Xandros jumps on the Microsoft Windows-Linux interoperability and IP assurance wagon

Jun 4, 2007 14:24 GMT  ·  By

Following the example and precedent set at the beginning of November 2006 by Novell, Xandros is the second Linux platform provider rushing to jump on the Microsoft Windows-Linux interoperability wagon. The new agreement inked by Microsoft and Xandros is in fact a replica of the alliance signed with Novell, addressing technical, business, marketing and intellectual property of the two companies. However, with this latest partnership, Microsoft is placing an equally strong emphasis on interoperability and intellectual property assurance.

"Companies today are running a mixture of Linux and Windows systems," said Andreas Typaldos, chief executive officer of Xandros. "Cross-platform data centers are a reality. To meet evolving customer needs, vendors need to recognize the value of sharing intellectual property, developing more interoperable solutions, and providing management tools that are familiar and easy to use."

According to Microsoft, the Xandros agreement is planned for expiration within five years and it will contribute to ensuring that the open source provider will be able to evolve its Linux desktop and server solutions. By contrast, the Redmond Company has simply added yet another name to its growing list of Linux partners.

"Customers win when their platform providers build collaborative relationships," said Bill Hilf, general manager of Platform Strategy at Microsoft. "We have been working with commercial open source companies to deliver better value to our customers in areas like server interoperability, systems management and office document formats. We believe in and encourage respect for all licensing and development models, and intellectual property is an important component in this environment. Our announcement with Xandros is an exciting step to deliver what our mutual customers have been asking for."

Microsoft additionally revealed that the partnership would focus on system management interoperability with heterogeneous management capabilities for the Microsoft System Center and Xandros Systems Management. On top of this, the duo will ensure server interoperability, Open Office Document format and Open XML compatibility and intellectual property assurance.