Has Linux got Microsoft running scared?
Source: sundaytimes.co.za
Is Microsoft concerned about the threat Linux poses to its entrenched position in the IT market? Apparently not, given the statements made at public events and trade shows, but the cracks are starting to show and Microsoft may be more apprehensive than it would like to let on.
Take the chopping and changing licensing rules that Microsoft is presenting to the world. First the company tries to lock in as many users as possible with long-term volume licensing agreements, then it bends the rules slightly, locally, to allow smaller customers to pay off their software over three years, still locking them in for as long as possible.
On the surface, it may seem relatively innocuous, but the one rather obvious target I can see is that the company is eager to tie up as much of the market as possible, as quickly as possible. This comes at a time when the open source alternative to its software offerings is becoming increasingly appealing to financially-strapped businesses.
