Summary: A few remarks about Centrify and Likewise -- the Microsoft-esque companies which pretend to serve open source

Centrify is an interesting case [1, 2, 3] of software patents and Microsoft promotion disguised as "free". Centrify is a subject we covered here many times before (even days ago) and it makes some more headlines at the moment due to this press release that helped produce some articles [1, 2, 3]. They use the term "Express" -- just like Microsoft does -- in order to introduce a gateway to software patents and pricey proprietary software that strengthens Microsoft's monopoly.

Centrify Express is a set of free software applications and tools, content resources and community forums designed to help organizations improve security and compliance of data center and desktop systems.

Another new article that's related to it helps remind us of the bad side of Active Directory, which Microsoft controls and Centrify promotes. We have already explained the Centrify-Microsoft connection (including staff commonalities), which reminded us of Likewise (created by Microsoft folks and currently stepping on Samba with 'open' core and with Microsoft patents). "Likewise Software has Record First Half," says this new press release. Apparently it pays off to pretend to be "open source" (Likewise is not open source) and to promote Microsoft in open source circles. Likewise -- unlike Samba -- helps put a software patents tax on SMB/Samba functionality. It's just something to watch out for. Likewise is what Microsoft wants Samba to be. ⬆