Microsoft: Microsoft earns consecutive “Three Cheers” honors by becoming a platinum sponsor of the Apache Software Foundation. Sam Ramji, Microsoft’s OSS Guru, announced this at OSCon while wearing a Firefox T-shirt; nice. Besides becoming ASF’s third Platinum Sponsor, Microsoft also contributed a patch to the ADOdb. Whether or not the OSS community likes it or not, Microsoft is a player with both their development talent and wallets; after all the ASF cannot survive on idealism alone. Perhaps it is time for Microsoft to drop their claims to Linux patents and really join the OSS community!
Cloud Computing: This week’s buzz marketing concept is “cloud computing.” If you crave analyst, media, and venture capital attention, then why not become a cloud computing company or start-up? This week alone Yahoo, HP, and Intel launched the Cloud Computing Test Bed while IBM has announced their ninth Cloud Computing Center in Tokyo. News media and analyst tout the new technology as the wave of the future providing for life changing applications. It’s too bad that the technology isn’t ready and the applications are far from “life changing.” Perhaps it’s time for the hype to be replaced with reality and investors to remember the bubble!
T. Boone Pickens: Billionaire T. Boone Pickens voted with his wallet as he dumped his holdings in Yahoo. Mr. Pickens was rightfully upset about Yahoo’s “pathetic” management and their dealings with Microsoft. Yahoo’s brain trust must have failed mathematics as they deemed Microsoft’s $33 per share take-over offer as inadequate yet Yahoo now trades at under $20 a share. Perhaps it’s time for large and small investors join T. Boone Pickens in reminding the executives of public companies who is boss; the shareholders!
PlatenReport 