[plug] Open Source "threat" to R&D

[Sol Hanna]

Sol Hanna wrote:
> 
> The cnet article about the "open source threat to R&D " appeared word
> for word in today's Australian IT section (20/2/01) on p44.
> Interestingly to the left is a column titled, "IT giants back research
> lab with $45bn" which is about the establishment of an Open Source R&D
> laboratory in Oregon, and below the aforementioned offending article is
> an article about IBM's billion dollar investment in the Linux platform
> titled, "IBM promotes Linux for the enterprise market".
>         Of equal interest, on the facing page below a large photograph of the
> Evil One, is an article on a civil subpeona from the US Justice
> Department against Micro$atan regarding its takeover of rival Corel. To
> quote M$ chief operating officer Rick Belluzzo, "Nowadays, any
> transaction is going to get a certain amount of scrutiny. We don't have
> a strategy to acquire competition." (Read this second sentence twice if
> you didn't get the ambiguity the first time.) The article continues:
> 'Ottawa-based Corel announced last month it was dropping efforts to
> develop the freely distributed Linux operating system.......The US
> government review would determine whether Microsoft's stake in Corel
> gives it too much control over a rival's decision making, thereby
> lessening competition........Corel did not consult with Microsoft before
> deciding to drop its Linux business, Corel chief executive Derek Burney
> said last month."
>         Of course they didn't. And of couse we all believe that M$ doesn't
> exert any influence over Corel's decision making because M$ believes in
> the free market and the need for competitive rivals to improve service
> and cut prices for consumers. It's all so clear to me now. Whatever was
> I thinking?