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Microsoft Acquires Another Open-Source Company, Citus Data (cnbc.com)
Microsoft on Thursday said that it's acquiring Citus Data, a start-up that has commercialized open-source database software called PostgreSQL. Terms of the deal weren't disclosed. From a report: The deal could help Microsoft make its argument that it supports open-source technologies, particularly in the cloud, while continuing to make money from popular proprietary software like Windows and Office. In the cloud business, Microsoft wants to use openness as a way to pick up business amid competition from Google, market leader Amazon and others. Currently, Citus Data's website advertises a version of its database software that's hosted on Amazon Web Services. Microsoft's blog post announcing the acquisition mentions the competing Azure cloud 10 times.
Like MySQL, perhaps it's time for the visionaries from Postgres to fork this database. Microsoft may claim to be "pro open source" but I remember when Microsoft tried to kill the progress of Linux distro distribution calling it "unamerican" (among other things). Oracle tried (and failed thank god), purchased Sun MicroSystems looking for opportunities make money off or limit/kill MySQL ( which the EU prevented as a condition of the deal), and put restrictions on OpenOffice, Java and Solaris. The devs of MySQL didn't trust them ( and created MariaDB), the devs from OpenOffice didn't trust them (creating LibreOffice) and fortunately there is an open source version of Java. A tiger doesn't change it's stripes just because it starts to purr. It's still a dangerous animal when it sees an opportunity. The latest offerings of MS are more intrusive (data spying/extraction), more draconian (Windows 10, you can't really control the updates or the information it takes from your files (and forwards to the US Government)) and expensive than ever before (especially when Windows 10 becomes subscription (like rent-an-os) rather than one time buy for life, just like MS Office (Office 365, which takes money AND your data. Mark Twain would have a field day...). Given that MS is being sued by the EU for extracting private data illegally under Dutch law and are pushing their subscription based products harder than they've pushed anything before, its kind of hard to believe they want to play nice with anybody, including open source groups/products. More likely they want to control/limit/poison the biggest contributors to the open source developments. Gitlab, and now Postgres. And everything they purchase and alter for their agenda suffers. (Minecraft anyone?) So, please past the forks, and let's stick a knife in MS's effort to taint the pool. Diversity breeds strength. We need more. PS: I'm a bit disappointed that Cirus Data sold to MS of all people. Couldn't they find anybody more trustworthy, or was it just the dollars talking. (retorical question, we all know the answer)