Barney's Blog

Blog archive

A Fresh Look at Microsoft and Open Source

We at Redmond have been semi-fans of what Microsoft is doing with open source interoperability. Clearly, Microsoft has a Windows-first approach to interoperability and management, such as its support for Centeris, Centrify and Vintela (now owned by Quest), which all do a fine job of helping Windows tools like AD to manage Linux, Unix and other systems (even the Mac!).

And Microsoft's détente with Novell is very real, unlike the deal with Sun which seems to have turned into nothing besides an agreement not to publicly flog each other.

Microsoft critics continue to harp on the flaws, arguing that Microsoft doesn't "get" open source licensing and, as a commercial (read: capitalist) concern, is trying to define (read: control) how interoperability happens.

The critics are absolutely right, but so is Microsoft. It's doing the best it can given the limits of self-interest. But that's just my opinion. Tell us what you think at [email protected].

Posted by Doug Barney on August 27, 2007


Featured

  • Microsoft Appoints Althoff as New CEO for Commercial Business

    Microsoft CEO and chairman Satya Nadella on Wednesday announced the promotion of Judson Althoff to CEO of the company's commercial business, presenting the move as a response to the dramatic industrywide shifts caused by AI.

  • Broadcom Revamps VMware Partner Program Again

    Broadcom recently announced a significant update regarding its VMware Cloud Service Provider (VCSP) program, coinciding with the release of VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 9.0, a key component in Broadcom’s private cloud strategy.

  • Closeup of the new Copilot keyboard key

    Microsoft Updates Copilot To Add Context-Sensitive Agents to Teams, SharePoint

    Microsoft has rolled out a new public preview for collaborative "always on" agents in Microsoft 365 Copilot, bringing enhanced, context-aware tools into Teams channels, meetings, SharePoint sites, Planner workstreams and Viva Engage communities.

  • Windows 365 Cloud Apps Now Available for Public Preview

    Microsoft announced this week that Windows 365 Cloud Apps are now available for public preview. This aims to allow IT administrators to stream individual Windows applications from the cloud, removing the need to assign Cloud PCs to every user.