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Microsoft Planning to Buy Open Source Companies?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the dabbling-in-everything dept.

mjasay writes "At the Web 2.0 Summit, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer admitted that Microsoft 'will do some buying of companies that are built around open-source products,' suggesting that to avoid open-source companies would 'take us out of the acquisition market quite dramatically.' Ballmer has apparently come a long way since dubbing Linux a 'cancer.' The real question, however, is which open-source companies make sense within the Microsoft product portfolio, both from a technology and philosophy perspective. Novell? 37Signals? Jive? SugarCRM? And, equally importantly, which companies could look their communities in the eye after selling to Microsoft?"

13 of 276 comments (clear)

  1. Through Money tinted glasses by brewstate · · Score: 4, Funny

    "which companies could look their communities in the eye after selling to Microsoft?" ALL OF THEM.

    1. Re:Through Money tinted glasses by rootofevil · · Score: 3, Funny


      Microsoft could easily buy the two largest open-source companies on the planet without denting their reserves. If Microsoft ever suspects Linux is a significant threat, they'll just buy out the largest players. Let's face it... that's how #1^H^Hmonopolies companies remain #1^H^Hmonopolies.

      FTFY.

      --
      turn up the jukebox and tell me a lie
  2. Well.. by Reece400 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sounds familier to me... http://imdb.com/title/tt0218817/

  3. Be realistic.. by slashmojo · · Score: 1, Funny

    which companies could look their communities in the eye after selling to Microsoft?

    Methinks the founders will be too busy cruising around on their shiny new megayachts to worry about such things.. and why not?

    1. Re:Be realistic.. by TubeSteak · · Score: 3, Funny

      Methinks the founders will be too busy cruising around on their shiny new megayachts to worry about such things.. and why not? And why not?
      Because everyone knows that submarines are the new megayacht.
      --
      [Fuck Beta]
      o0t!
  4. Stumbling block by tygerstripes · · Score: 1, Funny

    Apparently they're really upset that Linux won't sell to them...

    --
    Meta will eat itself
  5. Re:Evolution of strategy by Bourbon+Man · · Score: 2, Funny

    I think you have one too many steps in your dream. Shave off that last one, and your dream would be more in line with reality.

  6. Re:Evolution of strategy by laejoh · · Score: 3, Funny

    "Microsoft" est-elle une firme française?

  7. Fun with quotes by riffzifnab · · Score: 2, Funny

    First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win. -Unsourced Mahatma Gandhi quote (wikiquote)

    Blaaaarrrg. Take off every chair! For great justice. Pew pew pew lasers! -/. Universe Balmer on learning of users forking OSS they just bought to kill. (my own head)
  8. Re:loyality by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Yes, the new license type will be called "Chair:ed source"

  9. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 3, Funny

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  10. Re:Great American Streetcar Scandal; 1936-50 by R2.0 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Are you aware that the article you reference spends more space debunking the "conspiracy" than promoting it?

    --
    "As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly." A. Carlson
  11. Clippy by dintech · · Score: 3, Funny

    It looks like you're planning an acquisition...

    Would you like help?

    * Crush the life and soul out of the idea and shelve it.
    * Use your new acquisition's IP to bludgeon the competition.
    * Add bloatware to Vista.