Microsofts Plan: If you can't beat them buy them

Back in Febuary there was an announcement by Microsoft to purchase Sybari Software Inc. Not really big news then, it just appeared as if Microsoft was buying up antivirus companies to create an intergrated virus product into its next Windows platform. But is that really the goal?

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Today, as the deal was finalized Microsoft announced that all sales of antivirus products for Linux/ Unix platforms would be halted. Is Microsoft attempting to kill Linux by removing software available for it? You decide.

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Man when you start looking at it Microsoft is waging a war against the Open Source Community.

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That's really not a new strategy. For as long as there has been corporate competition, there has been similar instances. If you can't beat them, you either join them or buy them. It's just smart business. But monopoly laws were designed to keep it from getting too out of hand.

I was an executive for Microsoft for over 12 years. It is a common policy in the entire software industry to destroy your competition. I remember so many meeetings over OS2 and how we ensured it never got a chance. That is why Microsoft has had so many successes. Ask IBM or Netscape. Even those who think Apple really made a dent in our markets might be shocked to know the number one application developer for the MAC is Microsoft. We made tons of cash from the Mac. In fact at one point I ran a department that supported MAC Apps and we all had our "I love the Mac" t-shirts we wore on release days. Made me lot's of cash as well.

I doubt Micro$oft could do much to the open source community. There are so many programmers out there, so many developers. Maybe it can hold up the adoption of the Open Source in mainstream?