Microsoft Backs Apache and Open Source

last updated in Categories Apache, GNU/Open source, Windows

In the past Microsoft has been hostile to the open source movement. But At OSCON, Microsoft announced their sponsorship of “The Apache Software Foundation”, joining Google and Yahoo! at Platinum level. Microsoft donated US $100k (minimum requirement, MS did not disclose how much money it had contributed) to Apache foundation. This sponsorship will enable the ASF to pay administrators and other support staff so that ASF developers can focus on writing great software.

According to Sam Ramji:

It is not a move away from IIS as Microsoft’s strategic web server technology. We have invested significantly in refactoring and adding new, state-of-the-art features to IIS, including support for PHP. We will continue to invest in IIS for the long term and are currently under way with development of IIS 8.

It is a strong endorsement of The Apache Way, and opens a new chapter in our relationship with the ASF. We have worked with Apache POI, Apache Axis2, Jakarta, and other projects in the last year, and we will continue our technical support and interoperability testing work for this open source software.

Posted by: Vivek Gite

The author is the creator of nixCraft and a seasoned sysadmin, DevOps engineer, and a trainer for the Linux operating system/Unix shell scripting. Get the latest tutorials on SysAdmin, Linux/Unix and open source topics via RSS/XML feed or weekly email newsletter.

9 comment

  1. A while back Microsoft announced their support to SUSE Linux. Now, they are donating to Apache foundation and supporting their effort. I just don’t know the strategy behind Microsoft intention to support Apache, while still supporting and enhancing Microsoft IIS.

    Anyway, it is all good for the open source community. It is just matter of time before everybody is behind the Open Source Technology.

    Ramesh
    The Geek Stuff

  2. i’m not finding it good for the OS community … it’s MS after all !!!
    noone can tell what are their hidden intentions. they should stay away from OS projects, if they want to have OS, they can open their sources and not buying ours.
    if they continue to mess with the independent ppl, my opinion is that after a few years, we will have another monopoly on the market, and it will be MS owning all the major OS projects.
    there is no freedom in that, every project to be controled by the main sponsor – MS.

  4. Suspicious. Seems to be yet another ploy to undermine open source. The Apache people would do better to send the money back certified and insured, with witnesses and a public apology.

  5. Jack,

    I don’t see anything about IIS will be based on Apache’s tree. Care to share your source?

  6. sweta,
    jack was talking about future possibility with this move of microsoft.

    in the mean time my opinion is a bit different,

    in recent years microsoft has heled in compatibility issues for a lot of projects.

    may be this could be combined with its step to help mono project and in turn making contribution to enhance asp.net support on apache platform like they are doing about php.

    not sure but that’s my guess.

  8. I wish I was a top dog at the Apache Foundation. I would have told Microsoft where they could stick their money.

  9. I would just like to endorse Johnny’s comment (8). A leopard cannot change its spots! and neither can M$

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