Microsoft: We love open source

Radically backtracking from its earlier stance on the open-source community, software giant Microsoft has now admitted that its earlier hostility was a mistake. Almost a decade ago, company CEO Steve Ballmer called the open source Linux operating system a "cancer" where its IP was concerned; Microsoft has also accused open source providers of violating hundreds of its patents in recent years.

In a recent interview with Network World, Jean Paoli, the general manager of Microsoft's interoperability strategy team explained that the mistake has to do with equating Linux with all open source technology. "We understand our mistake, he says," and pointing out that the various work that Microsoft has since done with open source, he quipped, "We love open source."

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