Microsoft Continues Dance with Open Source, EU -- Redmond Channel Partner

Pender's Blog by Lee Pender, RCPU Editor

Microsoft Continues Dance with Open Source, EU

Microsoft made a big kafuffle today to announce yet another "openness" initiative. This time, it involves publishing tens of thousands of pages of software protocols, something European Union regulators have been demanding for some time now. Not surprisingly, the EU -- so far, at least -- still isn't happy.

Redmond also pledged not to sue for patent infringement open source developers who develop software for "non-commercial distribution." (So, that includes Microsoft's own customers...right?) Microsoft is also going to let us know once and for all which of its protocols are patented, and then license those patents at what it calls low rates.

The whole Microsoft spiel is here. Also, look for more coverage of this announcement -- and maybe a snarky comment or two -- in Friday's RCPU.

Posted by Lee Pender on February 21, 2008

Featured

Nutanix Partner Central Rolls Out To Boost Channel Engagement

Nutanix on Wednesday launched a new platform, Partner Central, to give its channel partners a unified digital workspace for managing sales, tracking incentives and collaborating more effectively.
Veeam Releases Data Cloud for MSPs, Targets SaaS Protection at Scale

Veeam is expanding its footprint in the managed services arena with the global launch of Veeam Data Cloud for Managed Service Providers (MSPs).
The Era of Windows 10 (and Some Office and Skype Editions) Officially Comes to an End

Microsoft has formally withdrawn support for Windows 10 as of Oct. 14, 2025, bringing the curtain down on one of its most widely adopted operating systems.
Microsoft Builds AI Agent To Help Its Own Employees Navigate Licensing

Microsoft has rolled out an internal AI agent dubbed "Licensing Navigator" to help its own users answer complex licensing questions, promising to improve response times by nearly 90 percent.