Wired: On Opening Up the Windows

“Since breaking up the company has been viewed so negatively
by the stock market, how would another possible remedy — forcing
the company to open up the source code to its Windows operating
system — affect the industry?…“

“Opening up the Windows source code could spawn a new industry
of Windows service specialists, as Red Hat and Caldera have done
for Linux, Horng said. But Microsoft might not have the same
incentives to provide support if it doesn’t have total control of
the operating system, which could create headaches for developers
who would then have to deal with third-party companies….”

“Open-source development, where code is written by a community
of developers instead of a single company, continues to gain
popularity in government circles. Three French lawmakers have
proposed requiring the use of open-standards software in all of the
country’s public administrations and organizations.”

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