Microsoft Lifts The Lid On Key Software… Excuse Me?

In a move of unheard of open-ness, the Big M - Microsoft - has said that it will lift the lid on some of its biggest software products.

Go ahead, read that again, I’ll wait. Done? Good.

Microsoft Vista, Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008, Office 2007, Exchange Server 2007 and Office SharePoint Server 2007, as well as all future versions of the same products will all be getting a healthy dollop of API (Application Program Interface).

The aim of these new developments is to allow third party applications like Nero, Blender, OpenOffice, and Photoshop to work more smoothly with Windows.

In a statement, the European Commission said “This announcement does not relate to the question of whether or not Microsoft has been complying with EU antitrust rules in this area in the past,”, and you can’t blame them for making a statement - especially since Microsoft have pledged not to sue open-source developers for development or noncommercial distribution of those software blueprints.

Either way, it can’t be denied that this move will buy Microsoft some brownie points with the European Commission - not to mention developers, the open source community, and consumers.