Does Ubuntu scare Microsoft? |
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Does Ubuntu scare Microsoft?
That was the conclusion reached by open-source guru Matt Asay in a CNet News blog post over the weekend pointing out a Microsoft job posting for a new open-source desktop strategy director.
"Given Red Hat's relative inaction on the desktop, this position likely will focus on Novell and Canonical's Ubuntu, but of these two, only Ubuntu's desktop is really catching the imagination of the market," Asay wrote. But a Slashdot reader came away with a different conclusion, suggesting that the main focus will be on helping Internet Explorer fend off Firefox.
In reality, it looks like all of the above, and then some.
The job posting reveals Microsoft's longstanding competitive concerns about open-source software. Although Google and Apple seem to have been Microsoft's biggest competitive focus in recent years, Linux and other open-source programs are still there, of course, posing a threat to a wide range of Microsoft products. The Microsoft job posting reflects that broad competition. It reads, in part:
"As the Director of Open Source Desktop Strategy you will need to drive research and build holistic strategies across dynamic market segments like PCs, NetBooks, and mobile internet devices. You will be responsible for bringing our business strategy to life by discovering and sharing the market insights that set the foundation for our platform value dialogue with customers and the industry."
The real question: In the midst of all its cutbacks, is this a position Microsoft should be filling?
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