Microsoft's embrace of Linux seen as strategic

摘要

Despite Microsoft's Historic Linux kernel code submission last week, the fact shouldn't be lost that the company on many levels still lives in a community of one much more so than a community at large.rnIts virtualization device drive contribution and commitment to a GPLv2 license is evidence that Microsoft is finally coming to grips with Linux and the open source development model. Experts say Microsoft knows it must respect the open source community as more organizations move to mixed software environments.rnBut Microsoft's Linux surprise also represents a shrewd, tactical move to position itself in high-stakes markets where it sees huge growth.rn"This move is not so much about doing something specific to control the growth of Linux as much as it is to put Microsoft in a position that is strategically more important longterm," says Al Gillen, an analyst with IDC.rnThose long-term goals, and mighty revenue opportunities, are focused on taking a dominant role in virtualization and cloud computing markets.