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Microsoft opens APIs and protocols to all<br>
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<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/21/microsoft_goes_open/">http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/21/microsoft_goes_open/</a><br>
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Bows to regulators with openness festival
<div class="Byline">By <a href="mailto:ashlee.vance@theregister.co.uk"
title="Send email to the author">Ashlee Vance in Mountain View</a> <small
class="MoreByAuthor">→ <a
href="http://search.theregister.co.uk/?author=Ashlee%20Vance"
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<div class="Date"><small>Published Thursday 21st February 2008 16:27 GMT</small></div>
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<p>In an apparent bid to calm still feisty regulators,
Microsoft has agreed to publish application programming interfaces
(APIs) for its major software products and provide free access to those
interfaces. In addition, Microsoft will free up protocols around its
client and server software and has vowed not to sue open source
companies that create non-commercial versions of these protocols.</p>
<p>This shift, first <a
href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/21/microsoft_api_open/">revealed</a>
by <cite>The Register</cite>,
represents a major change in Microsoft's conduct. The company's tight
control over the key APIs that help others interact with Microsoft's
software have been a subject of controversy for both US and European
regulators. Now it would seem that Microsoft wants to assuage critics
by embracing a more open software development model.</p>
<p>Specifically, Microsoft revealed that it will publish the APIs for
Windows Vista, Server 2008, SQL Server 2008, Office 2007, Exchange
Server 2007 and Office SharePoint Server 2007 on its website.
"Developers do not need to take a license or pay a royalty or other fee
to access this information," the company said. "Open access to this
documentation will ensure that third-party developers can connect to
Microsoft’s high-volume products just as Microsoft’s other products do."</p>
<p>In addition, Microsoft will release some 30,000 pages of
documentation surrounding Windows client and server protocols. In the
past, partners and customers needed to acquire a trade secret license
to this information through the Microsoft Work Group Server Protocol
Program (WSPP) and the Microsoft Communication Protocol Program (MCPP).
Similar protocol reveals will occur for Office 2007 and other
"high-volume products" in the coming months.</p>
<p>Microsoft also plans to highlight which protocols are covered by its
patents and will "license all of these patents on reasonable and
non-discriminatory terms, at low royalty rates."</p>
<p>Looking longer-term, Microsoft has pledged not to sue developers who
craft open source versions of its protocols. This would seem to cover
projects such as Samba.</p>
<p>Had enough yet? Well, Microsoft hasn't.</p>
<p>On the we're so open it hurts front, Microsoft now plans to provide
detailed documentation on how it supports industry standards and
extensions. " To increase transparency and promote interoperability,
when Microsoft supports a standard in a high-volume product, it will
work with other major implementers of the standard toward achieving
robust, consistent and interoperable implementations across a broad
range of widely deployed products."</p>
<p>The company has also pledged - wait for it - to support other
document formats in Office 2007. It's going to craft fresh APIs for
Word, Excel and PowerPoint applications that will let developers plug
in their own document formats and even set those formats as the default
setting for saving files.</p>
<p>And with Redmond turning into Hippie Town, Microsoft has launched an
Open Source Interoperability Initiative. The OSII will work to ensure
interoperability between Microsoft and open source code through testing
and cooperative development.</p>
<p>Microsoft's top executives will provide more details on these
programs during a morning conference call. We'll bring you the hot and
heavy action. There's more information on today's moves <a
href="http://www.microsoft.com/interop/" target="_blank">here</a>.®</p>
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