Microsoft to developers: ‘Open source is a choice’

MANILA, Philippines -- At the Cebu open source summit, Microsoft was telling developers it is ready to help them go "primetime."

Microsoft's presence in the summit drew quite an impact, if not harmless ribbing. In a presentation by noted IT entrepreneur Winston Damarillo, mentioning indicators that open source is ready for primetime deployment, one answer reads: "The number of times in a month Microsoft says: ‘We support open source.’"

"My answer to that was: ‘We should have done it earlier,’” said Abet Dela Cruz, Microsoft Philippines platform strategy manager, narrating Monday's panel discussion at the Cebu summit.

Dela Cruz represented Microsoft in the panel along with representatives from IBM and Red Hat.

"It took IBM about 10 years to be at this stage and it is only now that Microsoft is going in the same direction," said Dela Cruz, who is still in Cebu attending the two-day summit.

IBM has been a staunch supporter of open source although the tech giant does sell its own proprietary software.Read More Article...

IBM won't open source DB2. Is this a surprise?

When I first saw ZDNet reporting that IBM may open source its DB2 database, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. The comment that led to the report? "We have a light version of the product offered for free, which is a step towards exposing our core (DB2) technology." This was made by a UK-based director-level IBMer, which probably wouldn't be the person one would expect to reveal Big Blue's plans to open source core technology.

Regardless, IBM isn't in the habit of open sourcing technology in which it has a lead or at least a strong position, such as it does with DB2. IBM strategically invests in open source to undermine the margins of its competitors, not its own.

It was therefore no surprise to see IBM quickly follow up ZDNet's article with a blunt statement: "IBM has no plans to open source DB2."

Of course it doesn't. Not yet, anyway. It's only when IBM derives no direct, pecuniary incentive in monetizing DB2. The day that it needs DB2 to undermine Oracle's database, however, we may see IBM making a similarly bald statement...in the other direction

Source : http://news.cnet.com/