Microsoft Settles With North Carolina For $89 Million

Microsoft has finalized another class-action antitrust lawsuit, striking a deal with the state of North Carolina for $89 million.

Although Microsoft said it had reached a settlement with North Carolina last week, when the company said it had finalized agreements with five states and the District of Columbia, financial terms of the North Carolina case awaited court approval.

Under the terms of the settlement, Microsoft will issue $89 million worth of vouchers to class-action members. Those vouchers can be used to purchase any vendor's desktop, laptop, and tablet computers; any software available for sale to the general public; and selected peripherals.

As in other antitrust settlements Microsoft's made with states, half of the unclaimed vouchers will be turned over to North Carolina's public schools, which can then use them to buy hardware or software, or pay for computer training.

Three of the deals announced last week--with Tennessee, North Dakota, and South Dakota--have yet to reveal their monetary amounts. But because Microsoft said the total figure for the six deals would run to $200 million, the North Carolina announcement means that Tennessee and the Dakotas will split approximately $72.8 million in vouchers.