Microsoft Should Buy Linux?
I found this interesting piece from OSDir about “Why Microsoft should acquire Linux?”. Actually, to be clear, it is actually a piece about why Microsoft should buy a major Linux distribution such as RedHat or Novell.
Alright, I’m going to say this. I think Microsoft should acquire Linux. Now, I understand that Linux is not as independent of an OS as Windows; it’s a movement towards the open environment for applications; therefore, the standard M&A process won’t work. However, it wouldn’t hurt to acquire the makers of Mandriva, SuSE, Red Hat, Ubuntu and a host of other popular distributions from their corporate or volunteer makers. Trust me; it’s only for the better.
I find the article strange because it is true that Microsoft cannot buy Linux per se since it is more a movement than a single company. However, it can buy a major Linux distributor with major market share. This means they can influence Linux. The main thing is that once Microsoft acquires that said Linux distribution it still really cannot maintain control. That is because Linux IS open source and anybody can just use any other Linux. Anybody can switch to another distribution. Contaminated contributions can be prevented.
Take the case of Caldera/SCO. If people don’t like using SCO because of their Linux scare tactics then these people can just switch to another Linux distribution without much fuss. It is a question of competitive advantage. With a proprietary and closed operating system like MS Windows, Microsoft has competitive advantage. They can keep the “secret sauce” to themselves and prevent users from easily switching operating systems. With Linux, the competitive advantage must be found elsewhere such as support and services.
