Should Microsoft buy RHT?
Coming back from the Open Source Goat Rodeo (OSGR) and spending excellent time with old and new friends got me thinking again about this theoretical possibility.
Here are various reasons, some of it serious, some not. It is a somewhat ordered list, but left as an open list to you the reader.
MSFT should buy RHT because:
OSS is just a better R/D and distribution model. You can use that and expand from there.
More than just an optimization on closed source development, RHT monetizes a community base on its own terms, including proprietary. For those of you who wondered, the model that monetizes OSS is the proprietary one. Even IBM knows that!
Also I would be singing the Spanish soccer chant "OLE! OLE! OLE! OLE!" from here for at least a good 6mo, with video and all, free of charge.
Gaming on my PS3, love you guys at the Borg, mwwaaaah!
Bill Hilf, are you listening?
Here are various reasons, some of it serious, some not. It is a somewhat ordered list, but left as an open list to you the reader.
MSFT should buy RHT because:
- they can
- it's kind of cheap
- RHT deserves this fate
- my stock in RHT would go up
- it would piss off IBM, SUN and LarryE all at the same time, it's beautiful.
- they would integrate the business model without skipping a single beat. Contrary to popular belief the RHT model is already a proprietary distribution of OSS.
- cloud computing a la Amazon, Google both directly compete, may bypass anti-trust regulation
- need for those virtualized runtimes across run-times in windows, Unix. Think VMWare.
- could provide basis for a larryE style acquisition of VMWare.
- It kind of shocked Matt Asay, who muttered something about not being able to admit to it publicly "because it's not his schtick," but upon reflection wouldn't turn his back on a new, more powerful sugar daddy, should the opportunity arise.
OSS is just a better R/D and distribution model. You can use that and expand from there.
More than just an optimization on closed source development, RHT monetizes a community base on its own terms, including proprietary. For those of you who wondered, the model that monetizes OSS is the proprietary one. Even IBM knows that!
Also I would be singing the Spanish soccer chant "OLE! OLE! OLE! OLE!" from here for at least a good 6mo, with video and all, free of charge.
Gaming on my PS3, love you guys at the Borg, mwwaaaah!
Bill Hilf, are you listening?
Comments
brilliant strategy. The funny thing is I bet that the bankers have pitched this many times! MSFT needs to start to embrace open source; sooner or later their customers will demand it. This would do it in a big way.
--Zack
PS. More photos from OSGR here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/zurlocker1/OpenSourceGoatRodeo
I would argue their customers are asking already as they talk about interoperability a whole bunch these days...
Can't tell which one I like best "RHT deserves this fate" or how it would screw with Asay. I love Asay however, he does tend to ramble a little bit on MS (sorry Matt).
johnmwillis.com
just kidding.
Call it Windora or Winbuntu like what Larry E is trying to do
I know, its arguable if RHT is a serious compettion (I see ubuntu server being a more threat in near future) but overall Linux server is just a long term threat to MS.
So acquire (when they are still cheap) and kill'em all is still viable for M$
Given the noise it will make in FOSS world, they will have to do it in the name of maling "interoperability" better.
Moron, stop supporting MSFT.
Bill Hilf IS listening ;)