<h3 class="story" id="title-5261797"><a href="http://news.slashdot.org/" title="Filter to News" class="skin">News:</a> <a href="http://news.slashdot.org/story/09/07/20/1643251/Microsoft-Releases-Linux-Device-Drivers-As-GPL" class="datitle">Microsoft Releases Linux Device Drivers As GPL</a> <span class="date">on Monday July 20, @01:10PM</span> <span class="nickname"></span>
                                
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        <span id="fhtime-5261797">on Monday July 20, @01:10PM</span></strong>
        
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                <strong>from the <strong>could-easily-be-world&#39;s-largest-open-source-distributor</strong> dept.</strong>
        

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                                                                                <a href="http://cnet.com/openroad" rel="nofollow">mjasay</a> writes <i>&quot;Microsoft used to call the GPL &#39;anti-American.&#39;  Now, as <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-13505_3-10290686-16.html">Microsoft releases Hyper-V Linux Integration Components (LinuxIC) under the GPL (version 2)</a>,
apparently Microsoft calls the GPL &#39;ally.&#39; Of course, there was little
chance the device drivers would be accepted into the Linux kernel base
unless open source, but the news suggests a shift for Microsoft. It
also reflects Microsoft&#39;s continued interest in undermining its
virtualization competition through low prices, and may suggests concern
that it must open up if it wants to fend off insurgent virtualization
strategies from Red Hat (KVM), Novell (XEN), and others in the
open-source camp. Microsoft said the move demonstrates <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2009/Jul09/07-20LinuxQA.mspx">its interest in using open source in three key areas</a>:
1) Make its software development processes more efficient, 2) product
evangelism, and 3) using open source to reduce marketing and sales
costs or to try out new features that highlight parts of the platform
customers haven&#39;t seen before.&quot;</i></div></div>