Microsoft going open source
Microsoft announced it’s going open source with some it’s products.
“Affected product lines include Windows Vista (including the .NET Framework), Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008, Office 2007, Exchange Server 2007 and Office SharePoint Server 2007.” - quote
In large the largest competitor to Microsoft, apart from Google is open source. Not one rival, but a community of organized developers have created software just as good as Microsoft’s at no charge to consumers or with ability to modify whatever they deem appropriate. Google teamed with Apple and other smaller companies and aimed the guns to do whatever it takes to topple or at least move MSFT.
This is also in part due to Gates departure from the board, since the move would not likely been through if Gates was still in charge. His empire was built entirely on closed-end soft and open source is an assault to the deep philosophy of domination.
The $40 billion dollar bid also indicates that MS admits it’s inability to stay competitive in online advertising market, which created the biggest rival Google.
This is a new wave in technology, as markets are moving from closed to open source and as established online presence is going to be key to the future.
“Think of this week’s opening up of Microsoft’s proprietary software alongside its effort to buy Yahoo (YHOO, Fortune 500). That deal is intended, I believe, as much to prod Microsoft’s culture toward a Web-centric mentality as to acquire powerful new advertising properties. Ozzie has had trouble getting the company to move as quickly toward the Web as he said it should in 2006. Spending more than $40 billion dollars signifies the company’s seriousness much more than exhortations ever could. I suspect it will work. And recent alarms raised by Google execs suggest they worry it might.”
