01.25.07
Patents Fear Now, Interoperability Later
On the 13th of January, we reported that a new site had been set up, which aims to report on and encourage interoperability. It now turns out that some interopearability efforts are being curtailed.
There is going to be a postponement of the announced “Building Bridges” meeting originally announced for Monday, so both Microsoft and Novell can get different speakers to answer those questions. I think that’s a good thing, as long as it’s a postponement and not a cancellation, and I’m glad if they are taking the questions seriously.
At risk of repeating ourselves, this is looking worrisome, according to the following old piece of analysis/advice.
“Consider the publication and execution of a joint Microsoft-Novell roadmap as the critical missing piece of this agreement, with the potential to make or break its long-term value,” the pair wrote.
The companies promised a first roadmap in March. If there’s no document by then, look elsewhere for your next opportunity.
Highlight: Novell was the first to acknowledge that Microsoft FUD tactics had substance. Novell then used anti-Linux FUD to market itself. 
Highlight: Xandros let Microsoft make patent claims and brag about (paid-for) OOXML support. 
Highlight: Linspire's CEO not only fell into Microsoft arms, but he also assisted the company's attack on GNU/Linux. 
Highlight: Microsoft craves pseudo (proprietary) standards and gets its way using proxies and influence which it buys. 
Highlight: The invasion into the open source world is intended to leave Linux companies neglected, due to financial incentives from Microsoft. 
Analysis: Xen, an open source hypervisor, possibly fell victim to Microsoft's aggressive (and stealthy) acquisition-by-proxy strategy.