12.06.10
At Microsoft, “Choice” Means Adding Windows, Marginalising/Suing GNU/Linux
Summary: Microsoft keeps spinning itself as a company promoting choice while it’s actually doing the opposite
WE finally know that TurboHercules is funded by Microsoft (partly owned by Microsoft) and the main mobbyist who promoted the case of TurboHercules and Microsoft (right from the very start) has begun spinning this as a hardware issue. Just like T3 (after it was made partly owned by Microsoft), pretense time is over and mobbyists are shown for what they really are. Groklaw proudly posts a link to this third report about the news that Microsoft is behind TurboHercules, as Groklaw and ourselves have argued all along.
News that the world’s biggest software company has backed a company at the centre of a dispute involving a rival is likely to be watched with interest in Brussels, given a wider pattern that has emerged in investigations involving the technology industry….
The move echoes investments Microsoft has made in companies that have become thorns in IBM’s side. For instance, T3, which complained about IBM’s behaviour in the mainframe market, also had Microsoft as an investor. The software company also put money into PSI, which complained to Brussels over the mainframe market, though it was eventually bought out by IBM.
“Microsoft shares TurboHercules’ belief that there needs to be greater openness and choice for customers in the mainframe market,” a Microsoft spokesperson told The Register (article cited last week). “Hahahaha,” responds Pamela Jones from Groklaw. “Yes, Microsoft is historically always on the side of openness and greater choice for customers. I hate to say I told you so, but I told you so.”
“I hate to say I told you so, but I told you so.”
–Pamela Jones, Groklaw.To quote further from Microsoft spin: “Customers tell us that they want greater interoperability between the mainframe and other platforms, including systems that run Windows Server. For that reason, we continue to invest in companies like TurboHercules to develop new solutions for our mutual customers.”
“Microsoft is working towards establishing a long-term community connection” says the headline of this bait ‘article’ (lending Microsoft a platform) which we discussed in last night's episode of TechBytes. Microsoft uses Vijay Rajagopalan, who talks a lot of PR nonsense and leads to a lot of hot debate about how much lying Microsoft can do (apparently it does fool some people). “Microsoft Invests in TurboHercules” says another post that we found. We don’t know yet just how much money Microsoft gave to TurboHercules, but putting all of these things together helps show that Microsoft can only ever pretend to favour openness and choice.
Software giant Microsoft has invested in a small French business called TurboHercules SAS in what analysts are saying is a move by the Windows OS maker to attack rival IBM by proxy. TurboHercules received an undisclosed amount from Microsoft, according to reports.
At Microsoft, promoting “choice” means adding Windows or making Windows-exclusive support. Where Microsoft has a monopoly the word “choice” is never mentioned. █
