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 NEWSMicrosoft to expand Windows source code-sharing program By Todd R. Weiss, Computerworld February 2, 2001 2:28 pm PT NEW YORK -- For years Microsoft has quietly followed the custom of other operating system developers and provided its closely guarded Windows source code to its best corporate customers as a sort of security blanket -- under strict secrecy rules and detailed contracts.
Doug Miller, a group product manager for Microsoft's server-level software packages, confirmed at this week's LinuxWorld Conference & Expo here that more users will soon be able to get access to the Windows source code. Microsoft's plan to expand the sharing program to "potentially hundreds" of new customers is due to be detailed in the next few weeks, he said. Like many other vendors, Miller said, Microsoft has been providing its source code to some users for years. Until now, though, the practice has quietly been done behind the scenes and under strict confidentiality agreements, he added, declining to say how many users currently have access to the Windows source code. Letting users see the source code "is really an extension of our support programs," Miller said. By getting access to the code, IT troubleshooters at companies can work backward to solve problems that may arise in software. Some large Windows users "feel that if they have access to the source code, they can get to the bottom of the problem faster," he said. But Miller added that the impending expansion of the sharing program does not mean Microsoft intends to break into the world of open-source software collaboration. Users will not be permitted to change or modify the Windows code in any way to fit their individual business needs. "The intention is not to allow the chaos you have in the open-source world, where people create code that may be incompatible," he said. In addition, Miller said the sharing program is not a testing ground to determine the feasibility of open-source projects for any of Microsoft's applications, such as its suite of office software. "Microsoft is extremely customer-driven, and we haven't had any demand for Microsoft Office on Linux," he said. Dan Kusnetzky, an analyst at IDC in Framingham, Mass., said major software vendors have quietly shared their source code with key users to help them understand how the technology works. But such arrangements are worlds away from the give-and-take environment of open-source software collaboration, he added. According to Kusnetzky, what Microsoft and other vendors do is akin to a shoe company showing off its manufacturing process to potential customers. "We'll show you how to make the shoe, but you can't make it bigger or smaller to fit your foot," he said. Stacey Quandt, a Linux and open-source analyst at Giga Information Group in Cambridge, Mass., said the planned release of source code by Microsoft to an increased set of users is an interesting development. But, she added, the benefits of simply viewing the code "are limited compared to the benefits of open source overall." For more enterprise computing news, go to www.computerworld.com . Copyright (c) 2000 Computerworld. All rights reserved.  RELATED ARTICLES  The 'sharing' debate: When source code is outlawed, only outlaws will have source codeRELATED SUBJECTS Operating SystemsSPONSORED WHITE PAPERS 
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