Last week Open Source Business Conference (OSBC) did take place in San Francisco. Microsoft announced that, with immediate effect, it will support Windows Server2008 R2 Hyper-V running CentOS, a popular Linux distribution for hosters. This was the number one requirement for interoperability that we heard from that community.

ICT policy in the EU has been promoting openness for a long time, most recently with the Digital Agenda, and more of industry is lining up with these policies.  This is a very positive thing and Interoperability will remain a key objective in ICT policymaking for a long time, as policy makers examine both the prospect of new technologies relating to cloud computing as well as the legacy of a variety of...

For all the buzz about cloud computing, the potential benefits are real: cost savings as well as the exciting possibilities for small European entrepreneurs to reach global audiences with a minimum of upfront IT costs. Yet the adoption of cloud computing services will depend a great deal on how industry addresses the fundamental interests of users in security, privacy and interoperability, interests about...

This has already been a busy month in Europe for Microsoft cooperating with competitors to ensure that different software products can work better with each other.   

 “Our goal is to promote greater interoperability, opportunity and choice for customers and developers throughout the industry by making our products more open and by sharing even more information about our technologies.” — Steve Ballmer, CEO, Microsoft