In response to statements delivered by Craig Mundie, Senior VP of Microsoft, to the Stern School of Business students at New York University, Lineo has issued the following statement . . .

Lindon, UT — Microsoft is making an effort to spread fear, uncertainty, and doubt about the open source movement and the GPL because it is clearly intimidated and threatened. Microsoft's model over the years has been to hide the proprietary source code they've developed, which has stunted their ability to innovate and to help customers. Lineo finds it laughable that Microsoft, the very company that has stifled innovation through its closed, proprietary software, would say that the open source model would stifle innovation. Microsoft apparently has no answer to the troublesome threat that open source software poses to them, beyond this transparent public relations maneuver.

Lineo has successfully operated by using and aggressively contributing to open source software while protecting its intellectual property (IP) as well as the IP of Lineo customers. Like IBM, Lineo believes that there is a way to “follow both a proprietary and shared business model, even one based on the G.P.L.” We wholeheartedly agree with Microsoft that no company “at the end of the day would throw all of its intellectual property into the open-source category.” To do so would be a completely broken, unprofitable business model that could not survive over the long term.

Lineo has made a success for itself and for other companies by serving as a bridge between open source development and the commercial deployment of embedded systems and devices. Lineo's software tools and offerings facilitate the usage of open source technology in commercial products, identify open source components and protect manufacturer's intellectual property. Lineo believes the specific benefits of combining open source technology with intellectual property include . . .

• Faster development and deployment of new technology.
  
• Broader use of technology in systems and devices that automate life.
  
• Shorter development cycles.
  
• Lower development costs.
  
• Lower overall product costs, which benefit both the manufacturer and the consumer, and enable a larger set of individuals to enjoy the benefits of technology.

Lineo invites consumers, companies, countries, and opinion leaders, especially the media, to consider the historical business approaches of Microsoft and cautiously approach this issue, seeking full disclosure and full understanding of opinions and viewpoints. The industry's migration to consider and deploy open source technologies has provided solid, tangible benefits and has caused one of the world's most domineering companies to devise a specific campaign to counter the open source movement. This is a topic worthy of serious thought.

 
This article was originally published on LinuxDevices.com and has been donated to the open source community by QuinStreet Inc. Please visit LinuxToday.com for up-to-date news and articles about Linux and open source.