Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has been the historic closed-software producer in the world, with its proprietary products, services and now online services. However, along with being the doyen of paid-for-software services, the company has also significantly contributed to the development of open source platform in bits and parts.
Open Source & Microsoft
And as has been the tradition, there have many comments – that are either passionate pleas or baits – from the open source community, that the richest software platform developer offers its services for free.
The latest to add to the line-up of software community agreeing with the migration of Windows Operating System and suite to the open source platform is Microsoft Azure Cloud Platform Chief Technology Officer, Mark Russinovich.
At a recent industry conference, the CTO, in a panel discussion was not averse to coyly announce that the shift may be soon than later. His words, ‘no longer taboo’ has sent a flutter around the software world. Russinovich was referring to the commercial software producers’ support for open source platform software such as Linux. Russinovich pointed out that nearly 20% of the virtual machines for Azure Cloud program are based around Linux.
There have been other pro-Open Source moves lately from Microsoft. This includes the opening up of development for .Net CoreCLR for the open source developer community. Russinovich reiterated that technologies such as .Net, if adopted by committed and passionate open source developers could result in disruptive solutions being created.
To a direct query on when and where the transition may happen, by the panel moderator at the Conference, Azure Cloud platform Chief responded that it is a ‘definite possibility.’ The Chief Technology Officer was not averse to respond that the ‘new Microsoft’ could grow in any direction as all possibilities are now being seriously considered.
Microsoft has been using Open Source standards such as Apache Hadoop and the transition has been ‘transforming’ and included ‘a lot of learning,’ Russinovich claimed.
Times sure have changed! Microsoft loves Linux & Open Source!
