Possible scenario: Windows open source from Microsoft.
The 40th anniversary of Microsoft finds the company in a period of changes, some of which were marked by its transition into the hands of a new CEO, Satya Nadella, and his distinct philosophy. How large, however, can these changes be and how different can the Microsoft of the future be, even in the software for computers segment, which is considered a flagship product of the company?
A statement by a particularly high‑ranking official of it and one of its most well‑known engineers, Mark Russinovich, Chief Technology Officer of the Azure cloud platform, is set to spark discussions on this question. As Russinovich noted, during Chef Conf 2015 (on April 1st, but in a… highly serious panel), regarding the American company “it would be possible” the prospect of us seeing the Windows code “open” in the future.
“It’s a new Microsoft,” Russinoving noted. “This is the reality we live in now,” he added, and the truth is that he’s not wrong, considering that the world of technology has changed a lot in recent times. Many companies - and many Microsoft customers - rely on open source software, and it’s no wonder that the American company is also looking in that direction. Already, as Russinoving reminded us on the panel, we shouldn’t forget that Microsoft allows Linux to run in its Azure cloud service, a change that was necessary for the needs of the time. Whether the company could, however, go further and not only allow open source software in its cloud services, but also turn Windows itself into… open source is certainly something that deserves a lot of discussion.
What is considered, however, more likely at least in the near future is not to see the entire software open source, but certain parts of it, following the logic that earlier in the year the company had made the .NET tool open source.
The only certainty is that from… an opponent of open source logic Microsoft (if we recall that in 2001 Steve Ballmer called “cancer” Linux) now … is approaching it more and more, following the trends of the times. And perhaps it is closer than ever and a bigger step in this direction. What do you think?
Source: digitallife.gr
