“As anyone who has followed Microsoft’s schizophrenic moves
vis-à-vis Linux knows, Microsoft’s not always been open
about its intentions regarding open source. (I can’t say I
completely blame Microsoft, however, as some of the keepers of the
open-source flame have made no bones about their utter hatred for
anything that emerges from the city of Redmond, Wash.)…”
“Microsoft wants to give Linux credit where it’s due, Miller
says. He acknowledges that lots of Microsoft developers are running
Linux within the hallowed Microsoft halls (but only so as to better
understand the competition). He admits that the rise of Linux has
helped (I’d say pushed) Microsoft to think about new pricing plans,
like its forthcoming subscription model. And he says he’s had some
constructive, rational dialogues with open-source leaders,
including one Linux CEO, whom Miller declined to name, whom
Microsoft invited to campus recently.”
“Microsoft knows where it doesn’t want to go, Miller says, and
that’s headlong into the open-source camp. Microsoft wants to stay
a for-profit software company that charges for products and
services. And it has no use for open-source development models, he
says, claiming that Microsoft’s existing peer-review and
beta-testing processes give Microsoft better quality control than
open source can provide. He also disputes open-source backers’
claims of faster time to market, claiming that, especially in the
enterprise space, Microsoft can add new features and make changes
faster and more efficiently than any Linux distributor.”