You`d be forgiven for thinking that Microsoft`s strategy concerning open source software (OSS) has undergone a full 180-degree turn in the last two years. The Redmond software giant now openly engages with the top open source players in driving interoperability between Microsoft`s solutions and those of the open source world, which is a mere two years after spending billions on a ‘Get the Facts` campaign that warned the market against the perils of deploying Linux.

The dichotomy presented by Microsoft`s newfound support of open source on the one hand, and attacks on Linux on the other, are to blame for the confusion. Is Microsoft really ambivalent about open source or is the market to blame for thinking that Linux and open source are one and the same thing?