Microsoft, shrugging off licensing moves to prevent it from repeating its controversial patent deal with Novell, has signed a set of broad collaboration agreements with Linux provider Xandros that include an intellectual property assurance under which Microsoft will provide patent covenants for Xandros customers. In the meantime, Microsoft's covenant not to sue users of Novell's SUSE Linux Enterprise will be extended to all General Public License v3 users as soon as Novell includes GPLv3 code within its Linux distribution, according to the Free Software Foundation.
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Member since:2007-05-03
Right you are - Interoperability is what it is all about! All the noise about patent nonsense is just that. The real world is full of mixed environments and if Linux can talk seamlessly with MS, then its a win-win for Linux, MS and most importantly for companies that actually work in these commonplace scenarios. If Linux wants to be adopted worldwide then it has to be able to deal with this stuff.
You either play together or go home. I think this partnership provides legitimacy in the 'real world' for Linux and makes it a more attractive value proposition for businesses, developers, and users.
Let the lawyers take a flying leap! Neither MS or Linux has a case.
Member since:2006-01-19
And the problem is called Microsoft behaviour.
Microsoft is pledged by numerous entities repeatedly to open up their file format and network protocol specifications.
With the response of "no we dont do that, delay, kick, scream".
If microsoft wants to get interoperability, nobody is hindering them. It is Microsofts decision to open their format and network protocol specifications, and it is Microsofts decision to do things according to widely accepted standards (IE has still worst standards support).
All of this interoperability has nothing to do with patents. If Microsoft thinks any patents are violated, then they can work it out with the allegedly violating programmers by telling them where the violation takes place.
No, Microsoft is playing a protection-money game similar to the mafia here. With the only difference that Microsofts threat of sueing is legal, compared to the mafia's threat of killing.
Member since:2007-02-22
Member since:
2007-02-22
Interoperability. Some offices use Linux; some offices use Windows. It's easier for distros and Windows to work together if they want to sell to their mutual customers, people who use both.
It's not as easy as telling all your MySQL database people to switch to Microsoft SQL, or your MS-Office based people to switch to Open Office. The buzzword they're throwing around here at TechEd is RONUI: Return On New User Interface. Will the change in user interface (including different controls, different software, etc.), return more to the end user than the cost and difficulty of the change?