"Microsoft is not anti-open source software (OSS), but we are competing against Linux as an operating system," says Albie Bester, platform strategy manager at Microsoft SA.
"Linux is not OSS, it is merely a software product that has come out of the open source model of software development," Bester told attendees of this morning`s opening session of the Computing Technology Industry Association`s Breakaway 2005 event in Randburg.
Although contrasting the open source software development model with Microsoft`s proprietary development model, highlighting the lack of accountability, clear roadmap, guaranteed support and proven ecosystem, Bester said at the end of the day, Microsoft was merely competing with products that came out of a different development model.
"Windows may compete with Linux as another operating system in the market, but it would be wrong to say OSS and Microsoft are at opposite poles," said Bester. "The fact is that OSS projects can be developed on Microsoft technology."
Microsoft SA`s Albie Bester: "Windows may compete with Linux as another operating system in the market, but it would be wrong to say OSS and Microsoft are at opposite poles."
Albie Bester, Platform Strategy Manager, Microsoft SA
Bester emphasised that Microsoft has published products to the OSS community and that thousands of OSS projects had already been developed to run on Microsoft.
Although unwilling to be drawn into making any predictions, Bester said it was his personal belief that in time all OSS projects would move to an economic model of some kind out of necessity. But at the same time proprietary software makers would move towards sharing technology.
Bester pointed out that Microsoft is already licensing out certain software components to be used in the development of new software projects. "This is a trend I foresee continuing and growing in future."
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