Microsoftts Open Source Software Lab is an ambitious research project. Located on the companyys main campus, the lab houses more than 300 servers, which collectively run more than 15 versions of UNIX and 50 Linux distributions. It boasts a team of senior-level programmers and system administrators, some of whom were architects of popular Linux distributions or authors of well-regarded books. In short, the lab is one of a few such facilities in the world dedicated to open source research.
The driving force behind the lab is Bill Hilf, General Manager of Platform Strategy at Microsoft. Hilf joined the company in 2004 after working at IBM, where he was instrumental in driving IBM's Linux technical strategy for its emerging and competitive markets organization. Prior to his stint at IBM, Hilf was VP of Engineering at E-Toys, where he helped build the companyys e-commerce infrastructure.
When Hilf speaks about the lab and his involvement, the usual response he gets is, At Microsoft? Why run Open Source in a mixed environment at Microsoft?? While theories abounddranging from Microsoft is working on its own Linux implementationn to Microsoft is considering porting Windows to Linuxxthe truth is far simpler. The lab provides Microsoft with deeper insight into the world of open source software, and it helps the company improve how Microsoft products work with open source software.
Contrary to the belief that Microsoft is anti-open source, the reality is not so black-and-white,, says Hilf. Most customers donnt live in an either/or world, nor do they choose a technology based on its development model. Instead, they choose a technology based on its ability to serve a business need or solve a particular problem. By running open source software in a Windows environment, weere learning how those technologies can work better together so that our customers can benefit from a broader range of choices..
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