Microsoft Gets Access to Linux Code Before the Open Source Community

When it comes to accessing Linux code, Microsoft benefits from a head start in comparison to the open source community. This is valid only for Novell's SUSE Linux operating system. Back at the beginning of November 2, 2006, Microsoft and Novell announced the inking of a controversial agreement focused on Windows and Linux interoperability and support. Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer argued at the time that the two companies had managed to achieve an impossible partnership. Ron Hovsepian, president and CEO of Novell, advertised the partnership in turn, as a way for the duo to adapt to their customers.

Outside of Windows and Linux interoperability and support, the Microsoft-Novell agreement also tackled virtualizaton issues, document format compatibility, Web management services and last but certainly not least, intellectual property. Microsoft and Novell has in fact, also addressed patents involving proprietary and open source products.

At the end of May 2007, Novell published three redacted editions of the agreements with Microsoft on the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) website. Reading between the lines InformationWeek found references pointing to the benefits Microsoft enjoys due to its alliance with Novell. In this context, the SEC documentations reveal that the Redmond Company will get a head start on technical data from Novell even ahead of the open source community.

Of course that Microsoft accessing technical documentation on Novell's SUSE Linux operating system on virtual servers, is just one aspect of the interoperability agreement between the two companies. And the fact of the matter is that interoperability and support are hard to come by, and even if Microsoft has a head start over open source developers, there is no guarantee that the Redmond Company will beat other builders to the market. In this regard, Novell's Management Interface Information for virtualizing SUSE Linux will be served to Microsoft for inhouse use only even though the data is not publicly available.