06.11.08
Microsoft Mixed-sourcing (Hybrid), Just Like Novell
This is “interoperability” and “open source”?
Mishmash this and mishmash that. You can be “half open source” just as you can be “half pregnant”. When Microsoft talks about open source (on top of its proprietary and pricey stack), what does it really mean? Here is an answer from Microsoft itself:
“The most interesting part of my research is that it is situated right in the middle of open source hybridization. A hybrid open source software development model combines a business model, either open source or proprietary, and open, two-way community input. The basis of my argument for the research is as follows: open source software development has been so successful that proprietary companies have been paying attention to incorporating open source strategies into their business model and very successful open source projects have had business models created around them,” Bach stated.
Look again at Microsoft’s latest ‘oops’ incident, which we covered very recently. Then, recall the fact that Novell too boasted its mixed-source model just over a year ago [1, 2, 3, 4]. Notice the intersection? How about Nokia's ambivalence? Just look what’s it’s uttering at this very moment.
Nokia urges Linux developers to learn business
Open-source developers targeting the mobile space need to learn business rules including digital rights management, Nokia’s software chief has claimed.
[...]
“We want to educate open-source developers,” said Jaaksi, who is Nokia’s vice president of software and heads up the Finnish handset manufacturer’s open-source operations. “There are certain business rules [developers] need to obey, such as DRM, IPR [intellectual property rights], SIM locks and subsidised business models.”
Mind the fact that this controversial pitch comes from the ‘Linux people’ at Nokia. Some of them are actually very protective of DRM. Some are former Microsoft employees.
Getting back to Novell, earlier today we wrote about Novell's plan for visualisation with Microsoft. They build intellectual walls and here is the press release which serves as a reminder of Xen’s role inside Citrix.
Novell(R) today announced it has joined Microsoft’s Server Virtualization Validation Program. As a result of Novell’s participation in this program, customers will be able to confidently run Windows Server 2008 as a virtualized guest on top of the Xen hypervisor in SUSE(R) Linux Enterprise 10 and receive cooperative support from either company. Novell is currently running the tests required by the validation process in the Server Virtualization Validation Program, and expects the tests to be completed by August 2008.
As we showed before, this is in part an exclusion strategy. They rely on positive connotations with names and words like “Validation” in order to deceive.
Fortunately enough, despite Microsoft's promotional lies, the products are not so well received
Customers Frustrated Over Microsoft Virtualization Licensing
Enterprises using virtualization probably won’t find any way to use VMs to circumvent Microsoft licensing terms, anlaysts say. But that’s not stopping some unhappy Microsoft shops from trying to cut corners.
For another day we shall leave the discussion about whether Microsoft is destined to acquire Novell. And no, it’s not this Web site which makes this claim. It’s becoming more of a widespread prediction and the prophecy seem less far-fetched as the months go by. █
“Our partnership with Microsoft continues to expand.”
–Ron Hovsepian, Novell CEO (just weeks ago)
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.