Asian Nations Join to Fund Microsoft Alternatives

Taking a sidestep away from international economic integration and an open economic framework, a group of Asian nations -- led by Japan -- has agreed to cooperate on a project to subsidize alternatives to Microsoft Windows.

Japanese Trade Minister Takeo Hirauma proposed the plan at a conference in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Thus far, China and South Korea have signed on in cooperation.

According to published reports, the plan pumps nearly 1 billion yen ($85.5 million US) into an open source software forum. Microsoft's most eminent rival Linux will be among one of many projects to benefit from governmental largesse. The forum's intended consequence is to saturate the market with Windows alternatives to trigger the anticipated affect on demand.

"The idea is to get existing non-Windows operating systems, such as Linux, to be more broadly used, rather than developing a totally new operating system," ministry official Takashi Kume told the Associated Press.

Consumer and enterprise electronic goods such as cameras, cell phones, GPS navigation systems, PCs and servers will be developed by technology partners sans Microsoft. Such a move means even Redmond's hallowed cash cow, Office, has its proverbial head on the block.

Fujitsu, NEC, Hitachi and Matsushita have already sprung into action, fronting the push for domestic product development.

However, the announcement is by no means the first attempt by a foreign government to scuttle Microsoft's dominance of the software industry. For instance, both German and Australian politicos have publicly pondered embracing open source projects.

In January 2000, officials in Beijing mandated adoption of Red Flag Linux in lieu of Windows. Red Flag is gaining momentum both at home and abroad, having struck partnership agreements with US technology powerhouses Hewlett-Packard and Oracle.

While Microsoft has yet to volley issues of fair trade, a spokesperson told BetaNews, "Like others in the commercial software industry, Microsoft's believes consumers and market forces, not government preferences should determine software selection and development."

Market share, pricing and licensing terms are not the only points of contention the Asian governments have with Microsoft. Increasingly sophisticated and widespread security attacks such as Slammer and the Blaster worm have ruffled feathers in numerous circles.

A South Korean civil rights organization went so far as to threaten litigation in the wake of the Blaster fiasco, claiming that Microsoft should be held accountable for defects in its code and a failure to avert its clients' losses.

In response to criticism as over security lapses, Microsoft instituted the Government Security Program in January to share source code and technical expertise with foreign governments. Since that time, Australia, Britain, Russia and the NATO military alliance have signed on.

"Microsoft enjoys a strong relationship with international governments and we look forward to helping them and others address their IT needs in a manner that delivers value to the government and its citizens," concluded a company spokesperson.