Governments to see Windows code

[FreeUS]

Microsoft will share the source code underlying its Windows operating system with several international governments, a move designed to address concerns about the security of the OS.
The Redmond, Wash.-based company, which dominates the market for desktop software, has signed deals or expects to do so shortly with 10 countries and organizations, Salah DanDan, worldwide Government Security Program manager, said in an interview.

"The GSP is the global initiative announced today that seeks to provide governments with access to source code and information that governments need to be confident in the security of the Microsoft platform," DanDan said.



Under the program announced Tuesday, DanDan said, governments will be able to see source code for Windows 2000, XP, Server 2003 and CE; use that code to build those versions of Windows; see Microsoft security documentation the company doesn't otherwise share; visit Microsoft's headquarters; speak with Microsoft developers; and perform their own tests on the code.

Microsoft's decision isn't taking place in a vacuum. Over the past two years, governments around the world have begun considering legislation that would require the use of open-source or free software unless proprietary software is the only feasible option.

This movement, of which Brazil was an early and eager proponent, has found ready converts as governments struggle with limited information-technology budgets. Security concerns have also been an issue.

Microsoft has criticized the open-source movement, the philosophy behind Linux and several other projects that compete with Microsoft software. But one advantage the open-source community has over Microsoft is that suspicious parties may see exactly what's going on in the software it produces.

"Certainly they want to reduce the possible reasons people are looking at Linux," said Gartner analyst Michael Silver. "It sounds like another attempt by Microsoft to appear to be a bit more open."

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[Zone-MR]

Imagine what happens when this gets leaked, lol.

In an unrelated note, Sun Microsystems surprised industry observers this morning by releasing Sun Office, Sun NT, and two operating systems called Sun XP and Sun .NET.