Microsoft vs. FOSS

Well, I expected this was coming any day now and that day has arrived. Microsoft has initiated a new front against Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). The CNNMoney article is a good read, "Microsoft Takes On the Free World", about the front Microsoft intends to open concerning specific patents it says Linux and other open source software violates.

The next week and the future will be interesting. The article discusses a 'cold war' like scenario in software technology putting Microsoft and the FOSS in direct legal collision course. FOSS has powerful corporate patrons and allies. In 2005, six of them - IBM, Sony, Philips, Novell, Red Hat and NEC - set up the Open Invention Network to acquire a portfolio of patents that might pose problems for companies like Microsoft, which are known to pose a patent threat to Linux. There is speculation that the intent of this is to provide a 'mutually assured' litigation scenario similar to the cold war 'mutually assured destruction' scenario.

FOSS and others are on the opposing front with their own arsenal of patents ready for its use as a counter attack against Microsoft. Looks like the SCO law suit all over again but this time a more frontal assault. IBM won the SCO lawsuit. SCO was indirectly supported by Microsoft funds. An interesting fact to note is that IBM holds the most patents in the software industry and has not threatened anyone that I know about with its patents.

What is interesting is how the CNNMoney article states that half of the Fortune 500 use FOSS (Linux) and growing. The article alludes to Google which is widely known to be a large proponent of open source. One area that appears to be the real threat are online free web applications in which Google is moving towards very rapidly. Microsoft must really be hurting or at least is significantly threatened by Linux. Their fear of Google is well known.

It could be that the future trends with the migration towards open source and Linux will undermine future Microsoft business. I have read many blogs and analysis to this effect ("Microsoft is Dead", "Eight Signs Microsoft is Dead in t he Water" -John Dvorak) and the most recent actions by Microsoft appear to be supporting this theory. What is ironic is that Google never confirms or denies that it is competing with Microsoft. Microsoft appears to be obsessed with Google's success.

On yet another front, it was just recently reported that Apple's sales for MacBook accounted for near 10% of all notebooks in March 2007. Apple is also #4 on the notebook sales list. It looks like Microsoft is trying to open up too many fronts and maybe needs to review history and the art of war.

The next few years will be very interesting.