of the online services folder.
Lending further weight to the theory that Komodo is a pawn in a contract chess game is an AOL memo uncovered by Betanews.com. According to a copy of the April 24 memo examined by Ziff Davis, AOL product managers are submitting to AOL's legal counsel a list of alleged shortcomings on Microsoft's part in some type of contract between the two companies. Among the shortcomings alleged by the AOL product managers are failures on Microsoft's part to provide information and functionality on a timely basis to AOL about a variety of products, including IE, Windows Millennium Edition and Windows XP.
CompuServe officials did not respond to a request for comment by press time.
AOL spokesman Jim Whitney said, "We continue to believe that 'carriage' on Windows is important," but said AOL had come to no final decisions on its underlying browser platform.
Microsoft, for its part, claimed the rumoured existence of something like Komodo came as no surprise.
"We're not surprised by AOL possibly making a decision to replace IE with Netscape," said Microsoft spokesman Jim Cullinan. "We said at (the Department of Justice vs. Microsoft antitrust) trial that they would do this and they denied it." Cullinan added that AOL, like any online service provider, has the right to download IE and then sign a contract to license it.
