Microsoft Flirts With Open Source

Welcome Guest. | Log In| Register | Membership Benefits

April 07, 1999 (12:00 AM EDT)

Microsoft executives signaled again Wednesday that they are thinking about opening up the Windows source code, but flirting with the notion is all they seem to be doing.

The company is "thinking with great interest" about opening the source code, Steve Ballmer, Microsoft president, told a large audience at the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference.

"We are trying to understand this whole notion of open source," Ballmer said. "Most CIOs don't want their people to touch the source code," but some customers find "a certain comfort level" in having access to the code.

While Microsoft executives have talked about opening the source code before, the ongoing Department of Justice antitrust trial may be putting the heat on. Indeed, one of the remedies suggested in the case, should the government prevail, is freeing up the code. The trial is currently in a recess.

Microsoft may also be motivated by upstart competitor Linux, a collaboratively developed operating system that has growing support.

"When we see a competitor crop up like that, we are going to be very competitive," said Brain Valentine, vice president for Windows operating systems.

Microsoft has been conducting market research on whether customers want open source code, Valentine said.

"We'll ask our customers if they want open source," he said. "We are seriously considering it. To some extent, I don't have a problem with having the code out there."

During a question-and-answer session with reporters at WinHEC, Carl Stork, general manager for Windows hardware strategy, said Microsoft already publishes volumes of software-development kits, device driver kits, and other technical data for developers.