"Microsoft, which has always carefully guarded its Windows 2000
source code, is changing strategy and has begun showing the code to
its large corporate customers, the software giant said
Tuesday."
"Microsoft stopped short of allowing customers to modify the
code to build their own versions of Windows, but for the first time
they can read what is essentially Microsoft's proprietary
instructions for running a computer system."
"...Analysts say Microsoft's decision was influenced by the
open-source movement and the success of the Linux operating system,
which has won over a growing number of business
customers."