Linked by Thom Holwerda on Fri 1st Feb 2008 20:39 UTC, submitted by WillM
GNU, GPL, Open Source "Does Microsoft have an open-source strategy - beyond finding new ways to thwart Linux and other non-proprietary wares? Sam Ramji, Microsoft's Director of Platform Technology Strategy and the company's Open Source Software Lab, says it does. I met with Ramji last week when he was passing through New York on his way to Europe, and had a chance to ask him to provide a succinct definition of what Microsoft means when it refers to its own 'open-source strategy'."
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by Matt Giacomini on Fri 1st Feb 2008 22:40 UTC
Matt Giacomini
Member since:
2005-07-06

I think that Microsoft has a fairly good open source strategy (if you own Microsoft stock).

When most companies they they have an "open source strategy" they are referring to how they can leverage the products they have and build an open source community around them.

Microsoft open source strategy is try to make their products as appealing as possible to open source communities, so that they can sell more proprietary Microsoft software.

I don't think it is a bad idea on Microsoft part, and I don't hold it against them, but no one should be mistaken into thinking that microsoft is in any way contributing to the open source community.