Microsoft CEO calls open source Windows ‘definitely a possibility’
Microsoft CEO Mark Russinovich certainly calls it a possibility that Microsoft will make the source code of its Windows operating system available as open source in the future. According to the man, the changing software landscape is forcing companies like Microsoft to do so.
Microsoft CEO Russinovich states in an interview with Wired that Microsoft is now a different company than it was a few years ago and that in his view it is not inconceivable that the software giant will eventually release the source code of Windows. He does not say when that should take place, but the chief technical officer of the Azure platform emphasizes that if Microsoft takes this step, it will not be an easy one. For example, the complex Windows source code should be accompanied by good documentation and solid development tools.
In Russinovich’s view, an open source version of Windows could still make Microsoft a lot of money because, like Linux companies like Red Hat and Canonical, it can sell additional support to businesses and governments. This would mean that Microsoft would increasingly grow into a service company, especially if the company’s various cloud services are added to that.
A significant part of Microsoft’s revenue stream still comes from the sale of Windows licenses, but this revenue model is under pressure from various sides. For example, more and more companies are opting for open source software that often runs on Linux servers. Android, the world’s most widely used mobile operating system, is also open source – apart from the Google services – and runs on top of a Linux kernel.
Microsoft has abandoned its hostile stance towards the open source world after Satya Nadella took the helm last year. For example, the company has announced the free-to-use Windows for Internet of Things, although the source code will probably not be released yet. Microsoft has also made .NET open source in the hope that this application framework will become more popular, and Linux virtual machines can now also run on its Azure cloud platform.