07.08.08
Further Analysis of GNOME’s Leadership
ontinuing the brainstorm from yesterday, what we now have is an H-P and OpenLogic connection with the GNOME desktop. With Stormy Peters at the centre, one concern is that GNOME could lean towards commercialisation (in the negative sense), along with all that undesirable baggage that is software patents, OOXML, and maybe even Mono (the Microsoft API).
The Register had an interesting article that covered this new appointment. Among the many things,it stated:
Her new role will focus primarily on bridging the gap between commercial and open source camps. She’ll be hoping to promote the free desktop for Linux and Unix-based operating systems not just to fanboys and openistas but also to Microsoft-leaning folk.
Remember that this guy is her current boss at OpenLogic:
Steven L. Grandchamp, President and CEO
[…]
Steven also held various senior management positions with Microsoft including the application development segment of Microsoft Consulting Services. Steven spent the early part of his career in progressively responsible IT roles in the banking industry.
Now it turns out that OpenLogic has gotten a brand-new partnership with JasperSoft.
EnterpriseDB and c are the inaugural members of the OpenLogic partnership program.
For those who don’t know JasperSoft, recently there was this. Here is another article of interest:
Open-source business intelligence company, JasperSoft, is working with Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) to optimize the JasperSoft Business Intelligence Suite for Windows Server 2008. In addition, the company has unveiled its new JasperSoft ODBO Connect product, which enables Excel to be used as a front-end for the JasperAnalysis data analysis server.
We covered several other important angles yesterday (read it if you haven’t because repeating might seem provocative)). It’s definitely worth keeping an eye on, just in case GNOME becomes the Novell of desktop environments. █
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.