RSSMicrosoft cozies up to open source, donates $100,000 to Apache
By Ed Oswald | Published July 25, 2008, 5:30 PM
As part of a renewed embrace of open source, Microsoft will contribute $100,000 annually to join the Apache Software Foundation, as well as pledging new protocols to the Open Specfication Promise and contributing a patch for ADOdb.
The annual investment in Apache will bring the company on board as a "Platinum" sponsor, the foundation's highest level. At that level, it joins competitors Yahoo and Google in supporting the effort.
Microsoft cautioned any speculation that the move meant the company was moving away from its own IIS Web server platform. Instead, it says the donation is meant to signify an endorsement of the foundation's work in open source.
Facing increasing pressure from its competitors as well as regulators, the Redmond company has been adopting a more open development policy as of late. Of course, many of its initiatives are criticized by those who say Microsoft is just putting on a show. But Apache sounded a positive note about the contribution.
"We thank Microsoft for their generous sponsorship that goes towards supporting The Apache Software Foundation and the over 60 top level projects in use and development within the ASF," said ASF Chairman Jim Jagielski in a statement. "Microsoft's sponsorship makes it clear that Microsoft 'gets it' regarding the ASF."
In addition to the $100,000 donation, several protocols that were in Microsoft's Communications Protocol Program have now been placed under the Open Specification Promise (OSP). This will ensure that companies working with technologies under that document can do so free of the threat from patent litigation.
Microsoft has also contributed a patch to ADOdb, which is used in PHP installations. With this patch, the company's SQL Server will now support this technology natively. "This is our first code contribution to PHP community projects but will not be the last," Microsoft platform strategy director Sam Ramji said.
open-up-windows-xp-please
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|what-does-that-even-mean? That's-like-telling-musicians-to-give-their-music-away-for-free. Good-luck-with-that-one.
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|That would be nice for some of us.
But WHY would/should they even think about it !?!?
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|-I-agree-with-Niro-.())_Crayon_))>
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|I'm failing to understand why they are giving $100k to Apache. Why Apache? I'm thinking of major open source initiatives that Microsoft does not have an equivalent to ... and I guess that IIS is less of a profitable assett than Office, XP/Vista, Internet Explorer, etc.
IIS is a part of Windows Server / Professional, and its a simple platform that integrates well into a business for the purpose of Intranets or a server for hosting websites ... I guess that no matter what, Apache is a similar product with a different market, so the $100,000 donation doesn't really pose a threat.
Just weird... really weird.
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|Apache is a foundation. The web server project is but one project under the Apache umbrella.
There are many other projects that Microsoft can benefit from. The POI project is a good example. Perhaps the various web services projects are another example.
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|Besides the web server the Apache *foundation* is producing many libraries that for example most Java enterprise applications couldn't 'live' without.
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|Multi billion dollar corp donates a measly little $100,000 to Apache. Hell they probably burn that much in the bonfire pit just for fun on a daily basis. Compared to what I have it's a huge amount but it still isn't that much. in the grand scheme of things.
Then again I'm still using version 1.3.29 because of stupid license changes, so I'm not that much of a fan of either. Still it is better than IIS.
The only reason they did this was for publicity, don't tell yourselves anything different.
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|LOL I love this...
"yea, they donated $100k but they're so rich they should have donated MILLIONS!! WTFOMGZ what a bunch of bas****s!!!"
LOL MS haters are just pathetic sometimes.
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|Pathetic indeed...no matter the amount it's not enough...
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|They could have donated nothing.
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|100k pays roughly for one year of one full time junior to mid level coder in the US (depends on state and a couple of other factors of course..)
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|Just curious but how much has Apple donated given all the money they have made? MY point is not to start a flame war but to apply the same standards to all companies.
Have a nice day:)
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|So they should have paid for 2 years?
What's the cut-off there, sparky?
I love this. Someone donates to a cause or group and instead of being thanked for their donation, they get accused of being cheap.
Why not just be thankful ASF has another 100 grand to use and be done with it, regardless of who it came from?
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|I am actually just relating the amount donated to what can be done with the money (supposedly there are overseas readers whereas both Apache & MSFT are HQ'd in the US).
What MSFT did is entirely fine with me... if that's OK with you...
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|My bad.
Took it out of context. A thousand pardons, if you please, sir. ;)
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|Hope that more companies will be inspired by the same move. For example, installing the freeware 7zip instead of buying licenses from Winzip would save some money. Then donate some $ to 7Zip.
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|Or one could just use the included functionality built into windows. I dont care what the fanboys say, 7zip might have a smidgen better compression but the lack of support for it does not justify the switch from something that already works and doesn't require end users (who usually do not have admin rights) to install something else just to open a couple of files. Sorry, 7zip will remain a niche product as many of the other compression schemes have.
Anyways, thats off topic so I will stop now.
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|Now comes the part where Lucy pulls the football.
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|Indeed...ASF should be cautious. Microsoft should not be trusted so lightly. The right hand may be given in friendship but the left is more than anxious to put a knife in your back ASF.
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|Ok, so MSFT donate some cash to an open source organization. Regardless - everybody can contribute to open source software, incl. MSFT employees. I fail to see where trust and knifes come in. Care to explain..?
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|Again, How much has the "hip and cool" company Apple donated? They have made a lot of money by setting up production plants overseas. BTW, How much has Jobs given or has he set up a foundation that truly makes a difference in the world? Oh wait, he and those google guys like their private jets to much.
This has nothing to do with the OS debate.
Have a nice day:)
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|Holy Configuration Batman!!!
Can this be the same Microsoft that once called open source something very unpleasant? This is the one thing I see that maybe proves you can teach an old new tricks. But did you noticed the specs weren't open source, just open promise, We will see....
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|Excellent, glad to see them participating.
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|Well good for both Apache and Microsoft.
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|What was that movie about Batman inventing villains to have someone to fight against?
Batman needs the Joker - good versus evil.
And so with Microsoft and ASF.
Come on... you know sometimes you want the Joker to win.
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