Microsoft books LinuxWorld stand in bid for 'dialog'

The Register USA ^ | 07-04-2002 | John Lettice

[JameRetief]

Microsoft books LinuxWorld stand in bid for 'dialog'

By John Lettice

Posted: 07/04/2002 at 07:10 EST

Microsoft is to exhibit at LinuxWorld Expo this August, and it appears that the company wants to be nice. Yesterday, Linux Today spotted the Beast's presence on the Expo exhibitor list, and after publicising this was contacted by an apparently kinder, gentler Microsoft.

In the shape of Peter Houston, senior director of the Windows Server Product Management Group, who got in touch and explained that it's all about dialogue. The audience is important to Microsoft, and showing up is a first step "towards forming an ongoing dialog with members of the Linux and Open Source community."

Microsoft's contributions to the Open Source movement have generally consisted of comparing it to cancer and/or communism, so Houston's claim that the company now wants to talk is a significant turnaround. Not, of course, that he has a great deal of choice in the matter.

Say you were the Great Satan's elected representative for LinuxWorld, and you were going to have to man a stand in the midst of thousands of potentially ravening geeks come August. Would you be handing out inflamatory literature, or smiling a lot and saying you want to talk? (Best stash some cool toys for the natives round the back, just in case, Peter.) ®

Related stories:
Full Linux Today story, in which Houston says 'dialog' a lot

[isthisnickcool]

Linux has been taking money out of MS's pockets for years. Now MS is putting money in. Cool.

[goldstategop]

Microsoft looks mightily worried at upstart competitor Lindows. You'd think they would have started a dialogue but for the threat of competition? Still this is very good news. MS can no longer rest on its laurels or even protect Windows; it has to counter Lindows on its own terrain. Linux is no longer the step child of computing. All things considered this developments means both more consumer choice and the likelihood Microsoft will come out with its own versions of Linux related products over the next couple of years.

[Vast Buffalo Wing Conspiracy]

How can you engage in an open dialoge with a corporation that demands you sign an NDA for everything?

[Illbay]

This is like the Arab League sending a representative to a confabulation of Orthodox Rabbis.

[dennisw]

Windows and Office are mature products.  The best signs of this are anti piracy efforts and other schemes by MS to wring out the last penny of revenue. Others can make decent operating systems and "Office" applications. That are also MS compatible.

I have never understood .NET. Would businesses really want their applications and work/documents hosted on remote Microsoft servers rather than their own?

[rdb3]

Linux is no longer the step child of computing.

It hasn't been for some time, either. But the FUD machine will gear up on this very soon, trust me.

[Libertarianize the GOP]

.

[pyx]

This is like the Arab League sending a representative to a confabulation of Orthodox Rabbis.

Not a bad analogy, actually. Bill Gates does sort of resemble Osama bin Laden and Microsoft's business practices and goals are definately like Al Qaida and islam.

[thulldud]

Not a bad analogy, actually. Bill Gates does sort of resemble Osama bin Laden and Microsoft's business practices and goals are definately like Al Qaida and islam.

Well, imagine that the Arab League rep is there to run a concession in mountain oysters....

[ThinkDifferent]

Conspiracy theory: Microsoft is doing this in the hopes that some of the less mature Linux advocates will act irresponsibly toward them and generate bad publicity for Linux as a whole. Unfortunately, there's a decent chance that may happen.

[thulldud]

All things considered this developments means both more consumer choice and the likelihood Microsoft will come out with its own versions of Linux related products over the next couple of years.

While there is no reason that they couldn't, I would not expect to see that happen any time soon. Microsoft can't use the "embrace, extend, and eliminate" strategy on linux, being as it's the product of a widespread community effort. There are "cathedral" shops that happily join in the "bazaar" (IBM?), but the powers-that-be at Microsoft see the bazaar as The Enemy. Only a wrenching internal shakeup in the halls of Redmond could bring a real change in this attitude. Don't look for that until Microsoft is on the ropes with no alternative.

[The Duke]

Microsoft will be touting their new Windows operating sytems as the perfect platforms through which to telnet into REAL computers.

[Nick Danger]

Microsoft looks mightily worried at upstart competitor Lindows.

This doesn't appear to be about desktops. The spokesman on this is in the Server Product Management Group; presumably it's their budget that's paying for the exhibit.

I don't think they have much to fear from linux on desktops. But it sounds like they've figured out that on the server side, linux is going to hold the line on their penetration via the Intel platform, and that probably wasn't in the master plan. UNIX was supposed to stay on SPARC chips and other high-end stuff while they ate its lunch. Linux prevented that, and they probably hate it. Now linux has IBM supporting it, so the "no support" story doesn't work anymore. They're going to have to live with a competitor that won't roll over and die. It will be interesting to see how the Microsoft culture reacts to that. Quicken was the last thing that did that; when they couldn't kill it, they tried to buy it.

[truth_session]

IMO, if Linux ever does get a corner on the PC desktop market, Windows will be pretty much trashed.

[truth_session]

It's like Arafat worshiping in a Jewish synagogue.
Somethin' ain't rightsh here.

[truth_session]

Linux advocates in general tend to act irresponsibly toward Windoze. It's in the blood.

[truth_session]

There's no way in Hell Microsoft will cough up Linux compatible products on purpose on a regular basis!!

[TechJunkYard]

.. it sounds like they've figured out that on the server side, linux is going to hold the line.... [MS is] going to have to live with a competitor that won't roll over and die. It will be interesting to see how the Microsoft culture reacts to that.

"The audience that attends this show is very important to us," Houston explained, "we have some great products to show." He went on to add that Microsoft sees their particpation in this show as the first step towards forming an ongoing dialog with members of the Linux and Open Source community.

Oh, gag me with a spoon...

Right now, exhibitors at the Microsoft booth are planning on demonstrating products which feature Microsoft's Windows XP embedded technology. Houston emphasized that they have made great strides in the embedded space of late and Microsoft is eager to demonstrate those products to the attendees of the LinuxWorld Expo.

That oughta be a big hit. ;-)

Admittedly, though, Microsoft is also going into this convention with an open mind. Houston indicated that he personally has learned a great deal about open source servers from attending such events and that Microsoft has as well. "We have learned a lot at these events," Houston said, "These forums are a great way to establish a dialog." "I'm expecting good things to come out of this," Houston added.

Actually sounds like more of an intel mission.

Hmmm... better double the security around Linus.

It's a small booth they're getting; I don't imagine it'll be well-attended (unless they bring out some really cool trinkets). This will shape up to be a very interesting show. Wish I could go.