Microsoft’s shared source effort grows

“Microsoft Corp. announced on Wednesday that it is expanding its shared source program by opening the doors for eligible customers to the nuts and bolts of the company’s source code for Windows. It’s a move that one industry analyst said takes Microsoft closer to embracing open-source, while at the same time allows the company to keep its customers happy.

Initially the Shared Source Initiative, which started a few years ago, provided select partners, customers, developers and governments worldwide with access to source code components for Windows CE .Net, ASP .Net, Visual Studio .Net and Passport Manager. Through the new program called the Most Valuable Professional Source Licensing Program (MVPSLP), Microsoft said it would expand source code offerings to include Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 access for eligible MVPs.

The increased visibility into Microsoft Windows source code will enrich the broader customer and community support for organizations using the Windows platform, the Redmond, Wash.-based company said in a statement.”