Click here to receive your FREE subscription to Campus Technology
News
Microsoft Takes Bold Steps Toward Open APIs and Publishing Tech Specs
2/21/2008
In a major shift in its business model, Microsoft Thursday said it is placing a significant emphasis on standardization and interoperability, saying it will share its APIs and release extensive documentation of its protocols. The company is also promising not to sue open source developers who use Microsoft's patented protocols for non-commercial implementations.
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer outlined four new interoperability principles that include ensuring open connections; promoting data portability; enhancing support for industry standards; and fostering more open engagement with customers and the industry, including open source communities.
"These steps are an important step and significant change in how we share information about our high volume products and technologies," Ballmer said during a press conference today.
While such a move was once considered blasphemy in Redmond, Microsoft in recent years has made moves inching toward today's shift. Nevertheless, Microsoft has acknowledged that it needed to take more dramatic steps to appease regulators, notably the European Commission, consumers and enterprise customers alike.
Indeed, Microsoft has been battling EC antitrust investigations for years. Two antitrust investigations were formally launched against Microsoft last month, one related to interoperability, and the other involving "tying separate products together." A January 14, 2008 statement from the EC describes the interoperability investigation as follows:
In the complaint by ECIS[ European Committee for Interoperable Systems], Microsoft is alleged to have illegally refused to disclose interoperability information across a broad range of products, including information related to its Office suite, a number of its server products, and also in relation to the so called .NET Framework. The Commission's examination will therefore focus on all these areas, including the question whether Microsoft's new file format Office Open XML, as implemented in Office, is sufficiently interoperable with competitors' products.
The EC issued another statement today regarding Microsoft's announcement: "The Commission would welcome any move towards genuine interoperability. Nonetheless, the Commission notes that today's announcement follows at least four similar statements by Microsoft in the past on the importance of interoperability."
While the timing of Microsoft announcements in light of its ongoing antitrust issues is worth noting, company officials claimed that they were not forced to open up their APIs to developers and share interoperability information.
Recommended Reading
- Moodle Gets SCORM Improvements, Security Fixes
New versions of Moodle have been released, bringing the most recent stable build to 1.9.3. The latest round of updates includes a number of bug fixes and security enhancements, as well as improvements to the SCORM module.
- Free 'Morro' Antivirus To Replace Microsoft OneCare
Microsoft is rolling out a free antivirus software program for consumers that will compete with products made by Symantec and McAfee. Code-named "Morro," the AV app is expected to be available by the end of 2009.
- Microsoft Demos New SQL Server Features at PASS
Microsoft Wednesday previewed the ability to centrally manage applications and resources in the planned upgrade of SQL Server, code-named "Kilimanjaro."
- Microsoft Unveils Exchange and SharePoint as Services
Microsoft exec Stephen Elop on Monday announced two hosted solutions from Microsoft--Exchange Online and SharePoint Online--which are now available to organizations of all sizes in the United States. The software, paid for by annual subscriptions, is hosted on Microsoft's servers and supported by Microsoft's channel partners.
- 6 Ways Not To Become Rote Using Instructional Technology
There are, in my experience, six strategies to consider with any use of technology that will guard against rote use of technology and facilitate critical analysis of teaching and learning effectiveness. In this article, I'll share with you the checklist I work with and encourage others to work with in learning about and using new technology.
- Bringing Student Web "Stuff" to Campus Enterprise Systems
How can an institution incorporate Web 2.0 learning opportunities for students, and evidence of learning from those opportunities, into existing campus technologies and processes? PlugJam is providing part of the answer.
