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Microsoft Open Source Strategy is Upside Down
微軟的開源策略上下顛倒了
Last April I was on a Microsoft interoperability and Open Source conference in Ecuador (South America). On this conference Microsoft spread the word that they support Open Source Software and they do have an OSS strategy. But by checking their OSS Strategy I just felt something sour in my mouth, so I wrote this article to explain it.
去年四月我在Ecuador(位於南美）參加過一場微軟的互通與開源會事。會上微軟揚言道他們支持開源軟體，並且真有一個OSS(開源策略)。但是通過檢查他們的OSS，我就覺得口中有點澀澀的東西，於是我寫了這篇文章來解讀它。
Microsoft Open Source Strategy is Upside Down.
微軟的開源策略上下顛倒了
Warnings:
* This article represents my point of view. You may think whatever you want.
* My native language it is not English.
警告：
*本文僅代表我個人觀點。你可以有自己的任何想法。
*我的母語不是英語。（我的母語也不是英語，嘿嘿 --英譯中者注）
Last April (April-29-2010) there was a local event in Ecuador organized by AESoft, the Ecuadorian Software association. This event was names “Integrated Technologies” and was sponsored by Microsoft, CodePlex, Port25 and The Apache Foundation.
去年四月（2010年四月29日）Ecuador地區有一場由AESoft（Ecuadorian Software association，Ecuadorian 軟體協會）組織的當地會事。會事名是“集成技術”，由Microsoft, CodePlex, Port25 和The Apache Foundation贊助。
On this conference Microsoft sent a message saying that they are Open Source friendly and they support Open Source development. I saw this even as a Microsoft response of the growing “Free Software” (as in Freedom) movement here in Ecuador. So Microsoft tried to convince the audience that they care about Open Source and there are a lot of OSS software they promote.
會上微軟給出了他們是開源友好的並支持地開源事業的發展這一說法。我視這場會事為微軟對的Ecuador地區增長的“自由軟體”運動火焰的反應。微軟就那樣極力地讓大家相信他們支持開源、他們有很多努力推廣著的OSS的說法。
There was one presentation that I was hoping to see, the speaker was James Utzschneider, the “General Manager of Marketing and Communications for the Unlimited Potential Group at Microsoft Corp”, his presentation was called “New Developments of openness and interoperability” (Nuevos Avances de apertura e interoperabilidad)
當時我特別期待一場演講。演講人是James Utzschneider，“微軟無量潛力組市場與溝通總理事”，其演講題叫作“開放與互通新發展”。
But James Utzschneider didn’t show up, the organizer said that something happened and he could not make it to Ecuador. So Jimmy Figueroa, from Microsoft Costa Rica stepped in. I think his current title is “Director of Developer & Platform Technologies at Microsoft Caribbean Central America”
但是James Utzschneider 沒有露面。組織者說因有意外，他不能來Ecuador了。於是來自微軟哥斯大黎加區的Jimmy Figueroa接著進來。我想他的目前頭銜是“微軟美國中部加勒比區開發與平台技術指揮官”。
After some introduction talking about local soccer teams and how the software development business was going on in Costa Rica, Jimmy Figueroa showed an interesting slide about Microsoft Open Source Strategy.
一段有關Costa Rica地區足球隊和當地軟體發展事業的介紹過後，Jimmy Figueroa展示了一幕有趣的有關微軟開源策略的幻燈片。
Since the presentation wasn’t shared, I did a re-make of that slide for us to evaluate it.
由於幻燈片不是共享的，我為大家做了一個相似的以好好分析一下它。
(Again: This is a remake of the slide according to my notes, not exactly the MS one since I haven’t found it posted on the web )
（再說一次：這只是據我的筆記再做的一頁演示，不是微軟的那張，因為我沒在網上找到它）
The question: What you can see in this slide?
問題：你從幻燈片上看到了什麼？
Yes, the strategy is upside down. Let me explain myself.
是的，策略上下顛倒了。由我來解釋。
The graphic categorize software in three layers or blocks:
上圖將軟體歸類為三層（塊）：
Bottom Block – Office – Windows – Windows Server: I know that as today (Jun 2010), the more solid OSS products are the foundational ones (the one on the bottom of the chart). Open Source Software like Linux Servers, Ubuntu and OpenOffice.org are solid/stable technologies, but we know that Microsoft doesn’t want to hurt its business, so they ignore Linux and put Windows and Office there.
底層 – Office – Windows – Windows Server: 我知道，今天（2010年六月），更加堅實的OSS產品是基礎（位於上圖底端）。開源軟體如Linux Servers, Ubuntu和OpenOffice.org 等是堅實/穩定的技術，但是我們知道微軟不願意同自己的生意過不去，因此他們忽略了Linux，把Windows和Office放在了那裡。
While other big vendors like Oracle/Sun, IBM, HP strategy keep telling us to use OSS as foundational software for operating system, web servers and other software commodities, Microsoft lies in a very comfortable zone and ignore OSS on this area for their strategy. Microsoft had always been focus on creating software only for Windows (with some little exceptions) and now ignoring the foundational OSS software seems to be on the same track. So, open source is good, as it runs on Windows, Windows Server and Office platform.
在其它公司如Oracle/Sun, IBM, HP 告訴我們使用OSS作為操作系統、網路伺服器和其它軟體產品的基礎軟體的時候，微軟躺在一個非常舒適的地方，策略上忽略這裡的OSS。微軟體一直以來都是集中精力開發專屬Windows的軟體(只有丁點例外）的，現在忽略基礎OSS軟體看來也是走著同一輒路。於是，開源好，只因它運行在Windows，Windows Server和Office 平台之上了。
Middle Block: Here goes Middleware software like web and applications servers. On this block now we see Microsoft more open. Sure, you already have Microsoft software as OS base, so now they accept that OSS software here. This is an area where OSS software is also good and solid, but MS didn’t put too much attention on this are for OSS.
中層：這裡是一些中間件的軟體，如網路和應用伺服器。這一塊我們看到微軟更加開放了。當然了，已經有了微軟軟體作為OS基礎，他們當然在這裡接受OSS軟體了。這一處OSS軟體依舊優秀而堅實，但微軟不會對它們予以足夠重視。
Upper Block: This is where Microsoft put the attention for OSS. The upper block will be representing the business applications. Core Banking, Retail Core, ERP, CRM, CMS, etc, etc, etc. In this area/block, I can put myself at risk by saying that these kinds of solutions are not as solid in the open source software world as in the commercial software world (yet – as today), with some exceptions. But on this Upper Block is where Microsoft says, “Yes, let′s put all the OSS you want here”.
上層：這一層微軟開始重視起OSS來。上層將會表現出商業應用。連鎖銀行，連鎖店，企業資源計劃ERP, 客戶關係管理CRM, 內容管理系統CMS, 等等等等。這一塊，我敢冒險說此類解決方案開源軟體世界將不如商業軟體世界穩固（至少今天是），除有少數例外。但是在這一層正是微軟所說的“是的，放上所有你想要的OSS在這裡”的地方。
This could be good: Microsoft is promoting to create OSS in the most weak part that is “Business Applications”.…but also….
這可能很好吧：微軟在對OSS最薄弱的領域即商業應用領域進行大力創造。但是......
This could be bad: If the OSS business applications are developed under a platform that depends 100% in Windows or in Microsoft Patents we will be stuck forever with the same vendor (Microsoft) for the foundational software which is turning into a commodity.
這可能很壞：如果OSS商業應用建構於一個百分之百領依賴於Windows或微軟專利的平台之上，我們將會被永遠不變的一個使基礎軟體成為日用品（收費但不得不用）的賣主（微軟）遏制住，後果不堪設想。
So, do they want companies and users to crash and burn using OSS in the area that is less solid?
因此，在尚不穩定的領域裡使用OSS，他們想讓企業和用戶垮台與崩潰嗎？
While other vendors like IBM or HP in a very OSS conservative way says that OSS is good and solid for Operating System and Middleware, we are seen Microsoft with an Upside down strategy. Strategy that makes sense to don’t hurt their business since the are the Operating System sales leader in the world, but make no sense from a technical side.
對比其它企業如IBM或HP非常保守地說OSS於操作系統和中層應用是優秀的、堅實的，我們看到微軟所作的是一個上下顛倒的策略，是一個對保持它商業利益有意義而於技術領域毫無意義的策略。
About Business Solutions (The Upper Block)
關於商業解決方案（上層）
Microsoft has a few business solutions applications like Dynamix (CRM and ERP), but let’s be honest, it is not their sales core. Microsoft sales core is Office and Windows. For business applications Microsoft relies a lot on Business Partners that create custom solution over their platform.
微軟有少許商業解決方案如Dynamix (CRM和ERP)，但說實話，那不是它的盈利核心。它的盈利核心在是Office 和Windows。對商業解決方案，微軟極大地依賴於在它的平台之上開發用戶解決方案的商業合作夥伴。
A typical Microsoft Business Partner had always heard from MS that selling software licenses is a good and respectful business and that we need to hide the source code and protect the IP of it. And now MS shows off saying something like “OSS is good, but let’s use it only where my Business Partners get license money from, so it doesn’t hurt my business.”
典型的微軟商業合作夥伴總是從微軟聽到出售軟體許可是一種好的生意，並且我們要隱藏源碼，保護它的知識產權等等的說法。現在微軟停止說一些諸如“OSS好是好，但讓我們只使用我的生意合作夥伴能從中取得許可費的軟體吧，這樣才不致於影響到我的生意”的話了。
Conclutions
So, the message that Microsoft sends about OSS:
* It is OK to use OSS under Microsoft platform.
* OSS Middleware over Windows is OK, but MS Middleware is better.
* OSS is good while it does not compete with Microsoft .
* You need to use OSS on its weakest link, the business applications.
* Developers need to create OSS software over MS technology and limit their software to only run on one platform – Windows.
* Customer can use OSS software over MS technology and get a single vendor lock-in.
結語
因此，微軟發出的有關OSS的消息：
* 在微軟平台之下使用OSS，行。
* Windows之上的OSS中間件行，但MS中間層更佳。
* 在不與微軟衝突的前提之下，OSS好。
* 你需要在OSS最薄弱的環節使用它，也就是商業應用領域。
* 開發者需要在MS技術之上開發OSS,他們的軟體僅能運行在一個平台之上--Windows。
* 用戶可以在微軟技術之上使用OSS軟體，被唯一的賣家鎖住。
The Open Source strategy for Microsoft seems from my point of view very weak and comfortable. They do not want to hurt their business or risk anything; they prefer to put their Business Partners software license business at the fire line before losing their license money.
微軟開源策略照我來看很弱很美好。他們不想影響自己的生意，不想冒任何險；他們在拿不到他們商業合作夥伴許可費之前，願意讓後者葬身火海。
So seeing Microsoft supporting OSS under this conditions doesn’t show a dramatic change of mind or a commitment. I will have to wait for the next MS OSS event to see if their strategy progress in a good or bad way.
於是在這種情形之下看微軟支持OSS，就不會讓人產生一種戲劇性的觀念或決心的轉變了。我還得等，等到下一場微軟OSS會事，看看他們的策略是否在往好的或壞的方向進發。
英文原文：http://www.osnews.com/story/23484/Microsoft_Open_Source_Strategy_is_Upside_Down （簡介） http://martin.iturbide.com/?page_id=114 （正文）
轉載請註明：Linux人社區編譯
微軟 開源 OSS
