What's the Business Case for Microsoft and Open Source?

Friend of perl developers everywhere, Jeremy Zawodny, has an intriguing question: "If you had to explain to Microsoft why they should change their attitude toward Open Source, what would you say?" For more about this, read on... From Jeremy: "If you had to explain to Microsoft why they should change their attitude toward Open Source, what would you say? More to the point, how can Microsoft benefit from better supporting or even adopting Open Source in their business? (Replace IIS with Apache, for example.) Does it make sense for them? Are there ways that they can use Open Source as a competitive advantage without pissing off the Open Source community in the process? Which of their products would make sense on Open Source platforms? How can the Open Source community help Microsoft? Or is this a lost cause? IBM has made it work. Can Microsoft?

I ask these questions because I may have the chance to talk with folks at Microsoft about Open Source. And it only makes sense that I look to the community for input. So let's hear it. Flames won't help. Thoughtful answers and ideas very well could."

Comments

Re:its really simple

[Anonymous Coward]

better product? something like gnome that no one can ever use? some shit mozilla which is full of fucking bloat named XUL? something better like having 123541345134515 applications using another 132454321523523453425 of widgetsets?

Re:bill and balmer owns.

[Anonymous Coward]

well no, i was not kidding. windows is definately a cool os, a lot of users, all kind of applications (not yet another mp3 player, i was talking about serious business applications) etc. all the shit missing on linux. the reason why no company going to use it, the reason why governments like the german ones refused to use it as their desktop etc. even i plan to switch back from linux to windows (after nearly 10 years now) because i need serious applications to work with, to make my daily money, to make my family and children feed. i cant do this with linux, with the apps offered on it e.g. GNOME-joke or whatever..

Re:You misunderstand the reasons...

[GutBomb]

I do not own a Mensa membership card

And with the joke flying directly over your head like that we can see why.

Re:FlameBait ?!?!

[Archfeld]

this guys actually has a clue..M$ is in business to MAKE MONEY, the more the better. If there was a way to support OSS, make money and do some good you don't think they jump on it if just for the good PR which they desperately need. To expect anything else but a bottom line profit motive from a corporation is naive in the extreme...