Microsoft's Love for Linux Deepens Year after Year

Microsoft's love for the open source Linux operating system grows deeper and deeper with each passing year, fueled by increasing demand for interoperability in heterogeneous environments and via a method designed to deliver intellectual property piece of mind. While in May 2007, Microsoft, through the voices of General Counsel Brad Smith and Vice President of Intellectual Property and Licensing Horacio Gutierrez, accused the free and open source industry of violating some 235 Microsoft patents, the Redmond company is now celebrating its one-year anniversary of the landmark agreement it inked with Novell in November 2006. One year later, the Redmond company claims that consumer interest for what its has to offer on the Windows - Linux front together with Novell is by no means toning down, but instead actually gaining momentum.

"This agreement has been about the customer since day one. Customers told us they wanted Linux and Windows to work better together so they could focus on their businesses. By taking a leading position in delivering interoperability with Microsoft, Novell is becoming the preferred Linux choice for the integrated enterprise, a fact borne out by the significant sales increase we've seen over the past year," stated Jeff Jaffe, executive vice president and chief technology officer at Novell.

"As we mark the one-year anniversary of our relationship, we are very pleased with the customer support we have received for a solution that provides cross-platform interoperability. Moreover, the Novell and Microsoft relationship has opened doors to more cross-platform collaboration in areas such as accessibility, which are of great importance to customers worldwide. We are eager to work with Novell to address this important issue and help a wider population of people with disabilities work with computers," added Bob Muglia, senior vice president of the Server and Tools Business Group at Microsoft.

In celebration of the one-year anniversary of the Windows - Linux interoperability and intellectual assurance partnership, Microsoft and Novell unveiled signing in no less than a total of 30 new customers. On top of this announcement, the two companies also reinstated their commitment to the Windows and Linux marriage by expanding their existing collaboration in the field of assistive technologies. In this context, Microsoft has in fact opened up the User Interface Automation specification designed to permit members of both the open source and proprietary software communities to leverage its advanced accessibility framework.