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Microsoft's Savvy Open Source Move

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the good-business-sense dept.

willdavid writes to mention Joe Panettieri is reporting that Microsoft is continuing their push for open source software interoperability. In the most recent push Microsoft is partnering with a small Silicon Valley company called SpikeSource to certify open source software on Windows 2008. "Despite growing Linux deployments, Windows Server remains quite popular for running open source applications. SugarCRM, the fast-growing open source application provider, is quick to note that many of its business developments occur on Windows Server. And Microsoft itself has sponsored SugarCRM's conferences, in order to stay in front of open source crowds."

6 of 137 comments (clear)

  1. Windows Server rocks by El+Lobo · · Score: 0, Interesting
    Not a surprise, really. I run 3 Windows Servers 2003 at my work and they , in combination with IIS6 are a great piece of software. Amazingly lightweight to be a GUIed server and actually, rock solid.

    I run a some OS software on it, and commercial as well, of course, being ideologically agnostic as I am.

    I really don't see the news value in this article, so...

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    It's time to realise that Abble's products are the biggest abomination these days. Just say NO to the dumb iAbble way!!
  2. Joe used to work for Windows Mag, too by postbigbang · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Kind of left that out of his background there on his bio page.

    Microsoft is interested in anything that sells Windows Server. However, with all of their sword rattling, known monopolistic behaviors, partnering with them still can get you the Black Widow Effect. Just ask 3Com, or Ashton Tate, etc.

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    ---- Teach Peace. It's Cheaper Than War.
  3. Just another way MS is trying to control OSS. by Vellmont · · Score: 2, Interesting

    This is a "certification" process. How much do you want to bet Microsoft just wants to use this as a tool to control OSS? I'm sure Microsoft thinks they can create the artificial need for "certification" to run on Windows. Then just don't certify certain products, or make the certification process wind up making the software hugely advantageous for Windows. They could try to design the certification process so the software becomes less cross-platform, say uses a lot of closed-source windows specific APIs.

    I'm not sure exactly how MS will turn the certification process to try to control OSS, but based on past behavior I'm pretty skeptical to accept it at face value.

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    AccountKiller
  4. !savvy by Spazmania · · Score: 2, Interesting

    A -savvy- open source move would be announcing a port of MS Office to SuSE. This "we want you to make your Linux software also run on Windows" move just increases the vulnerability of their cash cow.

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    Moderating "-1, Disagree" is simple censorship. Have the guts to post your opinion.
  5. Re:You mean like this by mweather · · Score: 5, Interesting

    That's nice of them. When will Office have native ODF support? Or OOXML support for that matter?

  6. Savvy? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    If Microsoft had savvy they wouldn't be in the fix they are now. They have no savvy, they're just huge and cold-blooded. And they have the courts (and, apparently, the ISO) in their pocket.

    Microsoft isn't fighting for its life, but the brand is dying, and nothing they can do will be able to stop it.